If you haven't heard the news yet, Seth MacFarlane is hosting the Oscars.
It's a bold, surprising selection, especially since the Family Guy, American Dad and Cleveland Show creator has little to do with films, has no hosting experience and is literally not a famous face. But after you get through the initial shock, MacFarlane is almost an inspired choice by the Academy.
Don't believe us? Here are six reasons why MacFarlane is a good choice to emcee Hollywood's biggest night.
Seth MacFarlane named Oscar host
1. He's young and hip: It's no secret that the Oscars has been shamelessly targeting a younger audience. Two years ago, producers quizzically tapped Anne Hathaway and James Franco, which ended in near-disaster (more him than her). Last year, the Academy tried to go edgy with Brett Ratner as producer and Eddie Murphy as host, only for both to bail after Ratner made disparaging comments about gays and Olivia Munn. (Oscar ended up with the tried-and-true, old-school theatrical ways of Billy Crystal.) MacFarlane is a proven favorite among young males with his irreverent shows and will inject the show with a fresh, youthful energy, and daggers at the Oscars themselves. The only question is: Will those fans follow to watch him host? (The Oscars will air opposite his Fox shows.)
2. He's hot right now: His characters' kooky voices may be more recognizable than his face, but you can't deny that MacFarlane is having the best year ever: Besides having three shows on the air, his directorial debut Ted has grossed more than $400 million worldwide, his hosting gig (and Ryan Lochte impression) on SNL won raves, and he's dating the Dragon Queen.
3. He's versatile: To say MacFarlane is a multi-hyphenate is an understatement. He's an actor, voice actor, producer, writer, comedian, director and singer — nearly all of which he showcased during his thoroughly winning Saturday Night Live hosting gig last month. As such, MacFarlane won't be limited to straight-up jokes (a la comedians like Jon Stewart) or just old fashioned-style parody songs (a la Crystal). And if you're wondering if MacFarlane can do old fashioned tunes, the answer is yes: His album of standards, Music Is Better Than Words, was nominated for a Grammy.
Academy sets 2013 Oscars date
4. He can roll with the punches: MacFarlane made a major boo-boo while presenting at the Emmys last week, but brushed it off with self-deprecating (and Family Guy-inspired) humor. Who doesn't want to see how he would react to, say, a streaker?
5. He's untested: MacFarlane has never hosted any awards show before, unless you count, as he points out, The Roast of Charlie Sheen. Why is being a neophyte a good thing? We don't know what to expect. Don't you want to tune in to see what he will do?
6. He thinks so too: "I smoked a lot of pot and clearly don't give a sh-- about this show, so I'm kind of the perfect host for this roast. Or for the Oscars." — MacFarlane at The Roast of Donald Trump
Watch MacFarlane break the news to his dad:
Do you think MacFarlane is a good choice?
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