ABC announcing that the Oscars would go host-less again this year coming on the heels of Ricky Gervais' polarizing hosting of the Golden Globes begs the question of whether awards show hosts are becoming extinct. "Perhaps the golden age – or even the grubby gold lamé age – of the awards host is simply behind us: in an age where awards ceremonies are mainly fodder to be broken down into various viral highlights, the role of an emcee to link all this future meme material seems increasingly redundant," says Guy Lodge. "Gervais’ particular presence as a provocateur, meanwhile, felt particularly extraneous in a year when others on stage were delivering punchier messages, albeit with fewer punchlines."
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TOPICS: Ricky Gervais, ABC, NBC, 92nd Academy Awards, Rich Eisen, Tim Allen, Award Shows, Golden Globe Awards