Kevin Hart Steps Down as Oscar Host

Movies

Well, that was fast. Two days after he announced he would host the 2019 Academy Awards ceremony, comedian Kevin Hart has “resigned” from the prestigious gig. This comes amid a controversy over some tweets and stand-up comedy bits about homosexuality deemed offensive by the usual “They” and the resulting outrage. The gist is, Hart was told by the Academy to either apologize or be fired; he declined to apologize because he’s done so several times already; he later both resigned and apologized. When he is replaced by third-time-host Jimmy Kimmel or someone along those lines, the same people declaring the Oscars racist for their lack of diversity will likely nod their heads in agreement. Or maybe not; these people keep you guessing, if nothing else. But they’re sure as hell celebrating Kevin Hart losing his job.

I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's….this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.

— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 7, 2018

My impressions of this matter were summed up quite succinctly by John Nolte in this piece, so I’ll echo his analysis while adding a few more thoughts. First, Kevin Hart has been “called out” before for his refusal to bash President Trump in his apolitical standup routine (that a white person was telling a black man how to “be black” is somehow okay – again, thanks to her displaying the right political opinions). Despite his caving at the VMAs, I guess the impression of him is still that he remains neutral in his comedy. This, combined with the tolerance of homophobic talk in the past that Nolte outlines, makes the true reason for the attacks on Hart pretty clear. Second, Kevin Hart isn’t the first celebrity to have this done to him. Nicole Kidman was also pressured; in her case, it was to stop her calls for national unity after the election. Third, when sufficiently woke James Gunn had past tweets come back to haunt him, the media leaped to his defense, even after it was exposed that his problems go well beyond tweets. The excuse that they were old jokes somehow works for a director, but not for an actual stand-up comedian? And, finally, the Oscars are not doing themselves any favors in kowtowing to the woke crowd. Their numbers have been declining as the show has gotten more political, and a move like this won’t win back anyone who’s jumped ship.

How do you feel about Kevin Hart stepping down as Oscar host? Will you watch the Academy Awards next year? Should they just go for broke and ask Elizabeth Warren to step in? Let us know in the comments and stick around Geeks + Gamers for more entertainment news!