Recapping the Oscars with Louis Virtel

Summary

All Of It Podcast Summary: Recapping the Oscars with Louis Fertel

Podcast Information:

• Title: All Of It
• Host: Alison Stewart
• Guest: Louis Fertel, Co-host of Keep It a Oscar Fanatic
• Episode Title: Recapping the Oscars with Louis Fertel
• Release Date: March 3, 2025
• Air Time: Weekdays from 12:00 - 2:00PM on WNYC

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Introduction

In this episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart delves into the highlights of the 97th Annual Academy Awards with special guest Louis Fertel, co-host of Keep It a Oscar Fanatic. The discussion provides a comprehensive overview of the night's events, including historic wins, memorable speeches, and unexpected moments that colored Hollywood's biggest night.

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Overview of the 97th Annual Academy Awards

a. Historical Milestones

The 97th Oscars were marked by several groundbreaking achievements:

• Paul Tazewell became the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Costume Design.
• Zoe Saldana made history as the first American of Dominican descent to win an Academy Award.
• Honora Ryder and Director Shawn Baker achieved an unprecedented feat by winning four Oscars on the same night for the same film.

Louis Fertel (02:26) expressed his excitement, stating, “I'm so psyched to be here,” highlighting the significance of these milestones in diversifying the Academy's recognition.

b. Host Conan O’Brien’s Performance

Conan O’Brien took the helm as host for the first time, bringing his characteristic blend of humor and homage to the film industry. Fertel praised Conan’s ability to balance reverent commentary with whimsical humor, noting his "Monty Python level silliness" (04:28) during the monologue. The host maintained control over the event, ensuring a smooth flow while injecting moments of unexpected hilarity, such as the musical number titled "I'm not going to waste your time" (05:25), which Fertel found delightfully brief yet amusing.

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Key Moments and Speeches

a. Conan O’Brien’s Monologue and Handling of Controversies

Conan addressed the Emilia Perez controversy involving Carla Sofia Gascon’s past racist tweets. Fertel appreciated Conan’s handling of the situation, saying, “it was necessary to make a joke about that” (06:36) and admired the comedian's ability to integrate current events seamlessly into his performance without derailing the evening.

b. Best Director Sean Baker’s Speech

Sean Baker, winner of Best Director, delivered a passionate speech advocating for the preservation of movie theaters. He emphasized the communal experience of watching films in theaters versus streaming at home (09:41). Fertel lauded Baker's preparedness and the speech's heartfelt message, drawing parallels to Alanis Morissette's emotive music video "You Learn" (10:37).

c. Adrien Brody’s Long Speech

Adrien Brody set a new record for the lengthiest Oscar speech, which Fertel humorously remarked as “the longest speech an actor has given in Oscars history” (17:29). Despite the extended duration, Brody included memorable lines that Fertel found charming, particularly the playful interaction with his wife, Halle Berry, making the moment both personal and entertaining.

d. Zoe Saldana’s Award and Speech

Zoe Saldana’s acceptance speech was a heartfelt tribute to her immigrant parents and her grandmother, Argentina Sese. Fertel highlighted her powerful performance in Amelia Perez and noted, “she simply had to do the most” (15:52), underscoring her dedication and versatility as an actress despite the surrounding controversies.

e. Kieran Culkin’s Speech

Kieran Culkin brought humor to his Best Supporting Actor acceptance with a playful recount of his promise to his wife regarding having more children if he won (19:39). Fertel appreciated the light-hearted nature of Culkin’s speech, noting the genuine charm and back-and-forth humor between Culkin and his wife, which made the moment memorable and endearing.

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Audience and Caller Reactions

a. Caller Judy’s Observation

Listener Judy from Brooklyn pointed out that both Best Actor and Best Actress winners were Jewish for the first time since 1937 (12:54). Fertel confirmed the rarity of this occurrence, adding historical context and expressing amazement at this unique alignment of awards.

b. Other Audience Feedback

Throughout the episode, Alison Stewart invited listeners to share their thoughts. Fertel encouraged engagement by emphasizing the community aspect of the show, reiterating, “Let’s check in with Judy... Louis, you are also an expert. Is Judy correct?” (12:54), fostering an interactive dialogue with the audience.

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Musical Performances and Tributes

a. Conan's "I'm Not Gonna Waste Your Time" Number

Conan's musical interlude was highlighted as a standout moment, blending humor with musical talent (05:25). Fertel appreciated the creativity and brevity of the performance, likening it to classic animated series humor.

b. James Bond Tribute

The tribute to James Bond included performances of three Bond songs, which Fertel found somewhat disjointed and lacking cohesion (21:47). However, he praised Ariana Grande’s rendition of "Over the Rainbow" as a spectacular opener that resonated well with diverse audiences.

c. Carly Simon’s "Nobody Does It Better"

Fertel expressed disappointment over the absence of Carly Simon’s iconic Bond theme, "Nobody Does It Better," noting its significance and the expectation for it to feature prominently in any Bond tribute.

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Final Thoughts and Conclusions from Louis Fertel

Louis Fertel concluded the discussion by reflecting on the unpredictable nature of the Oscar season, the significance of historic wins, and the memorable performances that defined the evening. He appreciated the blend of humor and heartfelt moments, particularly highlighting Conan O’Brien’s effective hosting and Adrien Brody’s lengthy yet charming acceptance speech.

Fertel also expressed enthusiasm for future episodes, humorously suggesting a recurring segment focused on major award shows, underscoring his passion for awards season coverage.

Notable Quotes:

• Louis Fertel (02:53): “I think this year voters weren't sure really what they loved.”
• Conan O’Brien (05:43): “Carla, Sofia Gascoigne is here tonight and…”
• Louis Fertel (07:35): “It’s just a completely unusual sight.”
• Louis Fertel (10:57): “Anybody who loves the Oscars is sitting in a theater watching these movies…”
• Adrien Brody (16:59): “Please, please, please. I'm wrapping up.”
• Louis Fertel (19:39): “I was on the red carpet yesterday...”

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Conclusion

This episode of All Of It provided an insightful and engaging recap of the 97th Academy Awards, blending historical context, personal anecdotes, and expert analysis. Louis Fertel’s enthusiastic participation enriched the conversation, offering listeners a nuanced perspective on the evening's events. Whether discussing groundbreaking achievements, memorable speeches, or unexpected moments, the episode captured the essence of an Oscars night that was both historic and entertaining.

Transcript

[Alison Stewart]

All of it is supported by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the Name youe Price Tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match Limited by state law not available in all states.

[Louis Fertel]

Listener Supported WNYC Studios.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart live from the WNYC studios in Soho. Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. I'm really grateful you are here. Coming up on the show today, it's Women's History Month and we're kicking off our series Equalizers, Women in Music Production. And we'll be speaking with a musical powerhouse, Alicia. She's one of 2025 Grammy nominees for producer of the year. If you ever read a description a meal in a book and you thought, wow, that sounds really, really good. There is now a company in Brooklyn called Table of Contents that brings the food from the page to the table. We'll speak with its founder plus Michael Harney of the tea company Harney and Sons joins us to spill the tea on what makes a great cuppa. That is our plan. So let's get this started with the Oscars. Last night was the 97th annual Academy Awards and as usual, Hollywood's biggest night included some surprises, some history making moments and a couple mishaps. Starting with the history, wicked costume designer and all of it. Guest Paul Tazewell became the first black man to take home the Oscar for best female costume design. Zoe Saldana shouted out in her speech that she was the first American of Dominican descent to win an Oscar. And the night's big winner, Honora Ryder and director Shawn Baker became the first person to win four Oscars on the same night for the same movie. The evening was Hosted by Conan O'Brien, who kept things on the rails for the most part, but there were a few, huh, moments. We'll talk about all of the night's biggest moments right now with Louis Fertel, co host of the Keep it podcast and Oscars aficionado. Hi Louis.

[Louis Fertel]

Hi there, Allison. I'm so psyched to be here.

[Alison Stewart]

Hey listeners, we want to hear from you. What do you think of the Oscars? What were you most excited to see? Win any movie or performance you wish had taken home an award. Our Phone lines are open. 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. So Louis, the Oscars were a little bit unpredictable this year. I mean, even going into it, it wasn't entirely clear. Why do you think it was such an unpredictable season?

[Louis Fertel]

I would love to be able to tell you. I think this year voters weren't sure really what they loved. It felt like the favorite, even just in the best picture category, kept changing constantly. I remember at one point being assured that Anora had fallen out of the conversation, that a complete unknown was taking the reins. I remember hearing that I'm Still Here was moving into the best picture conversation, that conclave was perhaps going to take it all. I don't remember the favorite really changing hands as many times as it did this season. But, you know, the season really goes on for like five or six months. You know, we start watching these movies a long time ago. And for it to have suspense that long as an Oscars superfan I am, I can only be grateful for.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk about the host. Conan hosted the Oscars for the first time. He's hosted the Emmys, the White House Correspondents Dinner, both big events. What do you think he did right as the host? Where do you think he went off the rails?

[Louis Fertel]

Well, let me just say my full time job is I'm a writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live. And I think I can speak for almost everybody in my industry where there is no such thing as being a joke writer. Working in late night and not loving what Conan O'Brien has brought to late night. The high low thing he does where there's such a dignity and an intelligence to what he does and yet a commitment to just the stupidest jokes, the, you know, the loudest kind of most annoying characters. I just appreciate that so much. And I really think he stuck to that Persona on stage. You know, he, he was reverent to the movies and he seemed to know them all really well and make jokes that were appropriate. But then he really just said, and now we're gonna toss to the sandworm from Dune who was playing a musical instrument. Yes, Monty Python level silliness in addition to the really adroit commentary. So that overall is what I really appreciated about him. And also I appreciated that it's been a while since we've seen him host something like this and he just like locked back into it as if no time had passed. And I was thrilled to see that.

[Alison Stewart]

How did you feel about I'm not going to waste your time musical number?

[Louis Fertel]

I well, I guess this may be a divisive issue. I thought it was the best part of the monologue. If anything, my problem with it was it didn't go on long enough. It should have wasted more of our time and had more strange da da moments of crazy scenery appearing and stuff. But I loved, like, it reminded me of a song you might hear on Animaniacs or something where, like, some of the characters are taunting you on screen with what they're doing and you just have to hold on until he finally lets go.

[Alison Stewart]

We were wondering if Kona was going to address the Emilia Perez drama in his opening monologue, and he did. For those who don't know, the star of that film, Carla Sofia Gascoigne, in her past made racist tweets about Muslims, George Floyd, even about the Oscars. Here's Conan's jokes about that drama.

[Louis Fertel]

Little fact for you. Nora uses the F word 479 times. That's three more than the record set by Carla Sofia Gascon's publicist. You tweeted what? I'm having fun. Carla, Sophia Gascoigne is here tonight and.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And Carla, if you are going to.

[Louis Fertel]

Tweet about the Oscars, remember my name is Jimmy Kimmel.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm sure you'll have a good time with that on the show. What did you think about how he handled that moment?

[Louis Fertel]

Well, I mean, it was definitely necessary to make a joke about that. It's also something I've been thinking about because it was something that really took, like in the online conversation about the Oscars, it really dominated the conversation, but I didn't really know how much that had permeated just the everyday, casual Oscar viewers mindset. So for him to address it even at all, I was, I was happy about. But honestly, my favorite part of that delivery is the little character he does after he makes the joke.

[Conan O'Brien]

You tweeted what?

[Louis Fertel]

Like that to me is what Conan does best, like comic exasperation, like a cartoon character.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk about the big winner. Sean Baker started winning for best editing and best original screenplay. It seemed Honora might take home the night's top prize is a movie about a sex worker who marries sort of an infantile son of a Russian oligarch. Why do you think this movie seemed to resonate so strongly with Academy voters?

[Louis Fertel]

Well, first of all, I'm still bowled over looking at Shawn Baker holding four Oscars. It's just a completely unusual sight. You know, you leave the Grammys and, you know, it could be anybody from Lady A to Adele will be holding five Grammys at the end of a night. You can expect that. But to see the four Oscars, I mean, you know, Katherine Hepburn never held all four of her Oscars at once. So this is a really remarkable night for one person. But I think Anora is just a complete ride. You start it and it's. It seems almost like, I don't want to say a traditional romance, but a romance with some quirky elements. And the lead performance from Mikey Madison draws you in immediately. It has that kind of Marisa Tomei and My Cousin Vinny level urgency where there's comedy and yet also there's something very startling about her at all times. And then as the movie goes on, it shifts genres entirely into this caper that is extremely bracing, extremely stressful. A movie like Uncut Gems comes to mind. That level of stress and then event, it becomes a romance again, which is completely unexpected. And another soul emerges in the movie out of nowhere, basically played by Yura Barrisov. Brilliantly so I think just if you watch that movie, you can't compare it to anything else because of the shifts in the movie are so unexpected and so welcome.

[Alison Stewart]

I wondered, do you think ranked choice voting played into Anor's win and Best Picture?

[Louis Fertel]

I mean, like, it is always interesting. We get more breaks between picture and director now more than ever. And I think that's because we vote differently on best Best Picture than best director. Voters are. They have to rank their favorites and then the way they're tabulated, like the lowest vote getters are eliminated and then those points are moved anyway. It's a whole system of bracketing. But you're right, I think it's hard to rank that movie at the bottom of your list because it does so much. Like at some point you're either laughing or you're really compelled by the drama. So I can't imagine just turning away from that movie entirely.

[Alison Stewart]

Sean Baker took time during his speech for Best Director to advocate for putting movies in theaters rather than straight to streaming. Let's listen to his speech.

[Sean Baker]

So we're all here tonight and watching this broadcast because we love movies. Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater. Watching a film. Watching a film in the theater with an audience is an experience. We can laugh together, cry together, scream and fright together, perhaps sit in devastated silence together. And in a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever. It's a communal experience you simply don't get at home. And right now, the theater going experience is under threat. Movie theaters, especially independently owned theaters, are struggling and it's up to us to support them. During the pandemic, we lost nearly 1,000 screens in the US and we continue to lose them regularly. If we don't reverse this trend, we'll be losing a vital part of our culture. This is my battle cry. Filmmakers keep making films for the big screen. I know I will.

[Alison Stewart]

He clearly had a lot to say. He had planned to say that he knew he was gonna be up there at least one time and he was gonna get to say that. And I was thinking that during the speeches, how much politics was gonna play in, how much personal amount was gonna play in. What did you think about the way politics was handled in speeches?

[Louis Fertel]

Well, it's interesting because throughout this award season, I basically expected there to be more politics. Like, there wasn't. I can't think of too many speeches I heard that felt like they hit that potent, relevant thing we love about award shows, really. And in the best documentary feature this year, we got that with no other land. Finally, you got to hear the words Israel in Palestine even uttered on an awards dais. That was thrilling. But in terms of what we just heard with Sean Baker talking about those. The movie theaters or whatever, one of my favorite old music videos is Alanis Morissette's you learn. And in the middle of the video, she does flip flops down the street. That wanted. I wanted to be that person listening to this speech, listening to this man talk about movie theaters. Anybody who loves the Oscars is sitting in a theater watching these movies, experience them taking in the noises of the people around them, or I love a solitary movie theater experience. If I'm in that theater by myself, it's still a transcendent time. I needed somebody at the Oscars to speak up for that kind of person and that kind of experience. And thank God he did. And also thank God he prepared for making four different speeches. Because often when people go up on stage and they're like, oh, I don't have anything anymore. It's like, really? I could have written something for you, you know?

[Alison Stewart]

He was prepared. My guest is Louise Fertel, co host of Keep it an Oscars Fanatic. We are recapping last night's Oscars. We want to hear from you. What did you think of the Oscars? Who are you excited to see win 212-433-962-12433, WNYC. Let's check in with Judy, who's calling us from Brooklyn. Hi, Judy, you're on the air. Hi. This is the second time both best actor, best actress were Jewish. The first time was 1937. Paul Muni and Louise Rainier. There you go. Louis, you are also an expert. Is Judy correct?

[Louis Fertel]

I literally was finishing the words as she said them. Yes. Louise Raynor is one of the most now underrated Best Actress winners. She won two consecutively. She didn't act much after that, actually. She was one time married to the playwright Clifford Odettes. But that does seem crazy that it's been whatever, 80 plus years since that last happened.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, that Best Actress category was competitive. Honora's Mikey Madison took home the BAFTA and the Independent Spirit Award. The substances. Demi Moore took home the SAG Award and the Golden Globe. Why do you think they ultimately honored Mikey Madison with this win?

[Louis Fertel]

I would call this, I'm calling it Nomadland syndrome, which was a few years ago. Nomadland won Best Picture. It won Best Director Chloe Zhao. And there was a lot of buildup about the Best Actress category because you also had that year Viola Davis and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. It didn't seem like a sure thing that Frances McDormand would win, and yet it seemed like all the momentum in the room went towards Nomadland. So it would make sense that the thing that dominates that movie, the central performance, would also win the award. And I feel like we underestimated Mikey Madison in this conversation, even though all the signs pointed to people loving Honora first and foremost this movie season.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, do you think it was her performance in the movie which was fantastic, or are we seeing the substance unfold in real time?

[Louis Fertel]

I am worried and I haven't been offered the substance yet and I'm feeling left out. So, no, it is interesting. I feel like maybe Oscar fans online were particularly rallied around Demi Moore. I think we loved the comeback moment for her. She was fantastic in the movie. But I feel like maybe the average Oscars voter who's seeing all the movies just saw Mikey Madison really dominate the entire runtime of that picture. Whereas Demi Moore, in the Substance, though she is fabulous, shares half her screen time with Margaret Qualley. And I just feel like Mikey Madison's was more a central performance in a movie.

[Alison Stewart]

Zoe Saldana capped off a very successful awards season with an Oscar last night for her role in Amelia Perez. Let's listen to a little bit of her speech. I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands. And I am the first to make of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award. And I know I will not be the last. I hope the fact that I'm getting an award for a role where I got to sing and speak in Spanish. My grandmother, if she were here, she would be so delighted. This is for my grandmother, Argentina Sese. Thank you so much. Mucha gracias.

[Louis Fertel]

Thank you.

[Alison Stewart]

Why do you think the Emilia Perez drama did not affect Zoe Saldana?

[Louis Fertel]

Well, I mean, I mean, first of all, I mean, what Carlos Sofia Gascon said on Twitter has nothing to do with what Zoe Saldana has ever said. And I weirdly think there might have been some sympathy in that regard. You know, like that people. First of all, people online routinely hate this movie. They really do. But I think nobody is really saying Zoe Saldana wasn't a dominating, fabulous force in the movie. She's tasked to do a lot of unconventional things. She has to sing, she has to be extremely serious as a part in the movie in which she's kidnapped. So it's sort of this acting obstacle course. And I think ultimately people could, when comparing the performances in that category, she simply had to do the most. Now there's a whole other conversation about whether this is category fraud if she was the quote unquote, lead actress in the movie. Because there's no way she didn't have fewer lines than Carlos Sofia Gascon, who was nominated for best actress, for example. But that's a different conversation. I don't think anybody wanted to take away from what she actually did in, which was a whole lot and sure looked exhausting.

[Alison Stewart]

Adrien Brody had a long speech after winning best actor for the Brutalist. In fact, he got them to stop playing the wrap up music. Let's listen to that moment.

[Louis Fertel]

And Judy Becker, the real, the real Lazlo Toth, who deserves to be up here as well. And I'm wrapping up. Please, please, please. I'm wrapping up. I will wrap up. Please turn the music off. I've done this before. Thank you. It's not my first rodeo, but I will, I will be brief. I will not be egregious, I promise.

[Alison Stewart]

You tweeted Adrien Brody speech needed an intermission. Allah, the brutalist. What did you make of the speech?

[Louis Fertel]

Well, let me tell you something. It is now officially the longest speech an actor has given in Oscars history. And now I'm an Oscar statistician. I love like all the old stats and something we hold dearly is that the actress Greer Garson in the 40s had the longest speech for an actor ever. She went on for five minutes or so. And I have to be honest with you, I do not want to let it go. I want Greer Garson to be relevant in this way. And the fact that Adrien Brody just went and took it away for, you know, an appropriately very long movie, I'm a little bit crestfallen about that. That said, I thought his speech had like five or six awesome lines in it. And then, you know, it kind of kept going. And maybe it's still going. And it's funny. Cause he promised to be brief and then made the longest speech ever. So I don't like being lied to.

[Alison Stewart]

What did you. Do you think it was necessary for Adrien Brody and Halle Berry to kiss before the Oscars stage like they did 22 years ago? Was that necessary?

[Louis Fertel]

Well, let me tell you something. I was on the red carpet yesterday. Cause working for Jimmy Kimmel, Guillermo, his sidekick on the show, a red carpet bit, I was the supervising writer there. So I was looking at Adrien Brody and Halle Berry when that happened. And my initial instinct was, this does not need to happen. I find that to be an uncomfortable moment in Oscar's history when he. I'm putting this in air quotes. Jokingly swept up Halle Berry and made out with her as he accept. Accepted his Oscar. But it appears this is a conversation that has unfolded between them over the years. They've talked about the discomfort of that moment or the strangeness of that moment. And Halle Berry, if she's owning this moment for herself and kissing him because of that, then good for her, I'll say.

[Alison Stewart]

Georgina was not far away, though.

[Louis Fertel]

That's true. And she looked ravishing.

[Alison Stewart]

We've gotten a whole bunch of tweets about Kieran Culkin. Loved Kieran Culkin's banner with his wife. Swedish moment. Culkin asking his wife for two more kids. She promised him if he won Oscar. His wife's in for real pain. Let's take a listen to his speech. After winning Best supporting Actor, Please don't.

[Conan O'Brien]

Play the music, because I want to tell a really quick story about jazz. About a year ago, I was on a stage like this, and I very stupidly, publicly said that I want a third kid from her. Because she said if I won the award, I would. She would give me the kid. Turns out she said that because she didn't think I was going to win. But. And people came up to her and were like, you know, really annoying her. I think. I think it got to her. But anyway, after the show, we're walking through a parking lot. She's holding the Emmy. We're trying to find our car. Emily, you were there, so you're a witness. And she goes, oh, God, I did say That I guess I owe you a third kid. And I turned to her and I said, really? I want four. And she turned to me. I swear to God this happened. It was just over a year ago. She said, I will give you four when you win an Oscar. I held my hand out, she shook it. And I have not brought it up once until just now. You remember that, honey. You do. Okay then. I just have this to say to you, Jazz, love of my life, Ye of little faith, no pressure. I love you. I'm really sorry I did this again. And let's get cracking on those kids. What do you say? I love you.

[Alison Stewart]

These speeches are really funny. His speeches have been so funny during this entire course. What have you thought of that kind of Oscar speech?

[Louis Fertel]

Well, I mean like throughout this. I was shocked, first of all, that his season of awards actually culminated with his best speech. When people have to talk that long on that many different occasions, first of all they run out of things to say. Or two, they save like the most self important kind of unfun speech for the end. And his was the opposite. He like first of all picked a moment that his wife wasn't even anticipating and talked about that. And also something that was awesome about this speech. I cannot think of another speech in Oscars history really. Not one where the reactions of someone in the audience were just as crucial to his success. It was like his wife was fully locked in giving an Oscar winning performance of her own. It was so charming, the back and forth between them and a very well produced Oscars moment.

[Alison Stewart]

Finally, any musical moment that stuck with you from the event.

[Louis Fertel]

Well, again, I did love Conan's extremely silly I'm not gonna waste your time number. I was a bit disappointed by the tribute to James Bond, which I think I started off disappointed because obviously Barbara Broccoli was one the governor's award or the Thalberg award this year. And so they wanted to toast that moment. But it was weird that they just picked three Bond songs and then that was it. Like yeah, I remember Live and Let Die. That's a great song. I remember Skyfall. It just didn't. The performers they chose felt a bit random to me. Doja Cat for two seconds was doing a pretty awesome Shirley Bassey impression. And then I realized we still have Shirley Bassey. Was she unavail? What's going on? You know, so musically that was. That did stick out to me. And also by the way, you're not going to have a Bond tribute and not have the best Bond song of all, which is nobody does it better by the legendary Carly Simon.

[Alison Stewart]

For real? I thought two songs from the Wiz. That's odd.

[Louis Fertel]

Oh, yeah, that is. Oh my gosh. The opening, though, was spectacular and spectacular song choices to have Ariana Grande doing Over the Rainbow right at the top. I mean, you're setting yourself up for. Every generation is gonna love that. It's exactly what belongs centrally in the Oscars.

[Alison Stewart]

Lewis Fertel, co host of Keep it an Oscar Fanatic we really appreciate your time this awards season. It was really nice talking to you.

[Louis Fertel]

Oh my gosh, can you just do this with me every day? Does it have to be The Oscars were last night. Let's just do this again.

[Alison Stewart]

We'll do it again with Tony time. We'll call you on Tony time.

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