Critics at Large | The New Yorker

Episode: The Hall of Fame—and of Shame—of Oscars Hosts
Date: March 5, 2026
Hosts: Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, Alexandra Schwartz
Guest: Michael Shulman

Episode Overview

This lively episode of Critics at Large dives deep into Oscar season, focusing less on the nominees and more on the role of Oscars hosts—their triumphs, disasters, and the “delicate art” of guiding Hollywood’s biggest night. The regular crew is joined by New Yorker staff writer and Oscar expert Michael Shulman for a spirited discussion that covers the current awards landscape, what makes a host great (or terrible), and how hosting at the Oscars intertwines with broader trends in entertainment, comedy, and culture.

Main Topics & Insights

1. Oscar Season and Pre-Ceremony Buzz

• Oscar as Cultural Respite: In turbulent times, the hosts joke about clinging to the Oscars for levity and obsession, previewing their own live Oscars blog.
  “We don't have much. Let's concentrate on the good—shelter in the storm.” – Naomi Fry (04:39)
• This Year's Oscar Races: Michael Shulman highlights the Best Actor category as especially unpredictable, noting wide-open possibilities and rooting “for chaos.”
  “I would not be shocked by any of the five names being read... I root for chaos.” – Michael Shulman (07:04-08:28)
• Notable Films: Discussion centers on contenders such as Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sinners, and The Secret Agent. They celebrate a return of “mid-range” adult movies that are both critical and box-office successes.

Key Insight

• The Oscars are at an “inflection point” both in terms of studio politics (with Warner Bros. about to be absorbed by Paramount/Skydance) and in their alignment with popular taste.
  “Warner Brothers is about to be a subsidiary of Paramount. So good luck.” – Michael Shulman (11:33)

2. The Art and Agony of Hosting the Oscars

• Why Hosting is So Hard: The hosts and Shulman debate why the gig is “notoriously tricky.” In short: the host must be both an insider and outsider, roasting the room while maintaining goodwill.
  “It is a fine needle to thread, my friends.” – Naomi Fry (04:45)
• Last Year’s Host – Conan O’Brien: Widely agreed he killed it, with Shulman describing the mood as “everyone was really happy... brought a lot of joy and silliness to the role.”
  “He killed in the room, as I think he did on television.” – Michael Shulman (20:59) Notable moment: O’Brien’s playful song about not making the show too long, while making it longer (21:59).
• The Double Challenge: Hosting is “two jobs”—commanding the room and captivating TV viewers. It’s rare that someone can do both at once.
  “There's really no way to bomb in the room and survive on television.” – Vincent Cunningham (23:54)
• Famous Flops: The Anne Hathaway/James Franco pairing is dissected as a case of mismatch—his apathy and her try-hard energy.
  “The excruciating combo of each of those non hosts hosting together to me is hard to rival.” – Alexandra Schwartz (25:24)
• Iconic Bomb – Letterman’s “Uma, Oprah”: “A sort of cringy moment” but with a cult following.
  “See, I still think that's funny.” – Vincent Cunningham (26:40)
• Unified Theory of Oscar Hosting:
  • The host must straddle insider/outsider status to roast with love, not malice.
  • Too much distance (Letterman) or disrespect (Jo Koy at the Globes) spells disaster.
    • “You have to be part of the industry, and... the movies and the Oscars...while also not being too in it, that you can't be irreverent.” – Michael Shulman (26:52)

Memorable Segment

• Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes (2020): Referenced as ultimate “outsider” roast, nearly blowing up the format with brutal, meta humor about Hollywood hypocrisy.
  • “If ISIS started a streaming service, you'd call your agent, wouldn't you?... Come up, accept your little award, thank your agent and your God, and fuck off.” – Ricky Gervais (played by Michael Shulman, 31:08)

3. Brief History of the Oscars Host (32:02+)

• The Bob Hope Era: Defined Oscar hosting for decades, 19 times between 1940-1978. Known for groan-worthy, timely zingers.
  • “Bob Hope is the real transformative figure... hosted on and off 19 times.” – Michael Shulman (32:28)
• Johnny Carson: “Unifying pop culture figure” in a fractured America, mid-80s.
• The Infamous 1989 Ceremony: No host, just an epically bad opening number with Rob Lowe and “Snow White”—became legendary for how terrible it was.
  • “This ruined this producer's life. Alan Carr...was like an Icarus figure.” – Michael Shulman (35:28, 35:47)
• Billy Crystal (1990s): Seen as the true modern host, mixing musical parody, warmth, and sharpness—an “outsider-insider” who connected with the audience and stars alike.
  • “Nobody did it better than Billy Crystal... the master of ceremonies.” – Michael Shulman and Naomi Fry (37:33, 37:35)
• Whoopi Goldberg: Praised for her theatricality and asserting her own brand of humor.
• The “Selfie” Era: Ellen DeGeneres’s famous viral selfie (2014) marked the Oscar’s embrace of social media culture.
• Memorable Mishaps: The “slap” (Chris Rock/Will Smith) and other memorable presenting/roasting moments, such as Chris Rock’s Magic Johnson Theater bit, highlighting the Oscars' cultural gaps.
  • “He's always gonna be my favorite because... people still had to respect him and knew what he was up to.” – Vincent Cunningham (40:47)

4. The Evolving Host in Modern Culture

• Rise of the Podcast Host & Intimate Media:

  • The role of “host” is broadening in the age of podcasts and streaming, with intimacy and parasocial relationships shaping what audiences want.
  • “We're headed back into a kind of radio age... The host has again become the podcast host.” – Vincent Cunningham (43:29)

• What We Want Now:

  • A blend of coziness and edge—the host must include viewers, make them feel “inside”, but still roast with love and wit.
  • Nikki Glaser’s Success: Noted for vulnerability, outsider-insider vibes, and ability to roast without malice.
    • “She has this combination of... roasty, gives no fucks... but there's something kind of vulnerable about her.” – Naomi Fry (47:00-48:30)
  • Modern hosts like Conan and Glaser get it right by being “responsive to how people feel at a given time,” marrying self-awareness and authenticity.
    • “I think we want somebody who's actually responsive to how people feel at a given time.” – Vincent Cunningham (49:49)

• The Point of the Ceremony:

  • It’s an inherently “absurd” spectacle and needs a host who acknowledges the ridiculousness while celebrating the magic.
    • “There's something inherently ridiculous and sort of gross about it. And so you need someone to, like, acknowledge that and take the piss out.” – Michael Shulman (51:00)
    • “[Oscars] only have the value... they're only important to the extent that we will clap for them and believe in them.” – Michael Shulman (51:45)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On the burden of hosting:
  • “It is a fine needle to thread, my friends.” – Naomi Fry (04:45)
• On unpredictability of this year’s Best Actor:
  • “I root for chaos.” – Michael Shulman (08:28)
• On Conan O’Brien’s Oscar debut:
  • “He killed in the room, as I think he did on television.” – Michael Shulman (20:59)
• On the Anne Hathaway/James Franco debacle:
  • “The excruciating combo of each of those non hosts hosting together to me is hard to rival.” – Alexandra Schwartz (25:24)
• On what makes a great Oscar host:
  • “You have to be part of the industry...also not too in it, that you can’t be irreverent.” – Michael Shulman (26:52)
• On Bob Hope’s legacy:
  • “Bob Hope is the real transformative figure... he was a square, you know.” – Michael Shulman (32:28, 34:01)
• On Oscars as “Tinkerbell”:
  • “They’re only important to the extent that we will clap for them and believe in them.” – Michael Shulman (51:45)
• On the essential function of the host:
  • “We want somebody to kind of give that, replicate that, like give that back to us.” – Vincent Cunningham (49:49)

Important Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Topic/Highlight | Timestamp | |---------|----------------|-----------| | Introduction & Oscars anticipation | Humor & live blog mention | 01:41-04:14 | | The unpredictable Best Actor race | “I root for chaos.” – Shulman | 07:04-08:28 | | Discussion of Oscar-nominated films & studio politics | “Good luck to us all.” – Shulman | 10:03-11:36 | | History/meaning of the slate of Oscar nominees | Shulman’s Oscars history insight | 17:33-19:19 | | The hosting “needle to thread” | Traits of a great host | 04:45-05:05, 22:23-24:51 | | Conan O'Brien’s hosting performance | “He killed in the room...” | 20:58-22:23 | | Notorious hosting disasters | Anne Hathaway/James Franco, Letterman’s “Oprah-Uma” | 24:51-26:48 | | Michael Shulman’s “Unified Theory of Oscar Hosting” | Insider/outsider, love & roast balance | 26:52-28:36 | | Ricky Gervais at the 2020 Golden Globes | Brutal roast excerpt | 31:08 | | Brief History of Oscar Hosting | Bob Hope through Billy Crystal | 32:02-39:22 | | Ellen’s viral selfie, memorable Oscars incidents | Oscars embracing pop culture | 39:39-40:00 | | The modern host, intimacy in hosting | Podcasts, cultural shifts | 43:29-44:39 | | Nikki Glaser as a model modern host | Blending vulnerability and roast | 47:00-48:51 | | What we want from Oscars hosts today | Contextual, responsive, audience-involved | 49:01-51:45 |

Final Thoughts

This episode of Critics at Large is a must-listen for anyone interested in both the Oscars’ inner workings and the peculiar, pivotal role of the host. With wit, deep knowledge, and an eye on both history and the present, the critics map the complex dance of pleasing audiences, stoking controversy, and celebrating cinema—all from the lonely, glittering podium at center stage.