Published on January 12, 2024, 12:15 am

What might one consider the most challenging job in Hollywood? Paramount PR responsibilities for Jonathan Majors or Ezra Miller might come to mind, but casting your thoughts there would be a misconception. The true Herculean task lies in hosting a major awards show telecast.

Previously, masters of entertainment such as Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal and Steve Martin performed this role with apparent ease. These veteran hosts regaled millions with their witty monologues laden with clean humor, while simultaneously elevating the prestige of the award shows they fronted. Best of all? Their material was free from any contentious controversies that could potentially provoke backlash from protected groups or classes.

However, in today’s world, this prime-time occupation has become an increasingly precarious proposition – a role imbued with more caveats than found on a bank loan agreement. Take Jo Koy as an example. This esteemed comedian known for his reenactments of motherly life lessons endured some harsh realities of this seemingly glamorous position.

Despite enjoying mass popularity in major arenas and starring in his first comedy feature “Easter Sunday”, Jo Koy struggled when asked to host the recent Golden Globes telecast event. Though competent on paper, embodying live performance brilliance proved more arduous: his best lines landing flat, failing attempts at blending mature content into his routine and an unpalatable habit of attributing inadequacies to his writing team – all coalesced into an especially disconcerting spectacle on stage.

The critique didn’t stop there either; Swiftie Nation roared uproariously following Koy’s gentle jest poking fun at the overwhelming news coverage centered around Taylor Swift’s association with the Kansas City Chiefs. Although Swift herself wasn’t targeted by Koy’s barb, her mere association with it was sufficient to trigger discontentment among her fervent fan base.

Koy’s experiences highlight just why even iconic entertainers such as Chris Rock and rising stars like Ali Wong have consciously chosen to demure when offered awards show host roles. Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart too have turned down or lost such opportunities due to scheduling issues or past controversies unfolding into scandals, respectively. The volatile hazards of the cancel culture era see humorist after humorist sidestepping any potential career landmines set up by these events.

Moreover, viewer ratings for these once highly-watched award shows are dwindling, contributing further to the reluctance of entertainers. More recently, even as séances like Golden Globe saw slight revivals in viewership, they struggled to attain numbers that previous iterations experienced prior to COVID-19 related interruptions and organizational scandals.

Another uncomfortable expectation placed on hosts is a tacit agreement to forward progressive narratives during their stint. While personalities such as Jimmy Kimmel may embrace and propagate such ideas comfortably in their regular programs, others might balk at similar commitments due to possible backlash or potential political aspirations in their futures – take Dwayne Johnson as an example.

That said, late-night TV keeps providing recurrent hosts from its ranks with prospects like Jimmy Kimmel, Trevor Noah repeatedly handling pivotal gigs from Oscars to Grammys; both known for ardently liberal views. Yet despite understanding the industry’s constraints on permissible humor and appeasing industry tastemakers along with media critics alike; their shows’ viewer ratings have not seen expected growths.

So long live Hollywood hosting – the new badge of honor isn’t accepting these nerve-wracking performances but being competent (and lucky) enough to decline them. If it were purely about viewership ratings, we would see Ricky Gervais at the helm of Oscar ceremonies while superstars like Dave Chappelle would cover Emmy and Grammy Awards nights. However, overriding all priorities seem skewed towards maintaining messaging approved by Hollywood elites – even if it means losing Red State audiences.

Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist specializing in movie critique while also serving as editor of HollywoodInToto.com. Previously, he’s held the position of an associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. His opinions expressed in this article are solely his and do not reflect those of The Daily Wire.