Ricky Gervais, Oscar host?

Brad Brevet at Rope of Silicone mines EW for the rumor/tease suggesting Ricky Gervais is being courted to host the Oscars. But is his intentionally graceless demeanor too clever and caustic for the masses to grasp?

Gervais’s “The Office” inspired Steve Carell’s US spin-off but is pretty much unknown to American audiences. This leads me to believe Gervais would destroy at the Oscars, but the moment would be lost on an American audience, which would result in many calling it a failure.

After the dumbing down of the already-plenty-dumb-enough Emmys, I’m starting to resent awards ceremonies that sacrifice quality in a futile attempt to reach low enough to appeal to the lowest common denominator.¬† Maybe Bill Condon will realize that people who buy Cadillacs and pay to see foreign films can handle humor more sophisticated than Bruce Vilanch wink-wink nudge-nudge jokes that went out of style with Bob Hope’s plaid golf knickers.