In Praise of Billy Crystal

Crystal hosted the Oscars in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2004, according to Wikipedia.

But  here he is making fun of Titanic.  And Ben and Matt! Matt! And Ben!  But you know, those days are mostly gone but it’s worth a click to see Minny Driver’s horrified face.

I hear a lot of complaining about Billy Crystal and about how these are going to be the lowest rated Oscars ever.  Well, yes and no.  Probably they will be after the first hour. The red carpet is sure to get a lot of viewers – Brad and Angelina, George and Stacy – it’s just like the prom!  ABC is doing what it can, showing Natalie Portman accepting her Oscar from last year and talking up the Brad Pitt angle.  Billy Crystal is seen here and there.  Here’s the thing people forget about Billy Crystal, though: he’s fucking funny.  I don’t care how old he is, the dude’s funny.  Moreover, Crystal’s schtick at the Oscars are the only things people even remember about the Oscars at all.

I’ve watched a lot of Oscar shows, by god.  I have always believed no one did it better than Billy in my lifetime anyway.  Although Steve Martin, David Letterman and Jon Stewart were all great, only Billy Crystal has the ability to be funny, to keep the whole thing moving, and to make the medicine go down a lot more easily.  I, for one, am glad to be able to see him again. I hope he kills it.