Billy Crystal tweets he’s Oscar host
Billy Crystal says he is hosting the Academy Awards.
The 63-year-old comedian and Oscar-hosting veteran said Thursday on Twitter that he is “doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions.”
Academy officials confirmed the appointment but had no further comment.
Mr. Crystal last hosted the show in 2004.
His ninth stint as Oscar host follows a groundswell of sentiment for his return after a guest appearance on the Oscar show in February for which he received a standing ovation.
Eddie Murphy had been chosen to host the Feb. 26, 2012, show, but pulled out Wednesday after the departure of producer and friend Brett Ratner over an anti-gay slur.
Mr. Murphy’s replacement had been the talk of the town, with people in Hollywood speculating whether other past hosts such as Steve Martin or Jon Stewart might return or whether a first-timer such as Tina Fey or Neil Patrick Harris could get the job.
Just hours after announcing Mr. Murphy’s exit, organizers signed up Brian Grazer, the Oscar-winning producer of “A Beautiful Mind,” to fill the producing slot vacated by Mr. Ratner. Mr. Grazer joins Don Mischer, who is co-producing and directing the Oscar show for the second straight year.
Mr. Grazer is an upmarket choice compared with Mr. Ratner, who is best known for directing the “Rush Hour” flicks and drew the scorn of comic-book fans for “X-Men: The Last Stand,” widely considered a feeble finale to that superhero franchise trilogy.
Mr. Ratner also directed the new action comedy “Tower Heist,” which stars Mr. Murphy and Ben Stiller. It was during a question-and-answer session at a screening of the film that Mr. Ratner touched off an uproar with his use of a pejorative term for gay men.
Coincidentally, Mr. Grazer is a producer of the movie.
Women rule the roost at the CMAs
Though the Country Music Association Awards show is still largely the domain of men, triumphs by Taylor Swift and the Band Perry show the young women of country music are finding their voices and shoving the boys out of the way.
Miss Swift was named CMA’s entertainer of the year for the second time Wednesday night, and Kimberly Perry of sibling act the Band Perry took home song of the year and two other awards with her brothers, Neil and Reid. Add in wins by Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum and Sugarland, and the songwriting strength of today’s country girls is undeniable.
“When Taylor won entertainer, I secretly sang [Beyonce’s] ’Who runs the world? Girls,’ to Blake,” Miss Lambert said after she and husband Blake Shelton repeated as male and female vocalist of the year. “I’m just really happy that females are starting to be very prominent and it is the female singer-songwriter.”
Miss Swift became the second woman to win entertainer of the year twice, joining Barbara Mandrell, and she did it by age 21.
“To win it twice is like the coolest thing ever happening to me twice,” Miss Swift said backstage. “I’m freaking out right now.”
First lady, Disney stars to support military families
Four young Disney stars from military families are teaming up with first lady Michelle Obama to encourage other young people to support families of those who serve, the Associated Press reports.
China Anne McClain (“A.N.T. Farm”), Adam Irigoyen (“Shake It Up”), and brothers Doug Brochu (“So Random”) and Chris Brochu (“Lemonade Mouth”) tell their stories and Mrs. Obama talks about helping military families in spots to appear on the Disney Channel starting Friday.
Mrs. Obama urges young people to get to know children from military families, saying, “You might just make a new friend.”
China Anne and the Brochu brothers met with Mrs. Obama at the White House this week to talk about the issue — and got a tour of the mansion.
• Compiled from Web and wire service reports.
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