As tension gets more and more heated between Hollywood and Donald Trump, perhaps it’s a good idea to forge peace. Or at least to imagine a truce. Why not invite Donald Trump to share the Oscar stage with host Jimmy Kimmel on Feb. 26? Do you think it’s a good idea?
Having cohosts instead of solo emcees at the Oscars is fairly common. In 2010, Trump’s nemesis Alec Baldwin shared billing with Steve Martin and one year later Anne Hathaway and James Franco teamed up. Back in the 1970s, having multiple hosts was pretty much the norm.
The Oscars, let’s face it, could use the ratings boost that would come inevitably from Trump crashing Hollywood’s annual family reunion like a skunk upending a Bolshevik Party Picnic. Oscarcast viewership was down to 34 million last year – that’s a drop of 8 million from three years ago.
Of course, it’s impossible to control Trump’s craziness on stage. He won’t stick to script and he’ll use the occasion to lambast his hosts, but – come on! – it’s all showbiz, right? That’s entertainment. The bottom line is that he’s a veteran showbiz performer who proved his hosting chops on “The Apprentice.”
But, hmmmm, what would Hollywood do if, when the envelope is opened to reveal the winner of Best Actor, Donald Trump’s name is called? His Russian pals, let’s recall, are masters of hacking elections.
