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Jennifer Lawrence falls as she approaches the stage to accept her award for best actress for "Silver Linings Playbook," at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Hits and misses from the host and the stars at the Academy Awards

BY Tom Tangney  on February 25, 2013 @ 8:09 am (Updated: 8:55 am - 2/25/13 )

This year's Oscar show was a pretty hit-and-miss, haphazard affair with some surprisingly slipshod production values.

First-time Oscar host Seth MacFarlane was as uneven as the show.

He opened, "Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the Oscars and the quest to make Tommy Lee Jones laugh begins now," MacFarlane said to crowd cheers. "It's an honor that everyone else said no, from Whoopi all the way down to Ron Jeremy, it eventually found it's way down to me. "Argo" tells the previously classified story about an American hostage rescue in post-revolutionary Iran. Now the story was so top secret that film's director was unknown to the Academy."

It was a nice crack there about Ben Affleck's snub.

But he quickly got waylaid by a string of dated jokes - about Mel Gibson's antisemitism and about Chris Brown beating up Rihanna.

Then there was a tacky big-screen interruption by William Shatner as Captain Kirk giving MacFarlane a warning from the future.

"Captain Kirk, what are you doing here?" asks MacFarlane.

"Well, I'm here to stop you from doing what you're about to do. The show is a disaster."

"What are you talking about? It's going fine."

"No! It's not!"

Shatner then started sharing jokey headlines from the future start appearing about Seth MacFarlane. "Worst Oscar Host ever," then "Mediocre Oscar host," then finally, "Best Oscars ever."

I'd say, the truth about MacFarlane was somewhere in the middle, a little better than mediocre. I thought he got better as the show went on, his delivery relaxed a bit, and his quips sounded more spontaneous.

As for the actual awards, both Best Actress and Best Actor speeches were winning.

Jennifer Lawrence tripped as she ascended the stairs but handled it with aplomb.

"You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell. That's really embarrassing, but thank you," said Lawrence as she took the stage. "This is nuts."

The ever stately Daniel Day Lewis actually cracked a joke after last year's Best Actress winner Meryl Streep handed him the Best Actor Oscar.

"It's a strange thing, because three years ago, before we decided to do a straight swap I had actually been committed to play Margret Thatcher."

And then the surprising but a little odd Best Picture announcement from the White House. Michelle Obama announced the winner, "Argo," with her congratulations.

Ben Affleck fumbled his speech a bit with a slightly uncomfortable recognition of his wife as someone who helps him "work" at his marriage. It's really work but there's no one I'd rather work with then you." A little cringe-worthy, but no doubt lost in the afterglow of a Best Picture Oscar.

Find more Oscar coverage:
Photos: Stars walk the red carpet at the 85th Academy Awards
The few parts non-movie fan Dori Monson enjoyed about the Oscars
Predictions: Who Tom Tangney thought would walk away with a win

Tom Tangney, KIRO Radio Host
Tom Tangney is co-host of KIRO Radio's Seattle's Morning News and resident enthusiast of...everything. He loves books, movies, TV, art, pop culture, politic, sports, and Husky football.
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Comments (6)


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  • Moondoggie wrote...
    I was watching with my 10 year old niece
    February 25, 2013 9:55 am
    and we witnessed a big song and dance number about woman having to show their bobs in movies. It's too bad that these young woman are forced by their bosses to strip naked, but it's understood that unless they agree they will be unemployed, so they do it. Thanks to the Academy for forcing me to have the talk with her where I had to explain that left leaning Hollywood loves money more than they love people. Next year perhaps, they can have fun with the same young women being forced to have sex with producers and directors in order to get employment.
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  • Moondoggie wrote...
    I had to spell it bobs with only one o, becasue mynorthwest has higher standards than Hollywood
    February 25, 2013 9:56 am
    .
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  • Pete in Seattle wrote...
    Overall not a bad show
    February 25, 2013 10:14 am
    I thought the show was better than most recent years, but that is the actual show and not the red carpet segments befroe and after. The start was slow and painful, I was hoping for more of a big production number, but in spite of some gaffes I found the entire evening rather entertaining. The intro speeches were pointed and not the dry recitation of what is being rewarded for each category. I thought Seth could have done better, but it also seemed he was on a leash so wehn he tried to cut lines to speed things up the teleprompter would not jump ahead. There were also teleprompter goofs for some of the other speakers as well. Sound for some of the speakers wearing mikes seemed low compared to the stage mikes - this was true for almost everyone. As always the In Memoriam segment was poignant. I found Streisands quieter than usual vocals to be fitting the occasion, but also showing some aging. I wonder if Priceline paid for a comment later in the show wbout what happens to over-the-hill actors, obviously referncing Mr. Shatner and for some younger folks that is probably the only way they know him.
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  • clevesside wrote...
    Hits and misses every year....
    February 25, 2013 1:26 pm
    ... it's what's memorable that lingers. I missed Tina Fey and Amy Poehler from last year, who were proven more than right about the need for co-hosts. The song/dance about womens' anatomy was stupid and typical but not unlike the host's taste, and Capt Kirk has retired, and someone should tell him...once again. Shirley Bassy and Streisand are also "retired icons," and should be allowed to rest (her vocals) gracefully. InN Hollywoood, dignity be damned.
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  • clevesside wrote...
    Speaking of Michelle Obama.....
    February 25, 2013 1:29 pm
    .. I kept waiting for Barack and Bill Clinton to come out and do a song-and-dance. Almost...
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  • eric von zipper wrote...
    the chris brown rihanna joke...
    February 25, 2013 8:39 pm
    ...is, in fairness, not a dated joke at all. Yes, he beat her up a while back, but only very recently have they reconciled and begun appearing publicly as a couple again. This development of the rekindled relationship is what makes the line work - obviously, had they stayed broken up as a result of the abuse there is no punchline, so while the original event took place a couple years back, the gag only works via their going public again as a reconnected couple - get it, Tangney? I'd say the same is partially true in the case of the Gibson joke. Yes, his DUI stop was the start of his crazy recorded outbursts, but leaked phone calls from his estranged girlfriend etc has given his insanity sustained shelf life, so I give Seth a partial pass on that one.
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