Heidi Hamilton from Dish Nation discusses Oscars host, celebrity bullying in entertainment news

(FOX 11) - Hollywood insiders say Oscars hosting gig isn't worth the hassle

With the Oscars plagued by scandal, hosting the Academy Awards has become a 'lose-lose' situation for anyone who takes it on. Here's why.

If some members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- the organization behind the Oscars -- have their way, February's ceremony won't have a host.

"Dump the host! Make the show two hours! Kill the opening number, cut all the skits," said one. "That's your ratings ticket."

"It's on the table," a second AMPAS member told The Post.

The uproar comes after comedian Kevin Hart, 39, announced he would no longer be hosting the 2019 Oscars in February after GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and other LGBTQ supporters called out homophobic and anti-gay jokes he had tweeted as recently as 2011.

Now, some Hollywood sources say the high-profile position is not worth the potential risk to reputation.

"We don't encourage our clients to [host the Oscars] anymore," said one prominent agent. "Every host gets picked apart by vultures.

"The job's become a lose-lose for everyone, and Hollywood's finally figured it out," the agent added. "Big stars have lots to lose. New ones don't get ratings."

One manager who represents many comedians predicts it will be hard to find a Hart replacement who is beyond reproach. "Comics are equal-opportunity [joke tellers]: Jews, blacks, gay, straight. Political correctness is not funny. It's hard to find someone funny and wholesome."
A longtime TV producer agreed: "If [the Academy] casts someone young, they won't have skeletons, but they won't get ratings. And anyone over 35 has something to hide."

Meanwhile, there is increasingly little reason for stars to take the Oscar hosting gig. After helming the show in 2017, Jimmy Kimmel revealed he was paid just $15,000. And celebrities including James Franco, Anne Hathaway, Seth McFarlane, Neil Patrick Harris and Chris Rock have all been lambasted for their performances and sagging ratings in recent years. Among those who have reportedly turned down the job: Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Seinfeld and Justin Timberlake. (So far, Busy Phillips and Ricky Gervais have thrown their hats in the ring for 2019.)

This story originally appeared on the New York Post and is republished here with permission.

Hailey Baldwin Reveals Miley Cyrus Used To Bully Her & Admits It 'Prepared' Her For Modeling Industry

Hailey Baldwin and Kendall Jenner were rocking out to Miley Cyrus' hit "Party In The USA" during their Carpool Karaoke segment when they got a special surprise -- Miley herself appeared in the car out of nowhere! Miley and Hailey have known each other for years, and after the sing-along, they reminisced about some rough years in their friendship.

"I would be evil to [Hailey]," Miley admitted. "She would try to play with us, like me and [her sister], Alaia, and then we would lock her out of the room and be evil." Hailey confirmed the story, adding, "My older sister and her used to gang up on me."

However, Miley pointed out that it may have benefited her in the long run. "I had to!" she said. "It made you who you are, you know? It made you stronger. Now you can always take, like, trolls and s***. Because I was such a troll." Hailey had to agree with that one. "Miley was the biggest troll to me," she concluded. "She prepared me for this industry!" Learning how to handle trolls has certainly come in handy for Hailey, who recently married one of the world's most beloved popstars, Justin Bieber, and had to deal with a LOT of backlash from his passionate fans.

However, even though she has a good grasp on dealing with the haters, Hailey admitted over the weekend that the criticism still gets to her sometimes. "It's hard to focus on your well being and mental health when each time you open up on Instagram, someone is tearing apart your job, or your relationship, or essentially any of the things in your life that are positive," she wrote on social media. "I just don't believe we're called to live a life where we're so easily caught up in strangers opinions on something they have NOTHING to do with.

We need to take a step back and realize we need to express more love and encouragement to one another instead of consistently tearing people down and judging."