Oscars 2020: 5 reasons why the Muppets should host

With Oscars 2020, it’s time for the Academy to (finally) meet the Muppets.

In bringing the 2019 ceremony to the screen, the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences made one giant gaffe after another. Kevin Hart as host? Yikes. Nope. Axe the musical performances? Wrong again! Announce some of the most vital awards at break time? BZZZZZT! Three strikes, and you’re out.

The Academy is very obviously and woefully out of touch with what the viewing public wants, and things need to change soon. Ratings have plummeted, with the 2018 telecast reaching an all-time low of 26.5 million viewers. (For reference, the all-time high for Oscar ratings is 55.2 million back in 1998.) Results aren’t in from the 2019 ceremony quite yet, but the mixed response on social media suggests that things probably aren’t looking up.

So, since the Academy is increasingly crowdsourcing their show as a reaction from protests from loyal viewers, it seems that they’d be better off taking ideas directly from fans. Enter the Muppets.

Kermit and Miss Piggy on The Muppets. Photo: ABC /

The idea of the Muppets hosting the Oscars isn’t a new thing. The idea has been bandied about since 2011 when a Facebook page titled ‘The Muppets Should Host the Oscars’ was created. Eight years later, and that page still has over thirty thousand followers. The idea gains steam every year as it’s resurrected in some form or another. Most recently, an article in Paste Magazine brought the seemingly no-brainer pairing of the Muppets and the Oscars back to light. This was followed by a popular Reddit post and a viral tweet that got fans psyched about the endless possibilities.

Who wouldn’t want to see Statler and Waldorf presiding over the proceedings via balcony? Or Animal smashing up the pristine – yet pointless – set? Or Kermit, running around and trying to keep everything on track? The possibilities are delightfully endless.

Apparently the Academy doesn’t because, despite slipping ratings, they have yet to embrace this genius idea. Putting the cherry on this Captain Obvious sundae is that ABC – the network that has the rights to broadcast the Oscars until 2028 – LITERALLY OWNS THE MUPPETS. Well, Disney owns them both, but it’s all in the family, so there’s less red tape tying up the IP of our fuzzy friends.

If the Academy wants more eyeballs on their show in an increasingly digital age, it needs to adapt or die. And the addition of the Muppets to the Oscar ceremony would serve to refresh and reboot a long old and stuffy show. Here’s why.

The Muppets. Photo: ABC /

One – They’re entertaining as hell

The Muppets are special, and they’re great at making viewers feel special too. They can sing, they can dance, they can act, they can banter… they do it all.

Two – Celebs LOVE hanging with Muppets

If you’re old enough to remember life without cell phones, then you also probably remember The Muppet Show. Each week was a glorious celebration of Hollywood, music, live entertainment, and artistic camaraderie. The Muppets performed side-by-side with some of the best talent of the day including Steve Martin, Julie Andrews, and Harry Belafonte.

Celebrities even clamored to guest star on the recent ill-fated ABC series The Muppets. The cameo list boasted appearances from A-listers such as Elizabeth Banks, Josh Groban, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, and Willie Nelson.

The Oscars are already a night packed with celebs, but the Muppets have the uncanny ability to make all the stars shine even brighter.

Three – They know the bizz

According to Terry Crews, each and every Muppet has an agent and a manager. And I believe him. The talent it takes to bring these characters to the screen is immense, and each performer is dedicated to bringing their Muppet to life in the most wonderful and authentic way possible.

Aside from that, the Muppets are known as consummate Hollywood professionals. The Muppet Movie was an unabashed celebration of cinema, and The Muppets Take Manhattan was a love letter to following the dream to perform at any cost. Anyone who has seen an Oscar montage knows that the award show thrives on these themes, and the Academy would do well to remember that the Muppets are the complete embodiment of the Hollywood dream.

Four – No scandal

The Muppets are completely, 100% guaranteed scandal-free. No homophobia, racism, or sexual assault in their collective pasts. They’re big-hearted puppets, after all.

Five – Increase in viewership

When I was kid, I didn’t watch the Oscars for the awards. I watched with my parents to see what fun and wholesome thing Billy Crystal would do next. We especially loved the pre-recorded opening segment in which Crystal gleefully flew through a medley of films from the year, poking fun but also celebrating the work in a fun and exciting way that ramped up the energy for the show to come.

If the Muppets hosted, imagine the scores of millennials that would sit their children in front of the TV to watch. This effectively introduces a whole new generation of eyeballs to the wonder that is the Muppets, but it also reinvigorates the Oscars as a live and exciting family viewing experience that everyone can enjoy. Hitting many demos at once? Creating lifelong fans? That’s what networks like to hear.

So just do it already, Academy. Please? Muppets + Oscars 2020 = Amazing. We need this.

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