Jon Stewart Gets Ribbed by Roger Ebert Over Oscars Hosting Gig

Photo: The Howard Stern Show

Since Jon Stewart will be hosting the Oscars this year, Howard welcomed Roger Ebert into the studio as well. Howard asked Roger if he’d ever reviewed one of Jon’s movies. Roger replied he had critiqued a number of Jon’s efforts, including “Death to Smoochy,” which he remembered saying “took talented people to make a movie that bad.”

After Roger added that it isn’t that Jon’s a “terrible” actor, but that he’s just been in “some pretty bad movies,” Jon wondered if Roger had ever heard of “a little thing called ‘Mixed Nuts.'” Roger mentioned that he bought his SIRIUS system in order to listen to Howard and that he bought his TiVo so that he can record “The Daily Show.”

Roger went on to say that picking Jon as host of the Oscars is “an interesting selection” because so many people will be curious to see how he does. The film critic also noted that former Oscars hosts Johnny Carson and Billy Crystal were able to perform well during their first attempts, but that such a feat is rare. When Roger joked that last year’s host, Chris Rock, wasn’t as “interesting” a selection as Jon because Chris is so much more famous than him, Jon replied, “Jon Stewart is sitting right next to you.”