Fans Wish Rick & Morty's Oscars Hosting Gig Actually Happens
While Jimmy Kimmel may have amounted to an altogether safe and broadly accessible choice for host of the 2023 Academy Awards ceremony, viewers didn't hold back their thoughts on Kimmel as host both during and after the awards show aired, many of whom had unkind things to say about his performance.
While effectively infeasible and perhaps even desired not altogether sincerely, some fans think that Rick Sanchez, from hit adult cartoon series "Rick and Morty," would make for a uniquely compelling Oscars host. This proposition is in response to a moment in Season 6, Episode 6, which premiered on October 9, 2022, in which Rick does just that. Upon this scene's opening, Rick appears to be excessively drunk and stumbling through his hosting duties, but when he returns backstage, he reveals that this behavior was a scripted act.
Beneath this scene on YouTube, many of the most popular comments are from users — some of whom seem to be genuine, some of whom may well not be — hoping that this scenario one day comes to fruition. For instance, user Uhh idk 547 wrote, "I would honestly let Rick to be a host in the Oscars" and received more than 2,000 likes. Of course, were this to happen, it would be the responsibility of Rick's new voice actor, whose casting is either still in the works or just has yet to be announced.
A high profile gig like the Oscars could be good publicity for Rick's voice actor
Shortly after "Rick and Morty" Season 6 concluded, news of troubling legal allegations against series co-creator Justin Roiland surfaced, soon after which Adult Swim announced that it's recasting Rick and Morty with a new voice actor or actors. It's worth noting that the majority of fan comments suggesting that Rick host the Oscars were posted before the general public knew of these allegations. Given the character's popularity, whoever ends up voicing Rick moving forward will most likely keep him more-or-less the same. Nevertheless, a major appearance on a widely circulated program like the Oscars could theoretically serve as a way to introduce Roiland's replacement to a broad audience and confidently assert the next incarnation of the character.
Among some of the YouTube comments calling for Rick to land the Oscars hosting gig is one by user ragenescythe, who wrote, "We need Rick to host Oscars. He's un slappable." This post received more than 3,000 likes.
Similarly, user Moonbeam Sun argued that Rick hosting would make the Oscars watchable, and received comments from a few other users concurring with this sentiment. One Reddit user likewise started a dedicated thread proposing that Rick host Hollywood's biggest night.
While a cartoon character Oscars host may realistically be a long shot, interest from "Rick and Morty" fans, at least, is high, and perhaps even to the benefit of whoever ends up voicing Rick as the series continues.