Neil Patrick Harris Says The Oscars Were “Bad For The Soul”, Won’t Host Again

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March 7, 2015

It looks like this year’s all-singing, all-dancing, all-wisecracking Oscars hosting turn from Neil Patrick Harris was a one and done type deal, at least if a recent interview with the Huffington Post is any indication.

“I don’t know that my family nor my soul could take it,” he said of the possibility of a return to hosting the show.

“It’s a beast. It was fun to check off the list, but for the amount of time spent and the understandable opinionated response, I don’t know that it’s a delightful balance to do every year or even again.”

After the ceremony, Harris apparently checked social media to see that “opinionated response” for himself – FWIW, our mental image involves him in his underpants, covered in Cheeto dust, checking his phone in a darkened room, quietly weeping.

“It’s so difficult for one who’s simply watching the show to realise just how much time and concession and compromise and explanation has gone into almost every single thing,” he said. “Every joke. Wording of joke. Placement of joke.”

“I’m not saying that to defend everything I said as if it was the absolute best choice, but it’s also an award show, and you’re powering through 14 acts filled with 20 plus awards.”

“So my job was to try and keep things as light and specific to this year’s set of films as possible. And if people are critical of that, it’s a big giant platform, so I would assume that they would be.”

This year’s Oscars were the lowest-rated in recent years, although to be fair, it doesn’t seem as if Harris’s presence was to blame- 71% of viewers surveyed said that they would like him to return in future years.

Many have said that the poor viewer numbers came down to the lack of nominations for blockbuster films – given that American Sniper out-grossed all the other Best Picture nominees combined, that may well have been a factor.

Hey, at the end of the day though, if NPH wants to throw his middle finger up at the Oscars, and take some time out to just focus on being a kickarse dad, that’s totally okay with us.