TV

SNL Wants Hannah Gadsby To Host The Oscars And We Do Too

Honestly, Aidy Bryant's impersonation is PERFECT.

by Joseph Earp  17 December 2018
Hannah Gadsby

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You know, that old adage is true: imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery.

Sure, Hannah Gadsby has had a year filled with highlights — she’s chatted to forever favourite Roxanne Gay, found a new international audience with her Netflix special Nanette, and utterly destroyed an awards hosting gig — but she’s just been honoured with the most coveted plaudit of all: being spoofed on Saturday Night Live.

That’s right, Our Hannah found herself impersonated (pretty well!) by Saturday Night Live regular Aidy Bryant as part of a clip spoofing the Academy’s desperate scramble to find a new Oscar host following the controversy that led to Kevin Hart dropping out.

Bryant certainly nailed Gadsby’s sing-song, staccato delivery, not to mention the trademark way she punctuates her punchlines with those rapid little head tilts. Maybe less impressive, mind you, is Bryant’s take on the Australian accent — it seems like Yanks still haven’t nailed our dialect in the 23 years since Bart Vs. Australia first aired.

Not that we’re complaining, to be honest. After all, the impersonation isn’t just an acknowledgement that Hannah Gadsby has emerged as one of the most important, unique voices of 2018; it’s also a tacit nod to the increasingly real chance that she might sweep in and actually host the Oscars.

Which would be, for the record, utterly, blissfully bonkers (has there ever been a ‘retirement’ special that has generated more work?)

Parallel to the Gadsby hosting rumours are whispers that the Academy will go not with one host, but a whole bundle of them. It’s a bold move, but one that makes a degree of sense. After all, announcing a bevy of hosts would have the potential to avoid another disastrous, time-consuming Kevin Hart situation.

It’d also be exactly the kind of change that the Academy needs to make in order to save its nose-diving ratings (although, as we’ve said elsewhere, Gadsby is the fresh voice that could achieve that for the Academy anyway.)

Anyway, until the Academy does eventually announce their plan for a host, let’s just revel in the madness of it all, and hold onto the hope that Our Hannah might just be able to take out the top gig.