John Mulaney's Perfect Oscars 2024 Appearance Proves One Thing

Some say hosting Hollywood award ceremonies is a thankless job, but it doesn't seem difficult for a professional comedian to make people laugh. Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 2024 Academy Awards, and his set was filled with awkward and inappropriate jokes. Kimmel's opening monologue had a cringey joke directed at Robert Downey Jr. and his history with drug use. He later told a joke about "Poor Things" that annoyed Emma Stone and social media. It's gotten people thinking about who would make a better host, and the answer may rest with a presenter at that same ceremony — John Mulaney.

The comedian presented the award for best sound, and his preamble had many on X (formerly known as Twitter) realize he'd be a perfect Oscars host. X user @aliarkan declared, "This was John Mulaney's audition, and he passed with flying [colors]. He should host next year and many years after that." Mulaney's bit started strong with a solid "Madame Web" joke: "Without sound, we wouldn't have been able to hear such classic lines as 'You're gonna need a bigger boat,' 'I'll have what she's having' and 'He was in the Amazon with my mother when she was researching spiders just before she died.'"

Things somehow got even better as Mulaney hilariously described the plot of "Field of Dreams." It's a bit that drew a lot of laughs without punching down on anyone who's made it their career to tell stories within this medium. His presence confirmed he needs an Oscar-hosting gig, with people like @RobertJ_96 asserting, "John Mulaney being funnier in 11 seconds than Jimmy Kimmel in 3 hours."

Several of Jimmy Kimmel's Oscar jokes were divisive, but it isn't the first time this award season that a host faced pushback for mean-spirited humor. Golden Globes host Jo Koy had to address the negative reviews of his controversial jokes after his performance was panned. However, one award show host who received far more praise was none other than John Mulaney hosting the 2024 Governors Awards. His set poked fun at the nominees in a good-hearted manner, and he even made fun of himself by telling the story of failing to book a movie role. He already has hosting experience, so having him spearhead the Oscars seems like a natural move. 

It's safe to say no one expected a prolonged breakdown of "Field of Dreams," which is likely why it worked so well. For people like @Hugo_Pinai on X, keeping things fresh is essential for an Oscars host. They wrote, "It was a really good show and the one element that didn't work was Kimmel doing the same old tired jokes about movies being too long and animation being just for kids." Mulaney's "Field of Dreams" bit and his "Madame Web" barb prove he can weave between topical references and potentially more obscure jokes that people who genuinely love cinema would appreciate.

Will Mulaney host the Oscars in the future? That remains for the powers that be to decide, but it would certainly earn the Academy Awards some goodwill. Honestly, he could just describe the plots to previous Oscar winners for four hours, and most people would be happy.