Respect the Artist

Bob Hope and Johnny Carson were
so last century (NY Daily News photo)

"Dignity, always dignity."

- Gene Kelly, Singin' in the Rain

Neil Patrick Harris had big shoes to fill as host of the 87th Academy Awards, and his performance garnered mixed reviews. The fault for the lame jokes, IMHO, should be laid at the feet of the writing staff and not NPH, who has demonstrated musical talent and charm in other settings.

The risky bit that parodied Birdman's underwear scene has been roundly criticized, but the counter-argument is that NPH is an artist who is willing to die for his art in front of tens of millions of people. Please, Academy, give him another chance.

Besides, Lady Gaga's Sound of Music medley alone was worth the price of admission.