The Oscars will not have this year's host

For the first time since 1989, the Oscars will no longer have a host.

This seemed already obvious, but apparently it is now official: according to Fox News the Oscars will be broadcast later on ABC this month without a host. It's been 30 years since the Oscars were held without a master (or master) of ceremonies; the last time the Academy had tried something like this, one of the most infamous musical numbers in the history of music, numbers and infamy had occurred:

But that was 30 years ago!

The 2019 Oscars were supposed to be hosted by Kevin Hart, but he left the station a few days after being officially announced for the show after he refused to apologize for the homophobic tweets and jokes from his past. Hart later contextualized what he had said and written, but he also remained provocative and, while former Oscar host, Ellen DeGeneres, insisted that she bring him back to his post Hart never did – and the Oscars never found a substitute. ] At some point, why would you hold this position? Your entire mandate would be badociated with this clutter of a year and all the controversy around Hart. In addition, the controversy over the series itself is expected to be much shorter than in recent years, with some awards being given during commercial breaks during the television broadcast.

The Oscars are airing Sunday, February 24 on ABC. If I'm Rob Lowe, I'm sure I'm not in town this weekend.