Seth MacFarlane, the world’s leading authority on all things Seth MacFarlane, says Seth MacFarlane won’t be hosting the Oscars again next year. The multi-hyphenate, whose brand of adolescent jock humor was widely reviled at this year’s ceremony, tweeted today that he will not be hosting again in 2014.

“Traumatized critics exhale: I’m unable to do the Oscars again,” MacFarlane tweeted. “Tried to make it work schedule-wise, but I need sleep. However, I highly recommend the job, as Zadan and Meron are two of the most talented producers in the business. My suggestion for host is Joaquin Phoenix.”

MacFarlane had reportedly been asked to host again, though it was never confirmed. However, by MacFarlane’s turn of phrase “tried to make it work,” it appears that he was, in fact, asked back.

Now, speculation begins as to who will be called in now that MacFarlane is out. Likely, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will seek out someone who can act and sing and has an equally-divided male and female fan base, hosting experience and a face for television. Let’s be honest, it’s going to be Justin Timberlake.

Ah, nothing like a sushi date to get people talking about your love life.

Charlize Theron and Seth Macfarlane were photographed leaving a West Hollywood restaurant last night, which has everyone in a tizzy.  While they certainly could be rolling around together, Theron is due to start filming Macfarlane’s new comedy, A Million Ways To Die In The West.  So, let’s not get too aggressive with name-fusing just yet.

Chatter about their supposed romance (be it casual or on-the-way-to-smug-married status), began back in September, and then reached a fever pitch during the Oscars, which Macfarlane hosted.  Before the big show, Macfarlane sang Theron’s praises: “I will say, she is an incredibly kind, supremely talented person and one of the hardest-working people I have ever met.

“It’s a pain… because if you date, at a certain point you’re in a relationship and at a certain point you’re playing the field.”

Theron ended her relationship with actor Stuart Townsend in 2010, and Macfarlane split with Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke due to long-distance issues.

Seth MacFarlane may have given the Oscars a ratings boost this year, but the funnyman won’t be back for the 2014 edition.

In response to a fan’s question about whether or not he’d host again, the 39-year-old wrote, “No way. Lotta fun to have done it, though” on Twitter late Monday night.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Sunday’s telecast was viewed by more than 40 million viewers, an increase from last year’s Billy Crystal show and James Franco and Anne Hathaway’s Oscars disaster the year before.

In their place: MacFarlane and his tune about boobs, plus daring (and uncomfortable) jabs like the one about 9-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis being almost the right age for George Clooney.

Celebuzz has some suggestions for who should make fun of next year’s nominees.

Click on the gallery, above, to see our wish list of future Oscar hosts. Then tell us: Who would you like to see on stage in 2014?

Pippa Middleton takes a new job at grocery store. Chris Brown opens up about assaulting Rihanna. Plus, find out who in Hollywood just got engaged.

Celebuzz has the scoop on Tuesday morning’s trending stories.

Pippa Middleton Takes Job At Grocery Store

After St. James’s Palace reportedly barred her from promoting her book and taking a job with NBC News, Middleton has decided to take a job at a grocery store, but it’s not what you think. Find out what she’ll be doing on Newser.

Will Seth MacFarlane Host The Oscars Again?

Fielding harsh criticism over his Oscar hosting turn, the Family Guy creator weighs in on whether he’s interested in hosting Hollywood’s biggest award show for a second time. Get the scoop on TMZ.

Chris Brown Opens Up About The Night He Assaulted Rihanna

The “Don’t Wake Me Up” singer says that he’s been forgiven for his 2009 Grammy-night assault on girlfriend Rihanna. Find out what Brown calls his “biggest regret” on Huffington Post.

Which Reality Star Is Reportedly In Rehab For Heroin?

Teen Mom 2 star Jenelle Evans is back in rehab, according to new reports. The reality star is allegedly battling an addiction to heroin. FOX News has the full story on what’s next for Evans.

It’s The Season Of Engagements In Hollywood

Forget award season — it’s the season of ‘I do.’ This week brought news that Andy Samberg is engaged, Backstreet Boy Nick Carter popped the question, and Janet Jackson has secretly been married for a year. Toofab has all the need-to-know details on all of these stories.

That’s a wrap, folks.

The 85th Academy Awards had plenty of highlights that delighted an audience of over one billion viewers worldwide, but it wasn’t short on missteps either.

Between Hollywood A-listers ballroom dancing and a rare performance by the sensational Barbara Streisand, Oscar definitely did not disappoint.

This year’s host Seth MacFarlane wasn’t short of insulting quips and jabs at celebrities like Mel Gibson, Chris Brown and Rihanna, the latter of whom he likened to Django Unchained, saying: ”This is the story of a man fighting to get back his woman, who’s been subjected to unthinkable violence. Or as Chris Brown and Rihanna call it, a date movie.”

Whether he was pushing buttons or just trying to push the envelope, he hit flat notes throughout the three-and-a-half hour award ceremony.

Here our picks for the best and worst moments:

Best #1: Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron ballroom dance during the opening monologue. The actors channeled Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers during MacFarlane’s rendition of “The Way You Look Tonight”… and boy did they look good together.

Worst #1: MacFarlane joked that 9-year-old nominee Quvenzhané Wallis was almost the right age for George Clooney saying, “To give you an idea of how young she is, it’ll be 16 years until she’s too old for Clooney.”

Best #2: Jennifer Hudson takes our breath away. J-Hud sang her heart out to “And I’m Telling You” and earned a standing ovation for her powerful musical tribute.

Worst #2: MacFarlane flopped again when he sang and danced to a skit called “We Saw Your Boobs,” mocking actresses for flaunting their assets during their film careers. True, definitely – tasteful and entertaining, definitely not.

Best #3: Streisand makes a rare appearance. The 70-year-old sang her hit “The Way We Were” during the In Memoriam segment and brought tears to the eyes of many of Tinseltown’s finest.

Worst #3: No one is a fan of long-winded acceptance speeches, but when Bill Westenhofer won for the special effects of Life of Pi, the theme song of Jaws played to force him offstage. The music progressively louder, so much so that even Nicole Kidman made a displeased face.

Best #4: In a word: Adele. The singer came out to perform the hit Bond theme song “Skyfall” and brought her A-game to the award show.

Worst #4: While we loved watching J-Hud belt her heart out, the rest of the musical-themed skit was a bit of a snoozefest – especially the ten-year-old Chicago number.

Best #5: Ted goes to the Oscars! Our favorite cynical furry friend made a special appearance and graced the stage in a perfectly-tailored tux with buddy Mark Wahlberg. The bear wasn’t actually standing next to the actor, but superimposed with a little TV magic.

Worst #5: Simply put, the show was way too long. With a running time of over three hours, the ceremony could’ve been condensed into way shorter a show.

Seth MacFarlane Kristin Chenoweth Loosers song… by dm_512af5eb6ea50

Best #6: FLOTUS made a special appearance!

Michelle Obama presented the award for Best Picture direct from the White House. Details about how the First Lady’s cameo were released after the ceremony, with her office confirming the Academy approached Obama about being a part of the ceremony.

“As a movie lover, she was honored to present the award and celebrate the artists who inspire us all – especially our young people – with their passion, skill and imagination,” a statement said.

Best #7: An award show tie. For the sixth time in Oscar history, two winners took home the Academy Award in an unprecedented tie victory. Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall both won for Best Sound Editing at this year’s ceremony.

Best #8: The underdog won in the end! Argo took home the final award of the evening for Best Picture and an emotional Ben Affleck thanked his wife Jennifer Garner during his speech, saying: “I don’t normally associate my wife with Iran” and added, “what I learned was it doesn’t matter if you get knocked down in life, what matters is that you’ve got to get back up.”

What were your favorite and least favorite moments of the night? Weigh in below.

For more watch, The Daily Buzz.

With the 85^th Academy Awards taking place today, everyone in Hollywood is making their predictions about who will come out on top this year.

Celebuzz and AJ Hammer of HLN’s Showbiz Tonight are counting down the top five Oscar buzzmakers.

No 5: Jennifer Lawrence – Despite being nominated for Best Actress for her role in Silver Linings Playbook, the actress reveals she is still not really confident about her stardom.

No 4: Hugh Jackman – The first time Best Actor nominee for Les Misérables, calls the honor “beyond the realm of his imagination.”

No 3: Bradley Cooper – Another first time Best Actor nominee, the Silver Linings Playbook star claims he is excited about his nomination, but that he is a little starstruck by his fellow nominees.

No 2: Denzel Washington – If Washington, the veteran of this Oscar bunch, wins Best Actor for Flight, it will be his third. The actor states he chose the film because it may be the most complex role of his career.

No 1: Seth MacFarlane – The host of this year’s Oscars is setting the bar low for himself so that the only place he can go is up.

Tune in to Showbiz Tonight Mon. – Thurs. at 11pm ET/PT on HLN. And, be sure to check back every week for AJ Hammer’s countdown of the top five buzzmakers right here on Celebuzz.

Seth MacFarlene may not be a household name to those who don’t follow Family Guy, but you can’t deny that the funnyman staple in Hollywood comedy scene.

After becoming TV history’s youngest executive producer at the age of 24, MacFarlene went on to create The Cleveland Show, American Dad! and write and direct his first feature film, Ted.

Fans and those who hang out in MacFarlene’s inner circle know his irreverent wit, musical abilities (he’s a regular at Los Angeles’ famous Brass Monkey karaoke bar) and impressive pop culture knowledge.

But does he have what it takes to host the Academy Awards Sunday? From a five-word acceptance speech to his dead-on Kermit the Frog impression, relive his top 10 funniest moments and help us decide.

Microphone Fail at the 2012 Emmys: After delivering his presenter’s speech into the wrong microphone during 2012′s Emmy Awards, MacFarlene quickly saved face and improvised a joke about skipping rehearsal, turning what might’ve been ho-hum dialogue to one of the most memorable moments of the ceremony.

White Trash Names: MacFarlene may have miffed a lot of girls when they watched this scene from Ted, but those who have encountered not-so-classy ladies of with these monikers were left giggling in their seats.

2007 Emmys Musical Number: If there’s one thing MacFarlene fans know, it’s that the comedian leaves no stone unturned — or in the case of the 2007 Emmys, no show safe from ridicule. Providing the voices of Family Guy‘s Stewie and Brian, MacFarlene sang about how trashy TV has become during the ceremony’s opening musical number. Let’s just hope the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be able to stomach this kind of humor.

Five-word Acceptance Speech at the Webby Awards: So much LOLs, so little words.

Family Guy‘s Emmys Campaign: Proving that he’s just of a TV fanatic as the rest of America, MacFarlene turned Family Guy’s “for Your Consideration” Emmys campaign for Outstanding Comedy in 2009 into a YouTube series YouTube featuring video clips poking fun at the other nominees, including The Office, 30 Rock and — as seen below — How I Met Your Mother.

Pizza Salad: If you’ve ever eaten a salad from a pizza place, you’ll get this joke.

Oscars Promo: MacFarlene gave fans a little taste of what’s to come when he starred in this Oscars pormo riffing off of old footage from 1999′s James Bond flick, The World is Not Enough. “You’re gonna have fun.”

Acceptance Speech at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards: Hey, if you can’t laugh at them. Laugh at yourself. And then maybe laugh at them. And then do a Stewie impersonation.

Kermit the Frog Impression: Even Family Guy‘s Alex Borstein and Seth Green approved.

And this joke, appropriately about an Oscar nominee:

With the 85th Academy Awards less than 24 hours away, it’s time to find out how well you know this year’s nominees.

Which actress recently revealed that she auditioned for the role of Fantine in Les Miserables? How old is this year’s youngest nominee, and which other record holder is she up against? How many one-word titled films are up for an Oscar this year?

Celebuzz is challenging the biggest Academy Awards enthusiasts out there and putting their knowledge to the test.

Leave your Playbook behind, put away that Miserables face and launch the gallery, above, for 15 trivia questions about this year’s Oscars.

The 85th Academy Awards will be handed out live on Sunday on ABC. Red carpet coverage will begin at 4PM ET.

When it comes to hosting, Hugh Jackman certainly knows a thing or two about the Academy Awards.

In 2009, years before he became a frontrunner for the Best Actor statuette, the Les Miserables star served as Oscar host. Flash forward to 2013: Jackman gets ready to pass the torch, offering some advice to this year’s host, Seth MacFarlane, who will helm the ceremony on Feb. 24.

“Yeah, he’s gotta be funny. Like, I don’t know, he’s not a very funny guy, so he should work on that, right?” Jackman deadpanned to Celebuzz during the G’Day USA Black Tie Gala on Jan. 12.

Jokes aside, Jackman sought his own mentor as he took the stage for Hollywood’s biggest night.

“The best advice I got was from Steve Martin, and he said, ‘Just remember, the first 45 minutes: best audience of  your life because everyone out there is more nervous than you, and from that moment on there’s way more winners than losers, and just hurry it up!’” he revealed.

From a musical number with his future Les Mis costar Anne Hathaway to a memorable opening monologue, the Aussie actor’s hard work paid off: he won rave reviews for emceeing the ’09 telecast, which earned a hefty ratings boost compared to years’ past.

And with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s widely acclaimed gig at last night’s Golden Globes, it looks like the (comedy) bar has been set high for MacFarlane. Bring on the laughs!

Watch to find out who wins when the 85^th Academy Awards ceremony is broadcast on ABC February 24, 2013. In the meantime, are you looking forward to Seth MacFarlane as this year’s Oscars host? What do you think of the awards season so far?

Which Hollywood ladies has Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane, been linked to over the years?

In case you’re doing your homework on the first-time Oscars host before Sunday’s big awards show, take a look at the surprising list of Hollywood hotties that the funnyman has dated.

Did you know that MacFarlane allegedly dated Amanda Bynes in 2008 — before her bizarre behavior became tabloid fodder? Read more…

Hugh Jackman is admitting that his performance as host of the 2009 Oscars was less than riveting.

“I was way too boring,” the Les Miserables star said at the BAFTA Tea Party in Los Angeles on Saturday. He went on to explain why he wouldn’t rely on the usual “poke fun at celebrities” routine: “I just don’t want to make people feel bad.”

That doesn’t mean he thinks this year’s host, Seth MacFarlane, should do the same. Said the nice guy who still finishes first: “He should absolutely go for it.”

MacFarlane certainly has 44-year-old’s Jackman’s blessing to host the show, with the latter calling the funnyman a “genius” choice. And don’t cry for Jackman because of his Oscars misstep: he picked up a Golden Globe Sunday night for his performance in Les Mis.

Oh, and he still has the goods to make other Hollywood hunks stop in their tracks: on Saturday, Silver Linings Playbook star Bradley Coopertold us he gets starstruck each and every time he runs into Jackman.

Now that’s star power.

Watch the video above to see what else  Jackman revealed about his personal and professional life.

Last year saw the rise of many new faces in the entertainment world: Carly Rae Jepsen, Psy, uh, Honey Boo Boo.

What will 2013 bring us? It’s anyone’s guess.

Still, with a number of high-profile movie, TV and album releases upon us, we can at least speculate as to which stars will break out in Hollywood over the next 12 months.

Already, all eyes are on Henry Cavill — and not just because he’s arguably the best-looking man since, well, ever. The sexy Brit will don Superman’s famous red cape in the much-anticipated Man of Steel, out June 14.

Also poised for a big year is youngster AnnaSophia Robb, who will step into Carrie Bradshaw’s Manolo Blahnik’s on the CW’s Sex and the City prequel The Carrie Diaries in January.

Who else might make it in 2013?

Check out our gallery, above, for a list of nine potential soon-to-be-famous — and in some cases soon-to-be-even-more-famous — faces.

FOX’s Family Guy is coming to the big screen. Creator and Oscar host Seth MacFarlane made the announcement Wedensday to a classroom of UCLA students, revealing, “it’s just a matter of when.” MacFarlane, who was at the class for the mtvU “Stand In” series of guest professors, also announced The Oscar Experience College Search in which an aspiring filmmaker can win the opportunity to present at the Academy Awards. For more information on the contest, head to the Academy’s Facebook page. [EW]

In more MacFarlane news, the funny man has also been tapped to guest star on The Simpsons Season 25 premiere next year. The episode, “Dangers on a Train,” will feature MacFarlane as Ben, a man Marge mistakenly meets on an Ashley Madison-type website. [EW]

ABC’s Scandal hit a season high in the ratings on Thursday with a 2.2. rating in the ad-coveted demo tying CBS’ Elementary. The drama was up 11 percent in the ratings with 6.7 million total viewers. NBC’s 30 Rock also saw season high ratings for the wedding of Liz Lemon (Tina Fey). Meanwhile, the recently cancelled ABC show Last Resort dropped 17 percent to a new series low. As always, CBS’ The Big Bang Theory dominated the Thursday airwaves with 17.2 million viewers. [TVLine]

TLC is exploring the lives of preacher wives in Atlanta with The Sisterhood. The first ladies, as they’re called, work hard to ensure their families and churches are run smoothly as they themselves are held to high extremely high standards. The Sisterhood will bring together five of the most recognized and respected ladies. It premieres Tuesday, Jan. 1 at 9 PM on TLC. [TLC]

With Victorious and iCarly ending, Nickelodeon will be filling the void with a new series from iCarly creator Dan Schneider. The show, Sam & Cat, will bring together Jennette McCurdy, who played Sam on iCarly and Ariana Grande, who played Cat on Victorious as buddies and unlikely roommates. The show has been given a 20-episode order and is set to begin production in January for a 2013 premiere. [Deadline]

The series finale of NBC’s 30 Rock is set to air Thursday, Jan. 31 and will be followed by the premiere of new drama Do No Harm at 10 PM. Rock Center with Brian Williams will also move to Fridays beginning this winter on Feb. 8 at 10 PM. [NBC]

Kelly Clarkson, Pitbull, Melanie Fiona and Metric have joined the lineup of VH1 Divas.  The artists join Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland and Jordin Sparks. The special, hosted by Adam Lambert, will feature a tribute to the late Whitney Houston and Donna Summer. It will be broadcast live on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 9 PM on VH1. [THR]

Jane Lynch nailed it when she hosted the 63rd Emmy Awards back in 2011, and now FOX’s Glee star is weighing in on the Academy’s choice for Seth MacFarlane to emcee the Oscars.

“Seth MacFarlane is hilarious and odd and has his own take on things and I think they want to bring that to the Oscars,” she told Celebuzz. “He’s great. I think it will be really fun.”

Lynch sees the choice as a natural progression from comedian Billy Crystal who successfully hosted the awards show nine times since 1990, but received lukewarm reviews for his appearance earlier this year.

“I think Billy Crystal kind of set the bar for that era,” she offered. “He kind of changed awards shows doing the opening number medley of all the movies. He was so funny, and it’s been at that level ever since, and I think that this is just another expression of that.”

What would Lynch change about her own Emmys hosting performance?

Looking back on her own performance at the Emmys, Lynch wishes she was less nervous. If she had it to do again, she would have cut the opening dance number and shaved off a joke or two.

“I would have cut out two of the gay jokes,” she confided. “Cause by the end it’s like, OK, you’re gay, we get it!”

Lynch has played memorable supporting parts in comedies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Talladega Nights but is best know for her part as the ruthless cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on Glee.

“There’s so many people in the cast now,” she said about the transitions occurring on the hit show. “There’s new cast members and we have our old cast members who are actually back. So. everybody’s getting a little less, cause they’re trying to lay the pipe for the new people and set up the storylines and establish the storylines in New York. So, this next episode coming up is heavier.”

She can be heard as the voice of Sergeant Calhoun in Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph opening November 2, and next year will be seen in indie comedies Adult Children of Divorce and Afternoon Delightabout a bored housewife who tries to rehabilitate a stripper.

With so much on her plate, would Lynch ever considering hosting the Emmys again? “A year ago, I would have said, ‘Uh-unh,’” she confided. “But yeah, I’d do it again.”

The world received a gift from the Comedy Gods on Monday when it was confirmed that funnyladies Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will host the 2013 Golden Globe Awards in January.

“The unparalleled comedic timing of Tina and Amy will surely have viewers wanting to tune in to see them in action,” Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Dr. Aida Takla-O’Reilly said in a statement. “The HFPA is thrilled to have the magnetic duo be a part of the show’s 70th anniversary!”

The announcement came just a short couple of weeks after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Seth MacFarlane, the man behind Family Guy, will host the Oscars in February.

Which now begs the question: Which host will actually do a better job on stage?

Given their years together on Saturday Night Live (okay, and the fact that Baby Mama was kind of an awesome movie), it’s hard not to root for Fey and Poehler, who are taking the reins from controversial host Ricky Gervais.

Still, one can’t count out MacFarlane, who admittedly has the talents required to do well at the Nokia Theater. (Yep, the man can sing.)

Who will do the best job? Cast your vote in the poll, below, then give your reasons in the comments.

USA’s longest running series, Psych, will premiere its seventh season on February 27, 2013 at 10 PM. The announcement was made via video on the show’s official Facebook page. Season 7 will feature a two-hour musical and the show’s milestone 100th episode. Episode No. 100 will be an homage to the 1985 movie, Clue, and include guest appearances by some of the flick’s original cast including Christopher Llyod and Lesley Ann Warren. [THR]

Which show is the first casualty of the fall season?

Apparently, Made in Jersey has that honor. CBS has pulled the drama about a Jersey girl who goes to work for a big New York law firm from its schedule. Not officially canceled., but Starting in November the series will be replaced by the fourth season of Undercover Boss. [The Wrap]

Goldberg will be playing himself on the NBC show, who happens to be the “star” of a fictional legal drama, Laws of the Jungle. Angela (Betsy Sodaro) and Rizzo the monkey are obsessed with his show. His fictional lawyer character also happens to have a monkey for a sidekick. [TVLine]

Chris Diamantopoulous will appear on at least three episodes of Arrested Development when it airs on Netflix. The actor, who could be seen with AD alum, Will Arnett, on NBC’s Up All Night last season will also pop up on FOX’s midseason show, Goodwin Games, and NBC’s Community this season. [Deadline]

November sweeps is known for its big guest stars on network television. Recently announced Oscar host Seth MacFarlane will show up on ABC’s Shark Tank with a business proposal by a man who has build a better fly trap. [TVLine]

More of Lifetime’s Dance Moms is coming your way as the network has renewed the reality show for a third season. The show will be back next year with 26 hour-long episodes. Dance Moms follows dance teacher Abby Lee Miller as she deals with the sometimes overbearing moms of her students. [THR]

NBC’s The Voice again ruled the ratings game last night with almost 12 million viewers. With a boost from everyone’s favorite singing competition, NBC comedies Go On and The New Normal also improved 33 percent and 18 percent respectively as compared to last week. Parenthood also benefited with a 25 percent increase in viewers. Meanwhile, the TV premiere of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog did, well, horrible with only 566,000 viewers. ABC remained steady in the ratings race and CBS experienced a tiny drop for their NCIS franchises with a leveling off for freshman drama Vegas. [EW]

Get ready to meet yet another one of Derek’s (Patrick Dempsey) sisters. Scream and Party of Five star Neve Campbell will be playing a Shepherd sibling in a recurring role over two episodes. She’ll appear just as Derek’s career is suffering from the hand injury he received in last season’s finale plane crash. [TVLine]

The New Normal and American Horror Story EP Ryan Murphy broke some big casting stories via his Twitter Wednesday afternoon. Golden Globe Winner Ian McShane will be appearing on American Horror Story: Asylum this fall. Meanwhile, The New Normal has cast Bryan’s (Andrew Rannells) ex-boyfriend and it’s … Matt Bomer. [Twitter]

Amid the showers of praise on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the unorthodox choice of Seth MacFarlane to host next February’s Oscars, there have been a few voices of dissent. One of those belongs to fellow funnyman Jack Black. A possible Oscar contender himself for his rare dramatic performance earlier this year in Bernie, Black had some harsh words for the animator, who dissed him once on one of his FOX Sunday night cartoons.

Hours after Monday’s announcement from the Academy, New York magazine’s Vulture blog caught up to Black at a cocktail party. Asked what he thought of MacFarlane landing the MC job, Black at first offered faint praise. “I saw him on Saturday Night Live. I thought he was serviceable,” Black said. “It might get tiring if he keeps on doing the voices from Family Guy. He might give that a rest. But I think he has legit comedy chops.”

But then he spoke of his ongoing grudge against the cartoon guru. “I should be against him,” Black said. “I should say he is going to f–k it up, because he made fun of me one time on his show and it made me really mad.”

Where does Black’s grudge against MacFarlane come from?

Asked which of MacFarlane’s three shows insulted him, the School of Rock star replied, “I don’t remember exactly, but it was basically pigeonholing who I am as saying that I am just a guy that relies on being really loud.”

The Tenacious D rocker showed he can do soft, too, in Bernie, where he played the title character, a real-life devious mortician in a small Texas town. It’s a role that has a good shot at earning Black an Oscar nomination, not just because he’s good in it, but also because distributor Millennium Entertainment was smart enough to send screener copies to awards voters before any other eligible movie. In fact, the cocktail party was also an early attempt to promote Bernie even as newer Oscar contenders arrive in theaters.

Asked if the attention he’s getting for Bernie proves the Ted writer/director wrong about him, Black retorted, “Yeah, f–k him. I still haven’t seen the fuzzy-bear movie. Have you?”

At press time, MacFarlane’s camp had yet to respond to Celebuzz‘s request for comment regarding Black’s remarks.

Meanwhile, MacFarlane himself spent part of the day after the announcement of his new gig attending TheGrill, an industry conference in Los Angeles sponsored by The Wrap. Once again, he reassured industry insiders that he would keep the show classy, the way Bob Hope used to, and that he wouldn’t turn the prestigious awards show into an episode of Family Guy.

Nonetheless, he was asked to turn his own appearance at that forum into a brief Family Guy moment, as captured in the video at the top of this article. Asked for Stewie Griffin’s assessment of the current state of the 2012 presidential race, he replied, in the voice of the homicidal, British-accented toddler, “I think, at this point, you know, Obama can walk out onto a stage with his penis out; he’s still going to win.”

You stay classy, Seth.

What do you think of MacFarlane’s hiring as Oscar host? Vote in the poll below, and tell us what you think in the comments.

Monday’s news that Family Guy and Ted creator Seth MacFarlane will host the Oscars in February drew responses of shock, praise and puzzlement. After all, he bears little resemblance to the sort of performer who’s been the typical Oscar host over the last quarter-century. He’s not a stand-up comic (though millions find his writing and animation hilarious), he’s not a song-and-dance man (though he’s shown signs he’d like to be one), he’s not a household name (though he has nearly 3 million Twitter followers), he’s young (well, young-ish, at 38), he doesn’t have a lengthy résumé in movies (though he couldn’t have made a bigger splash in film than Ted, which grossed $434 million worldwide this summer), and he’s known for being irreverent to the point of offensiveness.

So how’s he going to work as an Oscar host? If awards show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron let him run free, they run the risk of turning the prestigious 85th annual Academy Awards ceremony into the MTV Movie Awards, a tacky spectacle that repels and alienates the show’s traditional audience. But if they rein him in, they smother the spark that he brings to the table and risk a bland show that bores and alienates potential new viewers.

Of course, the Academy knows all this, as do Zadan, Meron, and MacFarlane. Still, they have their reasons for the unorthodox move. Read on for the answers to your burning questions about the reasoning behind the choice, the pitfalls MacFarlane faces and how he and the producers will try to work around them to create an entertainment event that everyone will want to watch.

1. Why did the Academy pick MacFarlane?

The obvious answer is his youth appeal. Your parents may not know him, but he’s become a huge success in TV animation (and now, movies) thanks to a young, predominantly male fanbase — precisely the viewers that the Oscar show has been courting in vain for years as its audience has steadily shrunk. Usually, what brings young viewers back to the Oscars is strong rooting interest in one or more of the nominated movies (like an Avatar or Lord of the Rings), but unless Avengers or The Dark Knight Rises get nominated for Best Picture, that’s not likely to happen. So the next best thing is hiring a host that young people like.

Of course, the Academy tried for youth appeal two years ago when it hired James Franco and Anne Hathaway, and even though he was funny and she could sing and dance, the onstage result was disastrous. MacFarlane may not be a traditional comic or singer/hoofer either, but he’s shown he has those skills, particularly on his recent gig hosting Saturday Night Live, which really showed off his versatility as a performer. He’s not just a funny-voices guy, though that’s something extra he offers, a talent that only Billy Crystal (among recent Oscar hosts) shares.

Zadan told The Wrap that it was this versatility alone, and not youth appeal, that put MacFarlane on his and Meron’s shortlist. “We were looking for somebody who had the diversity of talent to pull off what we wanted to do,” he said. “We never thought about demographics.” That disingenuous statement may be funnier than any joke MacFarlane will tell on Oscar night. (For his part, Meron acknowledged MacFarlane’s fanbase, telling USA Today, “We want the broadest audience for the show. This host just increases that audience.”)

2. Who did MacFarlane beat for the gig?

Zadan and Meron aren’t saying, but the pool of potential hosts is surprisingly small. The job calls upon a particular set of skills — the ability to be a genial host, the ability to think quickly on one’s feet, the ability to crack broadly amusing jokes that don’t lose or insult half the audience, the ability to engage movie fans, and some song and dance skills — that come most naturally to talk show hosts, stand-up comedians and comical movie actors. Few hosts have all these skills. Hugh Jackman (who hosted in 2009) can sing and dance, but he’s not inherently funny. Tina Fey and Louis C.K. are funny but not musical. Neil Patrick Harris (who’s hosted lots of awards shows) is musical and funny but not really a movie star; same with Jimmy Fallon. Eddie Murphy, like nine-time-host Crystal, could probably do it all, but he quit the job last year when producer Brett Ratner, who hired him, was fired over his homophobic comments, and no one wants to be reminded of that fiasco, so Murphy, through no fault of his own, is off the list. Other past hosts, like Jon Stewart, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg and Ellen DeGeneres, could come back, but they’re also all over 50 (or, in Stewart’s case, will turn 50 before February). MacFarlane, however, can do it all, and at 38, he’s younger than everyone else on this list (even Harris, who’s four months older).

3. What are the pitfalls MacFarlane faces?

The hardest part of hosting the Oscars may be coming up with jokes that play well to both the broad and diverse audience at home and the nervous Hollywood bigwigs in the auditorium. It’s easy to make jokes deflating the movie-star egos in the room, but they go over like grim death when those same egos are sitting with arms folded and teeth gritted in the front row, making for a silence that plays awkwardly to TV viewers. (Such past hosts as Chris Rock, David Letterman and Chevy Chase found that out to their peril.) But too much blandness also fails to get laughs. And political humor (especially after a bitterly contested election cycle, like the one we’re going through now) risks alienating one half of the home audience.

MacFarlane, who’s hosted roasts on Comedy Central and who’s offended about every minority group possible on Family Guy, knows how to do funny insults, but he’s going to have to dial it back, not just to avoid biting the hand that feeds him in the room, but also to maintain the air of class that befits the entertainment world’s most prestigious award. MacFarlane recognizes this, telling Deadline, “The trick is really going to be to make it as funny as I can and true to what I do but at the same time respectfully adapting the tone for this event which is a very different event than I have been a part of in the past.” Or, as he put it to The Wrap, “We’re not going to turn the Oscars into Family Guy.”

He won’t have to tone it down just for Oscar night, but for the five months between now and Oscar night.  If he says something politically incorrect, especially about the people who invited him (as he did earlier this year when lobbying for Emmy nods for Family Guy), he’ll be fired quicker than you can say “Brett Ratner.”

4. What can we expect from a MacFarlane performance as Oscar host?

MacFarlane has said his favorite Oscar host was Johnny Carson; the longtime Tonight Show host emceed several times in the late ’70s and early ’80s, telling jokes with broad populist appeal that nonetheless managed to skewer Hollywood insiders without leaving a mark. So that may be an indication of how he’ll handle the satirical part of his job. There will be at least one big, orchestral musical number. “There’s nothing I love more than being around orchestras. That’s something we’ll be making use of, I’m sure,” he told USA Today. As for MacFarlane’s talent for funny voices, we’d be pretty surprised if they don’t find a way for him to do Ted the bear. His habit for dropping random pop cultural references, which he deploys so arbitrarily on Family Guy, is actually pretty perfect for a show as steeped in movie history as the Oscars.

5. How do critics think he’ll do?

Early reactioon yesterday to MacFarlane’s hire was mostly positive. “I think he’ll pull it off as expected – some great jokes, a lot of smiling,” Awards Daily editor Sasha Stone told Celebuzz. “He’ll be funny, confident and reliable.”

“He’s the perfect host,” Gold Derby editor Tom O’Neil told Celebuzz. “He’ll be edgy but he knows how to walk right up the line and not step over it.”

Not everyone thinks MacFarlane is a surefire winner as Oscar host. “Having MacFarlane host the show seems to play into the misguided notion that the Oscars need to be torn down and rebuilt, rather than merely updated and renovated.,” wrote Tim Goodman at The Hollywood Reporter. Tampa Bay Times TV critic Eric Deggans wrote that he wasn’t sure whether hiring MacFarlane was the best idea ever or the worst. At Slate, David Haglund wrote that he finds MacFarlane’s humor is often cruel and crass but added, “Otherwise, though, Oscar host might be just the gig MacFarlane was born to do.”

What do you think of MacFarlane’s hiring as Oscar host? Vote in the poll below, then sound off in the comments.