Seth MacFarlane Hitler Joke Offends Critics, Oscars Host Defends Himself
Seth MacFarlane's Hitler joke he made while announcing the Academy Awards nominees Thursday has some critics upset, and the "Family Guy" creator has already had to defend his sense of humor. MacFarlane hasn't been the official host of the Oscars for very long, and already he has had to answer detractors.
Seth McFarlane's Hitler joke came while he was he was announcing the nominees with actress Emma Stone at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. His joke about foreign film "Amour" offended some, but Stone and the audience seemed to humor the comedian.
"I read 'Amour' was co-produced by Austria and Germany. The last time Austria and Germany co-produced something it was Hitler, but this was much better," said the "American Dad" creator.
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Not long after though, some mentioned that they had found the joke in bad taste, and MacFarlane answered them via social media.
"Lotta flap over that Adolf joke. Look, Amour was a great film, so how about this: we'll give you the Oscar if you take back Arnold," he joked in a tweet.
Critics still questioned if MacFarlane would make a good Academy Awards host, especially after some of his other jokes Thursday— he joked about screenwriters recycling old scripts and directors "sitting in a chair and watching other people make a movie."
"MacFarlane managed to botch his Oscar hosting gig in record time," wrote Slate.com journalist Forrest Wickman. "Edgy and biting can work at an awards show, but these one-liners were neither."
Vulture magazine continued the charge, pointing out that MacFarlane hasn't had much experience hosting events besides Comedy Central roasts and an episode of "Saturday Night Live"— both shows where his raunchy comedic content is appreciated.
Still, the Oscar host may have made up for the Hitler joke with the new award show promotions. In them, he wears a tuxedo and introduces himself as the host. The responses to the clips have generally been positive.
The 85th annual Academy Awards will be held Feb. 24 in Hollywood, Calif.
