Eddie Murphy could be next in line for leaving the 2012 Oscars after Brett Ratner announced his resignation as co-producer of the show, this Tuesday. Ratner left the production after referring to homosexuals at the aid of offensive terms and apologized for his behavior to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. He recruited Eddie Murphy for hosting the 84th annual Oscars show after working together for the movie Tower Heist.
Tom Sherak, the Academy President, considered Brett’s decision as the most suitable for the situation as “his comments were unacceptable” and hopes to raise the awareness for both the implications inappropriate choice of words can have as well as “the harm caused by reckless and insensitive remarks, regardless of the intent’. Yet, Sherak considers Brett to be a good person essentially, just careless in his choice of words for this particularly situation.
The 42 years old filmmaker used the term “gay” twice last week, during the questions and answers session at the Hollywood Arclight cinema on Friday and the Howard Stern program. Both times the word was meant to depict that rehearsals are used only by weak, feeble minded. Ratner suggests in his resignation speech that he used a dumb way of conveying his feelings.
Meanwhile, Ratner continues to be the target of unforgiving remarks for his behavior as well as the Academy for not firing him on spot.
Recent reports show that Don Mischer, the other co-producer of the 84th annual Oscars will most likely continue his work on the show. No information regarding the future of Eddie Murphy as its host has been released to the press so far.
Patrick Goldstein, columnist for Los Angeles Times, referred to Ratner as “crass hustler”, rushing to get ahead and in doing so behaving “with all of the grace and elan of a character out of Entourage”.