No Hosts
Because awards-show hosts can be so hit or miss, the no-host program has occasionally been adopted in attempts to streamline running time and take the pressure off one person carrying an entire telecast. The Oscars have been no-hosted seven times, but not since the 1989 program which began with a now infamous routine starring Rob Lowe and Snow White (video of which has been virtually expunged from the Internet by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). Other shows including the Country Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and the Primetime Emmys have used the no-host format, but to little fanfare. A hostless program usually means way too many presenters, 75% of whom are unprepared, boring or just not funny — not to mention an inconsistent program that's incapable of achieving a unified tone. The one awards telecast that seems to fare well as a no-host show is the one presented by the Screen Actors Guild. The SAG Awards are repeatedly one of the top-rated awards shows, but it's difficult to tell if that's simply because the show is just about actors (no technical awards to slog through), thereby giving the audience more of a chance to ogle Hollywood's finest instead of Joe Schmoe Sound Mixer.