Seth MacFarlane delivered an edgy and entertaining performance as host of the 85th Academy Awards on Sunday, prompting his comedic brethren to praise him and others to take him to task.
MacFarlane sang, danced and joked his way through the Oscars in a frequently awkward, if not amusing routine that seems to have people divided over whether his performance was too much or just what the show needed.
The Atlantic headlined its story "The Banality of Seth MacFarlane's Sexism and Racism at the Oscars," which went on to say, "Everything, including punchlines about the Jews cutting non-Jews out of Hollywood, snickers about women faking the flu to lose weight, and cracks that there's no need to try to understand what Salma Hayek's saying because she's so hot, is "OK." It's a free country, etc. But that doesn't mean those jokes aren't hurtful, obvious, or dumb."
But others found the "Family Guy" creator's schtick, which included a number called "The Boob Song," that chronicled a list of celebrities who have gone topless on screen, to be all in good fun.
"I thought it was hilarious," said Jennifer Lawrence, who won an Oscar for best actress, and was name-checked in the song as someone who has yet to bare her breasts on camera, "I loved the boob song."
Funnyman Seth Rogan also praised MacFarlane.
"It's hard for me to judge something I would never be able to do," he said, according to The New York Times. Rogan said that the sometimes offensive nature of MacFarlane's performance what made it a success. "Good comedy is subversive," Rogen said.
In one joke, MacFarlane made reference to Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of the 16th President for the film Lincoln and provided a wincing, but funny moment.
"This is interesting," MacFarlane said. "Daniel Day-Lewis not the first actor to be nominated for playing Lincoln. Raymond Massey portrayed him in 1940's 'Abe Lincoln In Illinois.' This is true. I would argue, however, that the actor who really got inside Lincoln's head was John Wilkes Booth."
It's a matter of debate whether the joke was in poor taste, but it made other comedians laugh, which would suggest success on some level.
"He was soooo great!" said comedienne Sarah Silverman, according to The Times. "He's a song-and-dance man and he had so many hard jokes - 'getting inside Lincoln's head!'"
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