Ellen at the Oscars

How did Ellen DeGeneres do as host of the Oscar show last night? Well, although Billy Crystal remains my favorite Academy Awards host, DeGeneres won me over with her easygoing charm and humor. I especially enjoyed the way she involved members of the audience with such playful antics as giving Martin Scorsese a script she wrote and having Steven Spielberg take a picture of her with Clint Eastwood. Granted, her recycled jokes from the 70s failed to evoke much laughter, but that disappointing bit only lasted a few seconds. All in all, I am happy to give DeGeneres a round of applause for her first Oscar gig. Surely, it will not be her last.