Neil Patrick Harris always makes a big impression when he hosts big awards shows like the Tonys and Emmys. The Academy Awards, which aired on Sunday, was no exception.
The TV-movie-broadway star and father of two wasted no time in calling out the biggest elephant in the room at this year's Oscars - and followed up with an even more shocking reveal and grand musical number!
Saying that he was on a mission to top Ellen's much-talked about viral Oscar Selfie from the Academy Awards last year, Neil Patrick Harris needed only the first five to ten seconds of his opening monologue to, indeed, make a statement that will certainly go down in Oscar history.
And, as one of NPH's most famous on-screen alter egos would have described the moment - LEGENDARY!
"Welcome to the 87th Oscars. Tonight we honor Hollywood's best and whitest - sorry, I mean brightest," he joked to an obviously mixed reaction crowd of shock, amusement, and displeasure.
Indeed, one of the biggest criticisms of the 87th Academy Awards is the view that the aging voters are becoming out-of-touch in their nomination and winner choices, and that the awards are skewed towards favoriting a white demographic. On twitter, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite emphasizes this growing displeasure.
But he immediately dispelled any possible discomfort from his moment of hard-hitting truth by breaking into song and dance with a musical number entitled, "Moving Pictures."
Possibly hinting towards further shocks in store for the evening, NPH sang, "I secretly hope that somebody pulls a Kanye West," pointing in the direction of American Sniper director, Clint Eastwood.
And song went on as he was joined by Pitch Perfect and Into the Woods stars, Anna Kendrik, sharing their love for the cinema through song, "...and such happy endings except for in Gone Girl when that lady slit your throat!" Kendrik belted out.
But the duo's uplifting foray into the history of movies was interrupted by a seemingly irate Jack Black in the audience who was dismayed that all moving pictures are really all about the big bucks and money-making blockbusters.
"All we get are superheroes: Superman, Batman... Jedi Man, Sequel Man, Prequel Man..." he sang before he was ushered off the stage.
At the end of the opening number, the tone was set for a great night to celebrate the movies. But host, NPH wasn't quite done yet. Later on the in the broadcast, he laid out yet another big shock when he appeared onstage wearing nothing but his tighty whities!
And with that, host extraordinaire, Neil Patrick Harris forever left his mark on the Academy Awards. Beat that, Ellen!
