Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean proposed canceling the Oscars, asking “Would anyone really miss it?” in a Friday tweet after comedian and actor Kevin Hart stepped down as host of next year’s event.
“Why not just cancel the #oscars altogether? Would anyone really miss it?” asked Dean.
Academy Award ratings have dropped precipitously in recent years.
{mosads}In 1998, 55 million people watched the annual ceremony on ABC, which was hosted by actor/comedian Billy Crystal.
In 2018, the Jimmy Kimmel-hosted Oscars were watched by just 26.5 million.
Hart stepped down as host on Thursday night after blowback over previous anti-gay tweets and stand-up routines from nearly 10 years ago.
Hart explained in an Instagram video posted earlier Thursday that he’s “the wrong guy” if those in charge choose to hold people in a position “where they always have to justify the past,” only sparking more outrage in social media circles.
“My team calls me, ‘Oh my God, Kevin, everyone’s upset by tweets you did years ago,’ ” he says in the video. “Guys, I’m nearly 40 years old. If you don’t believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get older, I don’t know what to tell you. If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify the past, do you. I’m the wrong guy, man.”