US comedienne Chelsea Handler has been criticised for her stint as host of this year’s MTV Video Music Awards (VMA).
The 35-year-old Chelsea Lately star became the first woman in 16 years to host the MTV event, but her performance did not go down well with some critics, who went as far as to say that she was “among the worst [hosts] in the show’s history”.
In an analysis of the show, the New York Times said: ‘She was among the worst [hosts] in the show’s history – purposefully out-of-touch, with brief, alarming flashes of off-colour racial humour.’
It added that she “never looked comfortable, undone by nerves, brittle material and the wattage of those around her”.
The Washington Post was also unimpressed with Handler’s hosting skills and added that “a string of flat punch lines felt a few degrees below crass”.
However, the Los Angeles Times gave Handler a more favourable review, saying she “was a game presence all night, hopping into a hot tub with the cast of Jersey Shore… and talking smack about Mel Gibson, young Justin Bieber… and, of course, [Kanye] West’.