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Billy Crystal restores aura of class and cleverness to Oscars

By April MacIntyre Nov 12, 2011, 15:58 GMT

04/05/2011 - Janice Crystal and Billy Crystal - "Arthur" New York City Premiere - Outside Arrivals - Ziegfeld Theater - New York City, NY, USA © Charles Norfleet / PR Photos

The Golden Globes stunned with whipfast British snarker Ricky Gervais, who held nothing back in withering, brutally hilarious remarks at the Hollywood elites' expense, and especially the organization that put the event on.

Gervais laid int the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the small community of pampered film critics who choose the Golden Globe winners, which is being sued by a publicist whistleblower for $2m, claiming its members accept ultra luxe gifts in exchange for supporting certain films. The HFPA denies the allegations.

"I'd like to quash this ridiculous rumour going around that the only reason The Tourist was nominated was so the Hollywood Foreign Press could hang out with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. That is rubbish. That is not the only reason. They also accepted bribes," Gervais said to a room of gasps.

Gervais even prodded the HFPA president, Philip Berk, saying: "I had to help the HFPA president off the toilet and pop his teeth back in."

The Oscars will not go down this road, one where all bets were off when Eddie Murphy was scheduled to be host. The "Raw" comic is known for working blue.

Now that Brett Ratner quit after insulting the LGBT community with a remark on Howard Stern's radio show last week, and Murphy quickly following "to support" Ratner's exodus, a safer and beloved comic Billy Crystal stepped in Thursday to host the 2012 Academy Awards.

"Am doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions. Looking forward to the show." Crystal said via Twitter on Thursday afternoon, re-tweeted by the academy.

Crystal hosted the show eight times between 1990 and 2004.   "Bringing Billy back home is a good thing," said Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Tom Sherak. "He's funny. He's a comic by trade and he's an iconic Oscar host." Sherak said the deal happened fast. "It happened today after [Grazer and Mischer did a round of press] calls, Billy's people called and said he'll do it if we want him. … We called ABC and we're doing it."

Crystal will most certainly be more enlivening that the wooden 2011 emcees, actors James Franco and Anne Hathaway, both a disaster for the job.