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Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Skyes joked they'd been hired to host the Oscars because they were “cheaper” than hiring a single male presenter.
The three women were introduced to the stage by DJ Khaled at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on Sunday (27.03.22) after Beyonce's performance of ‘Be Alive', and the trio wasted no time in poking fun at themselves and the evening's nominees.
Wanda dismissed the event as being the place “where movie lovers unite and watch TV”, before Amy quipped: “This year, the Academy hired three women to host because it's cheaper than hiring one man.”
Regina declared she and Wanda were there to be “representing Black women who are standing proud.”
Amy quipped: “I represent unbearable white women who call the cops when you get a little too loud.”
Academy Awards bosses have faced criticism for handing out eight prizes before the live broadcast, and the stage flights flickered as Wanda joked: “It was a controversial and difficult decision, but I think we've moved on.”
The trio then turned their attention to poking fun at Hollywood stars.
Wanda said: “There was a lot of snubs this year: Rachel Zegler for ‘West Side Story', Jennifer Hudson for ‘Respect' and Lady Gaga and Jared Leto for ‘House of Random Accent.”
Amy then said: “You know what's in the In Memoriam package this year? The Golden Globes. They didn't have any Black people, they didn't have any Black members.”
Regina added: “No. They had to go.”
Poking fun at Best Picture nominee ‘The Power of the Dog', Wanda said: “I watched that movie three times, and I'm halfway through it.”
At the end of their monologue, the women said “gays” a number of times, calling out Florida's so-called ‘Don't Say Gay' bill.
Wanda said: “We're going to have a great night tonight. for you people in Florida, we're going to have a gay night.”
Following a commercial break, Amy returned to the stage alone to mock some more of the year's biggest films.
She said: “This is so exciting. I just want to congratulate all of you. During a raging pandemic, you made a movie. Give yourselves a hand, that's incredible. You did it. It's huge.
“And yet they weren't all great, right? A lot of them were pretty hard to understand. You know who you are. I didn't see many of them.”
She turned her attention to star-studded movie ‘Don't Look Up', which starred her friend Jennifer Lawrence – who recently gave birth to her first child – and Leonardo DiCaprio,
She said: “I guess the Academy members don't look up reviews. Wait a minute. I loved that movie. Jennifer Lawrence was amazing in it. Even though she did gain some weight this year.
“I mean, Leonardo DiCaprio, what can I even say about him? He's done so much to fight climate change and leave behind a cleaner, greener planet for his girlfriends. Because he's older. And they're younger. Okay, you get it.”
Of ‘Being the Ricardos', she said: “The innovation to make a movie about Lucille Ball without even a moment that's funny. Not your fault, Nicole [Kidman] — you're great.”
Regina later returned to the stage in which she claimed to be calling up attendees for an extra COVID-19 test, but they all turned out to be handsome stars including Bradley Cooper, Timothee Chalamet, Tyler Perry and Simu Liu, though she rejected a call to bring Javier Bardem to the stage, noting he was with his wife Penelope Cruz.
But then she called for Will Smith and said: “You're married, but you know what, you're on the list and looks like Jada [Pinkett Smith] approved you, so you get on up here!”
But the ‘King Richard' star waved his hands and declined.
