Soundbytes: Chris Called on the Red Carpet

HOST CHRIS ROCK SHOCK: ONLY GAYS WATCH OSCARS
ACADEMY MEMBERS ALARMED OVER CHOICE OF COMIC

Those aren't my headlines, but courtesy of the Drudge Report.

I've never been a fan of Matt Drudge's political-media rumor mill blog. The stories are often inaccurate—remember his big scoop that Hillary Clinton would be Kerry’s VP candidate? Or that a Boston Globe reporter wrote the foreword to the Kerry-Evans campaign book, and the Globe was slacking in investigating Kerry’s war record? Drudge often reports rumors as fact, rarely links to sources, and there are seldom any corrections.

Meanwhile, allegations continue to surface that he is gay and closeted. (See girl Matt? I link to my stories!) That may explain stories that pander to white gay audiences, like the weekend Chris Rock report.

Veteran members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have grown concerned over the choice of Chris Rock as host of this month's awards show, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. Concern deepened after Rock claimed only gays watch the Oscars!

Chris: we're not the only ones who watch them; just the main ones who throw massive parties, worry about what everyone isn wearing, stay up all night and call off work the next morning.

Seriously, back to the biz at hand: The "report" goes on to list anti-gay remarks that Rock allegedly made. Of course: I *cannot* find them anywhere. A google search, yahoo search, and calling friends on the newsdesks at ABC News and Extra can't substantiate them. Not to say that Rock didn't say them; he could have, and the only people who over heard them decided to tell Matt Drudge and no one else. Right.

The gossip rumor "report" also says that "Academy members have privately called for Chris Rock to be removed as host." How can this happen, when the award show is produced by the academy? Obviously, Rock wouldn't have been chosen as host without the blessing of the governing committee of the academy.

February 27th will be a record Oscar night for black actors, with more being nominated than ever before. Coincidentally, it's the first year a black man will host the award show. It's more than coincidental that a political agitator has "exclusive reports" that the host has made anti-gay remarks. Unfortunately, gay blogs have already began to pick up on this story, and are reporting it as fact.

I'm looking forward to the Oscars, hopefully Chris will inject some life into the show. Remember, this is the same guy who hosted the '99 MTV Music Video Awards, and said, "J. Lo came with two limos. One for her, one for her ass."