Bob Hope did this for a large portion of my childhood if not all of it. So, it was almost ingrained in people my age to think of him as the standard an icon of the film industry and as integral a part of the ceremonies as the little gold statue. Though he was all that and will be remembered in Oscar historical accounts as one of the best, I have to admit that his comedy, for the most part, escaped me. His sappy one-liners even the somewhat cutting ones fell flat. By the time I really paid much attention to this annual ego parade, the world was definitely heading down another road as far as comedians are concerned. I guess if comedy is anything it is definitely dependant on current events and Bob (by the late 60s) was yesterdays jokes and a little like a coke losing carbonation. Even though much of the country was still drinking it up; to me he just didnt have much fizz. Still, I would say that during his stint he was a likeable, appealing and overall a good choice for this job.
