“Oscar shows tends to rise and fall in the ratings based on the proven box-office appeal of several best picture nominees; this was a good year, with six of the nine films taking in more than $100 million. Mr. MacFarlane, who is known mostly as a TV producer but passed for a musical variety star as host of Sunday’s ceremony, will also be credited as a drawing power.
But the post-mortems here included unease over gay jokes that began with an appearance by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, and frank dismay at some of the riskier humor, particularly bits that turned on gags about women and Jews.”
