Jon Stewart

DEAR JON: So now it is official. Nothing can stop the Oscars. Not terrorism, not war, not an ailing pope, neither Billy Crystal's flu nor David Letterman's jokes, nay, not even a writers strike can stand in the way of the Academy Awards. Come rain or hail or just really bad Santa Anas (God, the poor stylists), those gold statuettes can and will be bestowed on the lifted and tucked alike. And you're just the guy to do it.

Jon Stewart led with the writers strike, moved to light jabs at the nominees and then finished with presidential politics. For the Oscar host, the opening monologue is a kind of State of the Union address -- through humor he conveys what the year in movies has been about while risking a few zingers at political leaders and celebrities. Stewart, hosting for the second time (his first go-round was 2006), did a monologue that came in at approximately 18 jokes (not including asides).

Though Jon Stewart and producer Gilbert Cates were clearly pleased with Sunday's Oscar telecast -- bear-hugging each other and high-fiving the writing team -- the ratings drop was disastrous (see Scott Collins' E1 story for the specifics). So now that the confetti has settled, the winners feted and the critics typically underwhelmed, it's time for the traditional Monday morning quarterbacking about Sunday's 80th Annual Academy Awards telecast.

Jon STEWART, the popular late-night political satirist, will bring his smirking charm to the Oscars once again as host of the 80th Annual Academy Awards -- a decision that has some in Hollywood scratching their heads. Stewart's statement, included in the Wednesday morning release from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was typically self-deprecating. "I'm thrilled to be asked to host the Academy Awards for the second time," he said, "because, as they say, the third time's a charm."

Stewart stays: Comedy Central has signed Jon Stewart to continue hosting "The Daily Show" through 2010.

Jon Stewart, the Emmy-winning host and co-writer of Comedy Central's mock newscast "The Daily Show," today will be named host of the 78th Annual Academy Awards, three sources familiar with the selection process said Wednesday, ending months of speculation about the show's next emcee. Academy officials and longtime Oscar producer Gil Cates have settled on Stewart, 43, who hosted the Grammy Awards in 2001 and 2002, the sources said.

Comedy Central is reaping some modest rewards from Jon Stewart's exposure as host of the Academy Awards. Viewership for "The Daily Show" averaged 1.6 million for the six episodes after Stewart's March 5 Oscar gig. The show had been averaging 1.5 million viewers each night before the awards, according to Nielsen Media Research. "He's sort of elevated," said Doug Herzog, Comedy Central president, "and by association we are as well."

Someone please stop Jon Stewart before he destroys American democracy. Two university professors have published a study claiming that Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" drives down support for political institutions and makes young people more cynical about government. " 'The Daily Show' makes a habit of ridiculing the electoral and political process as a whole," write Jody Baumgartner and Jonathan S. Morris in the May edition of American Politics Research.