Was Jon Stewart just too much TV for the movie star crowd?

The Oscars have come and gone for another year, Hollywoods grand expression of self congratulation played itself over the televisions of the World on Sunday. As buxom presenters, off kilter contributors and slightly coherent recipients, joined forces to celebrate all that is celluloid and silicone.

Oscar turned 78 and some surprising movies made their mark as the golden statuettes were handed out during the over four hour presentation on ABC.

This years host was the latest star of the satirical set, Jon Stewart. Usually the host of the wildly successful Daily Show on Comedy Central in the USA and the Comedy Network in Canada (not to mention a long list of sanitized CTV affiliates), Stewart took on what can only be described as the worlds toughest comedy gig.

Ever since Johnny Carson retired from the television scene (and then from the mortal coil scene) the Oscars have seen a revolving door of hosts, Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Chris Rock, they've all been cast as ringmaster of the circus that is the Oscars. It's a telling commentary on the nature of the job, that all were featured in the opening vignette as wanting to be as far from the show as possible come Oscar night. Next year they can probably add Stewart's picture to the moving pictures.

Try as he might, Stewart did not seem to be able to bring the assembled egos and dour pusses to his side of the stage on Sunday, for every Jamie Foxx cameo with a laugh, we would be treated to five or six other names sitting as though in the old Soviet era Politburo during a debate on agricultural futures.

For the most part Stewart's schtick was pretty close to his Daily show meanderings, a bit light on the political theatre mind you and he did seem unusually kind to the pontifical guests of honour assembled, a group of self absorbed types that probably could use a could mocking. Alas, we weren't to see much of it on Sunday.

They were reserved in their chuckles, hardly breaking a smile as Stewart tried to bring some life to a show steeped in movie clips and sitting stiffs. There were occasional moments of drama or lucidity, as a few of the folks wandering up to the stage were up to the challenge of public thank yous.

Stewart had a bit of fun at the expense of the big screen stars, pointing out the proper way to receive an award, after the folks from Three Six Mafia celebrated their big moment. They appeared to actually be enjoying their time in the spotlight, adding a bit of life to a rather dull procession of verbal thank you notes. The rap group picked up an Oscar for their rendition of the theme from Hustle and Flow, "It's Hard out here for a Pimp". Surely a sentiment that Stewart could probably relate to by the end of the night.

MSNBC dissects the night and Stewarts time in purgatory quite nicely. Perhaps hitting the nail on the head when they suggested that while the audience at home probably understood the Stewart system quite nicely, it was the big stars who didn't seem to get it at all.

Then again perhaps they don't get cable, or if they do, they don't get much more than the movie channels and pay per view, the better so they can see themselves in their own fishbowls!