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John Waters Expresses Interest in Hosting Oscars and Suggests Chris Rock and Will Smith Present Together

Filmmaker John Waters stated he wants to host the Academy Awards and proposed having Chris Rock and Will Smith present an award together. He described a scenario where they would appear with a fictional film titled 'Sissy Boy Slap Party' playing. Waters also discussed AI and a past encounter with Donald Trump at Studio 54.

variety.com
VA
2 sources·Apr 11, 4:29 PM(2 days ago)·1m read
John Waters Expresses Interest in Hosting Oscars and Suggests Chris Rock and Will Smith Present Togethervariety.com
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John Waters' Oscars Hosting Proposal John Waters, the filmmaker known for works like Pink Flamingos, said he wants to host the Academy Awards.

He told reporters he would pitch the idea if given the opportunity. Waters specified that he would have Chris Rock and Will Smith present an award together. Waters described the presentation: they would enter the stage while the movie 'Sissy Boy Slap Party' played in the background.

He called the concept a hilarious underground film. This suggestion references the 2022 Oscars incident where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage.

I would have Chris Rock and Will Smith present. They would come out and the movie ‘Sissy Boy Slap Party’ would be showing. It’s a hilarious underground.

John Waters, recent interview (Variety)

Additional Topics in Interview Waters also addressed artificial intelligence in the interview.

He discussed its implications for filmmaking, though specific details were not provided in the coverage. Variety reported that Waters shared thoughts on AI's role in creative industries. In the same conversation, Waters recounted seeing Donald Trump at Studio 54 in the past.

He described the encounter without providing further details on the context or date. This anecdote appeared alongside his Oscars comments. The interview occurred recently, with Variety publishing the details. Waters' proposal remains hypothetical, as no official response from the Academy has been reported.

The event ties into ongoing discussions about Oscars hosting and past controversies.

Story Timeline

4 events
  1. Recent interview

    John Waters stated desire to host Oscars and suggested Rock-Smith presentation.

    2 sourcesVariety · @Variety
  2. Recent interview

    Waters discussed AI implications for filmmaking.

    1 sourceVariety
  3. Past encounter

    Waters saw Donald Trump at Studio 54.

    1 sourceVariety
  4. March 27, 2022

    Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars ceremony.

    2 sourcesVariety · @Variety

Potential Impact

  1. 01

    Academy considers diverse hosting ideas for future ceremonies.

  2. 02

    Public discourse revives 2022 Oscars slap incident.

  3. 03

    Waters' AI comments influence indie filmmakers' views.

Transparency Panel

Sources cross-referenced2
Framing risk18/100 (low)
Confidence score74%
Synthesized bySubstrate AI (grok-4-fast-non-reasoning)
Word count238 words
PublishedApr 11, 2026, 4:29 PM
Bias signals removed2 across 1 outlet
Signal Breakdown
Editorializing 1Loaded 1

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