Earlier today we delivered the unfortunate news that Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller would not be hosting the Oscars, though we were happy to see that producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman were skewing in a younger direction. Well, it looks as though that idea didn't pan out as Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, according to Variety, are the official co-hosts of the 82nd Academy Awards. While the previous sentence may read as me being disappointed, it is not because of the selections, as I am a weekly 30 Rock viewer and I pine for The Jerk when I hear about The Pink Panther or Cheaper by the Dozen. Instead, it is more about change.

In 2007, we watched, or rather didn't, as the Oscars fell to an all-time low in ratings. The following year, however, with the use of a dramatic actor and a musical vibe, the ratings spiked despite a less-than-stellar group of movies and the snub of The Dark Knight for best picture. Then, earlier this year, reports surfaced that the best picture category would be doubling to ten films, allowing commercially successful films space amongst the independent pictures (though we all know they don't stand a chance). From there, it would have only taken a fresh face to wrap the whole thing in a bow. Instead, we get two 50+ actors, one of whom has already hosted twice this decade.

Though it goes against the Hollywood motif, change would be, and has been, good for the Oscars. Because of my vested interest in the subject, it would be hard for me to not watch (though that could become easier with a Christoph Waltz snub), but if the Academy wants to attract some new blood, they need to mix it up. After all, Einstein defines insanity as "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."