Brett Ratner and Eddie Murphy quit Oscars: The Internet reacts

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Things have been happening fast in the Brett Ratner debacle. The ‘Tower Heist’ director was out of the Oscars producing job less than four days after his anti-gay slur and one day after his vulgar Howard Stern interview, and now Eddie Murphy has quit his hosting gig. Just as fast, if not faster, are the bloggers of the Internet, ready with responses. Here’s a roundup of online reactions to Ratner’s decision to step down and who his replacement should be.

‘I had the pleasure of moderating a panel with Ratner for this year’s TCM Classic Movie Film Festival in April and found him exceptionally bright, informed, and savvy. I think this real movie fan would have produced a great show. I know he had great ideas for it. Despite his terrible judgment and stupid actions this week, I am sorry we won’t get the chance to see what he might have done.’ -– Pete Hammond, Deadline

‘’Rush Hour’ director and physical embodiment of everything Axe body spray stands for Brett Ratner has quit his gig producing the Oscars under heavy pressure from the Academy. Hooray! Unfortunately, the Oscars will still suck.’ -– Max Read, Gawker

‘[Ratner resigned] because of Hollywood’s predictably typical PC ... . Brett Ratner is a [jerk] and a terrible director but ... this is stupid. He obviously wasn’t saying anything homophobic.’ -– gossip blog What Would Tyler Durden Do?

‘For the Academy, the incident brings it to an important crossroads in which it must decide which is more important: its self-styled image as defender of noble progressive ideals or its desire to seem with it, au courant, and glamorous, things that to much of the Hollywood establishment, perhaps inexplicably, Ratner and his coterie represent. It is a brutal choice for the Academy to make.’ –- Richard Rushfield, The Daily Beast

‘The question is whether AMPAS will hire someone to lure the young-demo viewers –- clearly a hope when they’d named Ratner –- or whether they will go with a safer choice. The clock is ticking as the kudocast’s Feb. 26 airdate draws near. … In truth, the field of prospective candidates is limited, and it’s relatively late in the game to throw a total newcomer into the mix.’ -– Christy Grosz, Variety

‘Do the Oscars need to replace Brett Ratner? ... [Don] Mischer, a 13-time Emmy winner, is Hollywood’s go-to guy for producing live awards telecasts. ... And he’s hardly doing the job alone: Michael Seligman signed on this fall as a supervising producer for the 2012 Oscars, due in no small part to his decades of live broadcast experience, including seven previous Oscar telecasts. In short: The Academy won’t find two producers who are more prepared to make a relevant and watchable telecast for February. And yet, the search has resumed to find another high-profile director or producer to replace Ratner..’ -– Lynette Rice, Entertainment Weekly

‘You know, the Academy doesn’t have to look far for Brett’s replacement. They just have to tilt their heads and look up a few branches above Brett on his family tree and they’ll find his gorgeously perfect grandmother Fanita. Fanita is the real star of that family. The Oscars should just be 10 hours of Fanita glimmering at the camera while throwing statues at the winners’ heads.’ -– Michael K, celebrity blog Dlisted

‘There is only one call the Oscars need to make, and it’s to Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Best Oscars ever. You’re welcome, Hollywood.’ – Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay on Twitter

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–- Emily Rome