Hosting the Oscars is a tough gig. Oscar Night is always the highest-rated non-sports TV event of the year, so people really notice when the host sucks. You have to dress up. You have to smile. You celebrate the stars, the movies, the ridiculousness of it all. You stay away from jokes about the show running long, those wacky technical categories or George Clooney's date. You let the moment happen. And it really helps if you aren't James Franco.

So here's a breakdown of the Oscar hosts of the past 25 years, ranked from worst to best. Some of these hosts hit historic highs. Others Franco'd. And one of them Uma-meet-Oprah'd. Nobody wants to see that again. So good luck Sunday night, Ellen. But you won't need it – you could sit on the stage and cry for four hours and you'll still be more fun than last year.

by ROB SHEFFIELD