The majority of other media outlets received the broadcast more positively . Television critic Matthew Gilbert of the '' Boston Globe '' gave an average critique of the ceremony but praised Stewart writing that " It was good to see Jon Stewart being Jon Stewart . He is shaping up to be a dependable Oscar host for the post-Billy Crystal years . He 's not musical , but he 's versatile enough to swing smoothly between jokes about politics , Hollywood , new media , and , most importantly , hair . " '' Variety '' columnist Brian Lowry lauded Stewart 's performance noting that he " earned his keep by maintaining a playful , irreverent tone throughout the night , whether it was jesting about Cate Blanchett 's versatility or watching '' Lawrence of Arabia '' on an iPhone screen . " Frazier Moore from the Associated Press commended Stewart 's improvement from his first hosting stint commenting , " He proved equal to the challenge posed by Oscarcast 's quick turnaround . His crash-deadline material worked . And even when it did n't , he was genial , relaxed , and seemed utterly at home . " In addition , he quipped that although there was a lack of surprise amongst the winners , he marveled " The evening was plenty elegant . The stage setting was handsome . The orchestra sounded full and lush . Everyone behaved . " The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 32 million people over its length , which was a 21 % decrease from the previous year 's ceremony . An estimated 64 million total viewers watched all or part of the awards . The show also earned higher Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony with 18.7 % of households watching over a 29 share . In addition , it garnered a higher 18 – 49 demo rating with a 10.7 rating over a 26 share among viewers in that demographic . Many media outlets pointed out that the Writers Guild strike and the niche popularity amongst the field of major nominees contributed to the low ratings . It earned the lowest viewership for an Academy Award telecast since figures were compiled beginning with the 46th ceremony in 1974
previous year 's ceremony
79th Academy Awards
80th Academy Awards