On March 27 , 1995 , Letterman acted as the host for the 67th Academy Awards ceremony . Critics blasted Letterman for what they deemed a poor hosting of the Oscars , noting that his irreverent style undermined the traditional importance and glamor of the event . In a joke about their unusual names ( inspired by a celebrated comic essay in '' The New Yorker '' , " Yma Dream " by Thomas Meehan ) , he started off by introducing Uma Thurman to Oprah Winfrey , and then both of them to Keanu Reeves : " Oprah ... Uma . Uma ... Oprah , " " Have you kids met Keanu ? " This and many of his other jokes fell flat . Although Letterman attracted the highest ratings to the annual telecast since 1983 , many felt that the bad publicity garnered by Letterman 's hosting caused a decline in the '' Late Show '' 's ratings
67th Academy Awards
67th Academy Awards
David Letterman