Campaign for Muppets to Host Oscars Goes Viral, Batali’s Hitler Remarks Lead to Banker Boycott

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Eddie Murphy is out as the host for the 2012 Academy Awards, and Miss Piggy and her long-time beau Kermit the Frog are in? Well, that's what some people are hoping. Murphy, a legendary comedian, was named as host of the 84th Annual Academy Awards in early September. However, news broke Wednesday that Murphy had stepped down from his duties as a first-time host. His announcement came just one day after his friend and former Oscar's producer Brett Ratner resigned after making controversial remarks on "The Howard Stern Show." Almost immediately after news of Murphy's resignation became public, eight-time host "Billy Crystal" began trending on Twitter. Crystal is also the top choice in Yahoo!'s informal online poll. However Crystal is not the only name being thrown in the hat. Other famous names being suggested are Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Steve Martin, and Will Ferrell. But when it comes to social media, you've got to expect people to also throw in some unconventional options. Stephen Colbert, Tracy Morgan, the cast of "Glee," and even the Muppets are being suggested as possible fill-ins. So far, the Muppets are among the most popular contenders, with a Facebook group campaigning for them to host gaining more than 12,000 "likes" and counting. This popularity has also spilled over to Twitter, prompting the Twitter handle @MuppetOscars. If you have a host in mind, let the academy know. Go to oscars.org to send in your suggestions. We want to hear from you, too. Let us know who you think should host the show by visiting our Facebook page and on Twitter. The Oscars will air February 26, 2012.

Bankers are lashing out at famed chef Mario Batali by keeping their money out of his restaurants. The bankers are retaliating in response to Batali slamming the banking industry at Time Magazine's Person of the Year debate panel. Batali said, "The ways the bankers have kind of toppled the way money is distributed and taken most of it into their hands is as good as Stalin or Hitler and the evil guys." When bankers and financial workers heard about Batali's remarks, they expressed their outrage in social media. Many financial workers vowed to boycott Batali's famous New York City restaurants including Babbo, Lupa, and Del Posto. One banker said that UBS brokers were canceling their reservations en masse, and another said, "Good luck getting protesters at Zucotti Park to pay $100 for a plate of pasta." In response to the backlash, Batali said he was misquoted by a Forbes article. After the transcript of the Time event was released Batali tweeted, "It was never my intention to equate our banking industry with Hitler and Stalin, two of the most evil, brutal dictators in modern history."