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Rock, criticized for cracking wise that the Oscars are nothing but a "big fashion show" that's of no interest to straight black men such as himself, kept his tongue firmly planted in his cheek earlier this week while talking up his Oscar night duties to TV host Ellen DeGeneres.
"I'm doing it for the money," Rock declared with a grin, explaining that not only does he have kids to support, but a drug habit. "And the price of drugs keeps going up," he complained. "Tell President Bush."
Just in case Rock gets carried away – he has vowed not to – come Sunday night, ABC has a time delay in place to keep anything potentially offensive from being heard on the live Oscar broadcast, which officially begins inside Hollywood's Kodak Theatre at 8:30 p.m. ET.
In an attempt to give a younger look and feel to the marathon-length (and increasingly lower-rated) ceremony, producer Gil Cates is jazzing up this year's presentation and star roster.
Some winners will be announced with all the nominees standing on stage rather than stuck in their seats (the better to keep them from stalling the show by kissing their spouses and shaking their agents' hands). "The concept this year is to minimize the line between people on stage and in the audience," Cates says. Some winners will also be given their Oscar while they are still seated.
The traditional Oscar night set also has been tossed out, in favor of what has been described as a gondola hanging from the center of the ceiling of the Kodak that leads to the center of the stage. This was done, the show's director Louis J. Horvitz told the Los Angeles Times, to add new perspectives to the experience and "to make the viewers feel like they are really there."
Keeping the sound of the night fresh, pop diva Beyonce will sing three of the nominated songs: "Look to Your Path," from Les Choristes (The Chorus); "Learn to Be Lonely," from The Phantom of the Opera; and (with crooner Josh Groban) a duet of "Believe," from The Polar Express. The Counting Crows ("Accidentally in Love," from Shrek 2) and Carlos Santana and Enrique Iglesias ("Al Otro Lado del Rio," from The Motorcycle Diaries) will deliver other musical nominees.
Music figures P. Diddy and Prince were named as presenters late this week, joining a roster that already includes Kirsten Dunst, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron, Kate Winslet, Salma Hayek, Dustin Hoffman, Mike Myers, Sean Penn, Robin Williams, John Travolta and Tim Robbins.
Finally, as for the real reason behind the ceremony, besides the fashion show: The movies. The leading contenders – The Aviator, Million Dollar Baby and Sideways – are running neck and neck for the top honor. Only Jamie Foxx, as Best Actor in Ray, is considered a shoo-in in his category. For Best Actress, Million Dollar Baby's Hilary Swank is slightly favored over Being Julia's Annette Bening – in a repeat of their 1999 race (Swank won for Boys Don't Cry, while Bening was nominated for American Beauty).
Martin Scorsese's Aviator goes into the night with a leading 11 nominations, yet the big question isn't whether it will be named Best Picture (as it was by the Producers Guild and the British Film Academy), but whether Scorsese will finally take home his director's Oscar. His chances, however, seem diminished by his having lost the Directors Guild of America prize to Clint Eastwood, for Million Dollar Baby.
But, again, these are the 2005 Oscars. Anything is possible.
