Within 24 hours of bearing the good news of his appointment as host of the 2019 Academy Awards in February, homophobic from yesteryear have begun to surface online, forcing Hart and his team into a frantic backpedaling motion. The scrutiny is mostly centered around Kevin Hart's use of the word "f*G" in several instances dating back to 2009-2011, several of which have been grouped together by media types like Adam B. Vary of BuzzFeed. To remain anonymous in this era is to lead the life of an earthworm.
The spotlight on Kevin Hart's homophobic tweets coincides with the Academy's short list of works by queer auteurs on and around the subject of LGBTQ affairs: films like Boy Erased, and Bohemian Rhapsody. Lady Gaga, who on some level speaks to many in the LGBTQ community, is strongly considered a frontrunner for the Best Actress category in 2019. With that said, there's a strong chance Kevin Hart could become the center of negative attention should the issue of queer politics come into play during keynote speeches.
Hart was recently the subject of an Internet roasting for defending a homophobic joke made by one of his comic-peers in 2010, had to defend his wife against an onslaught of zealous tweeters condemning their "Cowboys and Indians" costume party during Thanksgiving weekend. It is far too soon to predict how this Twitter scandal will play out. Keep it locked.
