WILL ACADEMY FIRE OSCAR CO-PRODUCER BRETT RATNER? (Updated)

UPDATE: Late today (Tuesday) Ratner resigned as co-producer of the Oscar telecast. After apologizing (a second time) for his offending remark about gays, Ratner said: “As difficult as the last few days have been for me, they cannot compare to the experience of any young man or woman who has been the target of offensive slurs or derogatory comments. … So many artists and craftspeople in our business are members of the LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual] community, and it pains me deeply that I may have hurt them. I should have known this all along, but at least I know it now: words do matter.” His statement made no reference to his imprudent remarks on the Howard Stern radio show.

EARLIER: Try as it might to keep the Oscars a refined and dignified affair, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the very name spells class) continues to see things get out of hand. What better example than that streaker who ran past the very classy David Niven during the 1974 Oscars? Now, it has been embarrassed not once but twice by the current co-producer of next year’s Oscar show, Brett Ratner, who, when asked during a Q&A following a screening of Tower Heist, which he directed, about how he rehearsed the actors, replied, “What’s that? Rehearsal’s for fags.” He later apologized and received the forgiveness of the Academy, whose president, Tom Sherak, remarked, “We think Brett’s apology was sincere and showed that he understood how insensitive he had been.” But Ratner later went on Howard Stern’s satellite radio show and proceeded to engage in a conversation about his sex life that could not be published in most newspapers. The Academy has thus far not commented on Ratner’s remarks to Stern.