How Did Neil Patrick Harris Predict The Oscars? - 5 Possible Solutions To His Magic Trick

2. The Show Was Bad As A Diversion Tactic

The Oscar hosting gig isn't really a fair one. It's a great endorsement of the entertainer in question, but there's no way they'll ever actually live up to expectations - the show is too long and the chances to shine so few that they spend half the show stood in the wings. Ellen's stint last year is well-regarded, but mainly because that selfie distracted from all of her um-ing and ah-ing. Neil Patrick Harris was a very popular choice when he was announced, loved for his funny/psychotic creeps in How I Met Your Mother and Gone Girl respectively, and a proven awards show host after multiple success with the Tonys. So when Twitter had turned on him less than halfway through the ceremony, the overwhelming emotion was disappointment. The opening Moving Pictures number was incredible, but he did certainly fail to wow as the show ran on (although anyone who doesn't appreciate the cheeky delivery of "with a spoon" clearly doesn't "get" Dad humour). But, what if that was all part of a bigger trick? As any film fan will know from The Prestige, the main part of a magic act isn't the tricks themselves, but the showmanship, distracting the audience and leading their minds down completely the wrong direction. And there's few bigger misdirections than bungling the Oscars. What if Neil Patrick Harris died on stage just like Angier literally died - all to aid the career defining ruse. OK, so it doesn't explain how he did it, but does make the trick (and the show in general) a little bit smarter.