Neil Patrick Harris Knows He Wasn't Great

Here's the good news: unless you hated Birdman, nothing particularly bad happened at this year's Oscars. Now, here's the bad news: unless you were Birdman, nothing particularly good happened, either. The 2015 Academy Awards was one of the most boring ceremonies in years, with predictable winners, forgettable skits, and speeches that went on forever. Not even a surprise appearance by Julie Andrews could save the night from being utterly snooze-worthy, and surprisingly, neither could a hosting gig by the King of All Awards Shows, Neil Patrick Harris. The comedian's job as host received lackluster reviews — and according to a tweet he posted Monday night, it seems Harris is very much aware of the negative reactions to his Oscar gig.

In the tweet, Harris wrote: "My iphone shattered the morning of the Oscars. I probably should have read more into that. #harbinger." While it's good to see that he has a sense of humor about the ordeal (both the show and the phone — R.I.P.), it makes me sad to think that the always happy Neil Patrick Harris has been reading such negative comments about his performance as host. Let's face it, a sad NPH is bad for the world; the guy needs to cheer up, and he needs to do it fast. Hopefully, remembering these five good Oscar moments from the host should do the trick:

The Opening Line

"Tonight we honor Hollywood's best and whitest — sorry, brightest." Yes, it was controversial, and rightfully so, but there's no denying it got one of the biggest laughs of the night.

That Incredible Song

"Moving Pictures," an insanely complex song-and-dance number featuring witty lyrics, movie shout-outs, and celebrity cameos, was the high point of the entire night. It reminded audiences just how good an entertainer Harris is, and why he was chosen as host in the first place. The rest of the show wasn't nearly as enjoyable, but with an opener like that, how could it be?

The Birdman Spoof

It was genuinely funny when Harris was shown spoofing the Birdman scene when Michael Keaton runs through the streets in only his underwear, due in part to Whiplash star Miles Teller playing the drums and getting told by the host, "not my tempo." The best part of the skit, though, came at the end, when there was...

That Time He Stood In His Underwear

Was it self-indulgent and silly? Sure. Did I mind seeing Neil Patrick Harris stand on stage in his underwear? Not at all.

The Beginning of The Box Joke

The recurring joke about having Octavia Spencer watch a box filled with predictions the whole night fell flat, but at the beginning, it had so much potential! Theories about what the punchline of the joke would be — the box would have disappeared? Gwyneth Paltrow's head would be in it? — ran rampant, and for a brief, wonderful moment, it seemed that the lamest joke of the night could actually turn out to be the funniest.

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