1. They don't really appeal to a younger audience.
Wouldn't the Academy awards like to bring in some younger viewers? Yes, Baldwin just won two Emmys, but 30 Rock isn't exactly the highest-rated show among 18- to 49-year-olds, and his Jack Donaghy character is the stuffiest of the bunch. And Steve Martin, when he's not writing novels and making Cheaper by the Dozen movies, plays the banjo, which could make for a real turn-off of an opening song. Experience is great, but how about a younger showman like Justin Timberlake? The tweens would tune in for that, right?

2. There's no variety!
The ages of Martin and Baldwin (64 and 51, respectively) wouldn't be such a big deal if just one of them wasn't a white male. Why not pair one of them with a younger black comedian, or a lady, for Pete's sake? It's not like they're an established comedy duo or anything (although both have repeatedly hosted Saturday Night Live, below); pair Baldwin with the irreverent Tracy Morgan to make a 30 Rock pairing, or Martin with the show's Emmy-nominated Jane Krakowski for an egotistical, Jenna-style self-promotion-fest.

3. Steve Martin is better when he's extensively scripted.
Martin has been doing comedy in nearly all of its forms -- stand-up, music, sketch, short stories, novels, movies -- for decades, but his comedy strength is in his precisely scripted, plotted, choreographed and composed work, like the SNL sketch below. Alec Baldwin gets off some zingers in interviews, but why not get someone who does interviews for a living? Jon Stewart has hosted before, but Stephen Colbert is hysterical when gabbing with his guests, and his conservative, liberal-Hollywood-hating persona would make for some great commentary.

4. The movie they're promoting will be long gone by Oscar time.
Yes, the two play rivals for Meryl Streep's affection in It's Complicated, which comes out on December 25th, but by the time the ceremony airs on March 7, it'll likely be out of most theaters, unless it somehow becomes a big hit, in which case it won't need the promotion. (See the trailer below to decide for yourself.) And if this is an attempt to promote the movie in advance of its release, then it's a little early -- nobody will be talking about these two seven weeks from now.

What do you think? Will Baldwin and Martin hosting make you more or less likely to watch the Oscars?