Like a teenager with a cell phone at the dinner table, James Franco seemed like he had somewhere else to be at last night's Academy Awards. Franco was either bored by the hosting gig or flat out didn't want to be there.
But could it be that simple? The dude's a trained, Oscar-nominated actor. Certainly he could at least pretend to be interested. Here are some other theories on Franco's gold-plated botch job gleaned from speculators around the web:
He was tired
"He also seemed ready to nod off--a perfect reaction to this awards show." --Orlando Sentinel
He engaged in the marijuana arts
"Franco's particularly mellow performance had many backstage wondering if he was a) high, b) just didn't want to be there, or c) both." --Fox News
He was being operated by Anne Hathaway
"So we'll put it this way: The entire production--usually our favorite awards show of the year, FYI--was a mess, from the well-meaning but manic Anne Hathaway and her ventriloquist's dummy, James Franco..." -- E! Online
He forgot what event he was hosting
"Franco did just the opposite [of Anne Hathaway], seeming to withdraw into himself as the show went on, growing flatter and more monotone until, by the end, he might have been reluctantly emceeing a distant cousin's bat mitzvah." --Slate
He had homework to do
"James ended up ditching his own Oscar after party after he bombed on stage last night...Immediately after the show he boarded a plane to NYC and left a twitter message that read, 'Goodbye L.A. It was fun! Time to head back to class.'" -- Hollywood Scoop
He fell into a hole
"This year, the Oscars hit a new low. Like it fell into a hole." -- The Hollywood Reporter