Jimmy Kimmel to host 2014 Oscars, according to idle speculation from anonymous sources

It’s only been a few weeks since the Oscars either bored or outraged nearly everyone on the Internet—leading host Seth MacFarlane to swear off ever taking the job again—but it’s never too early to speculate over who will host the show next year, right? We’ll take your silence to mean “yes,” and report that Bill Zwecker, the gossip columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, says that “everyone” wants Jimmy Kimmel, the newly minted anchor of ABC’s late-night schedule, to host the 2014 Academy Awards. And by “everyone,” he means the two anonymous Academy members he’s quoted as saying so. The money quote:

“I’ve never seen such a broad-based groundswell for a potential host or hostess before,” said a veteran Hollywood player and Academy member. “Everyone wants Jimmy to host the awards. The stars all love him. He’s comfortable around them and also has that history of hosting the post-Oscars special.”

All joking aside, a Kimmel hosting gig at least seems plausible: As Zwecker notes, Kimmel has emceed the American Music Awards five times, co-hosted the ESPYs, and hosted the Primetime Emmys, and the new time slot has given him profile. He stands to benefit from the exposure, provided that he doesn’t mind the critical shitstorm that every host not named Hugh Jackman has weathered over the last decade or so. Then again, his idol David Letterman has turned his own disastrous (and totally underrated) Oscar performance into 18 years of prime joke fodder. If it happens, forget Ben Affleck—it’ll be Matt Damon’s time to shine.