When schlockmeister Brett Ratner was named director of the Oscars, we groaned. When he named Eddie Murphy host, we groaned again. Now he's hired all new writers to help with him with the show. We can't stop groaning.

James Franco tweeted—then deleted—a dig at Oscars joke writer Bruce Vilanch today. The tweet carried a link to James' WhoSay account, where he had posted an image responding to Villanch badmouthing him to New York magazine's Vulture blog. Villanch said James was unprepared for the Oscars ("he has so many balls in the air, he didn't get to town till Thursday before the show on Sunday"), and lacked the raw ability to pull it off: