Billy Crystal to host Academy Awards

Billy Crystal is hosting the Oscars in place of Eddie Murphy who abruptly resigned.

Crystal just tweeted: "Am doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions. Looking forward to the show.

Murphy stepped down following pal Brett Ratner's decision to leave the show as producer because of an uproar over a gay slur.

The news of Murphy's departure came Wednesday, a day after Ratner quit as producer of the Feb. 26 show.

Ratner left amid criticism of his use of a pejorative term for gay men in a question-and-answer session at a screening of his action comedy "Tower Heist," which opened last weekend and stars Murphy and Ben Stiller.

The Associated Press contributed to this report