For the first time in its brief history, mtvU’s Woodie Awards — MTV’s college music station’s awards show — will have a host. And that inaugural host, appropriately, will be Donald Glover, the Community co-star/stand-up comedian/part-time musician/aspiring Spider-Man. The details: The Woodies will go down March 16, airing live at midnight on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU from Austin’s South by Southwest, with performances from Wiz Khalifa, Sleigh Bells, Odd Future, and Two Door Cinema Club, plus not-yet-announced presenters. Along with announcing his hosting gig, Vulture got Glover to briefly fill us in on what else can be expected from the potentially tumultuous event.
How did you get involved with the show?
[Long pause.] I used to date Carson Daly. He kind of owed me one; he broke my heart. No, I don’t know how I got involved. They contacted me, and when I heard about all the people who were going to be involved I was into it. I’ve never been to South by Southwest, and what better way to experience it other than hosting a giant award show live? Also I was like, “I won’t have to pay for a hotel and flight? Cool.”
Having it start at midnight — is that a good idea?
I think I’m a little [more] surprised that they’re putting Odd Future Wolf Gang on at a live event. They’re probably going to kill a dog onstage. If people were grossed out by Snooki getting punched in the face, I wouldn’t put it past Odd Future to hire her to do it again. And there’s gonna be kegs all over the stage. Everyone’s gonna be drunk! I really don’t know what they’re thinking. But it’s their network; they get to do whatever they want. And if they want me to be part of that mess …
Did you go back and study old award ceremonies as preparation?
I did, actually. I think the whole mission statement for this is to make it like the old VMAs, where the Beastie Boys would come on drunk, Cyndi Lauder would be stumbling onstage, things would fuck up. The mission statement for this would be to make it as fun. It’s gonna be a big college party. I think that all the cool bands will be there [already for SXSW], the Woodies will kind of be an afterthought. You already listen to cool live bands and drink as much as you can.
Do you have a team of writers that you’re writing jokes with ahead of time?
I’m keeping a dream journal. Any weird dream I have I’m like, “Okay, MTV should pay for that … ” Nah, I just want to keep it kind of loose. It’s live, I don’t think there’s a ton of stuff; people are gonna want to see the bands. I’m gonna get the Derrick guys to help me out and bring back some of the old flavor from when we were in college. Like, “People are giving us money to fuck shit up. Let’s do it.”
So what level of intoxication are you aiming for personally?
I guess, let me answer your question with another question — have you read my tweets? They’re always drunk tweets. I will definitely be drunk. That’s the only way to do it. I don’t want to be the square at the party: “Okay, right, okay, Wiz Khalifa, you can’t do that.” No, wreck my parents’ house, please.
What did you think of James Franco and Anne Hathaway’s hosting performances?
I mean, it was pretty funny to watch somebody as high as Franco. Was he not? Was he not high? Can you watch and be like, “That dude was totally sober!” When they called his name out he literally gave the thumbs-up. It was like an Abbott and Costello thing where he was playing it real cool, and she was keeping it together. I love Franco. I think he’s the smoothest dude ever … And if I’m not high [at the Woodies], it’ll be a problem. I think that’s condoned.
