After last year’s ceremony went just fine without an officially designated host, the academy announced it was forgoing an M.C. this year as well. And yet the 2020 Oscars got off to a decidedly traditional start when, after Janelle Monáe’s musical opening number, Chris Rock and Steve Martin — two comedians who have each separately hosted the ceremony before — took to the stage and traded one-liners. They gave shout-outs to several nominees, made jokes about current events and punched at the lack of representation for people of color.

Among their best lines:

MARTIN A couple of years ago, there was a big disaster here at the Oscars where they accidentally read out the wrong name, and it was nobody’s fault, but they have guaranteed that this will not happen this year, because the academy has switched to the new Iowa caucus app.

ROCK Marty Scorsese. Marty, I got to tell you, I loved the first season of “The Irishman.”

MARTIN Chris, think how much the Oscars have changed in the past 92 years. … In 1929, there were no black acting nominees.