Yea, not sure how the Gamemaster is the least necessary part considering since they are kinda creating the story the players are RPing in.... But remember this, no one however is more important or less important. Players and the Hosts are equal, without one another, neither can exist, there for there is no such thing as a least important role in RPing. The Host is just as important to the RP as his players are. The Host creates the World and keeps all running smoothly for his players to enjoy themselves and have some entertainment. The Players are our life's blood, make our worlds worth creating and making for them. For Players this is the same of the host. He gives them a place to actualize their characters, a playground to explore from a different point of view. To say Hosts are less important than the Players, or that the Players are less important then the host cheapens what RPing really means and stands for. RPing is about the community and the Comradery, not about who is more important to a story or an RP. We all have our roles, and they work together in harmony to create beautiful stories and Epics we couldn't dream on doing ourselves. To say any of us are unimportant cheapens us all. One does not say a Worker Bee is less important to the hive than a Queen, they both thrive together and without the other, neither would have any reason to exist.
And even if that was a joke, I take this very seriously. It is not a joke to me. That calls out the very essence of RPing when it was never about that, and it is a disservice to us all. I strive to have anyone in this community believe and understand that we are all important and all equals no matter what, and saying such undermines my work.