Jimmy Kimmel took to the stage to host the Academy Awards for the fourth time on Sunday, March 10, 2024. The late-night host got here prepped with a number of zingers. From tasteless commentary to crazy wordplay, a few of the jokes landed, whereas others left us cringing from our couches. So, let’s evaluate the 13+-minute monologue and recount the place he went proper…and the place he went irredeemably fallacious.
Finest: ‘Barbie’ jokes
When Jimmy Kimmel famous Greta Gerwig’s snub for a Finest Director nomination, explaining that many felt she was greater than deserving for remodeling the dated doll right into a feminist icon, the viewers clapped with vigor. Nonetheless, clapping away was the very viewers that didn’t vote for her, and Kimmel referred to as them out on it. It was a intelligent strategy to get in any respect the pretense and considerably feigned common idolization that may encompass the award ceremony (regardless of what goes on when the ballots are despatched out), and it additionally acknowledged the heated discourse surrounding the film and the Oscars, making it an ultra-relevant punch. He later fawned over how stunning Ryan Gosling is, which anybody with working eyes can acknowledge, earlier than noting that the 2 of them ought to go tenting and never inform their wives with a really Brokeback Mountain agenda. It was a cute and easy quip.
Worst: Robert Downey Jr. jokes
What number of occasions do now we have to deliver up Downey’s previous drug points? It’s each not humorous and an affordable avenue to discover relating to the Iron Man star. In spite of everything these years, you’ve bought nothing else to put in writing a joke about? Kimmel famous that this nomination was the “highest” level in Downey’s profession earlier than correcting himself, saying “Properly, one of many highest factors,” which garnered each groans and laughs, however he didn’t cease there! When Robert touched his nostril to point “too on the nostril,” Kimmel requested, “Was that too on the nostril, or is {that a} drug movement you made?” Downey even ultimately motioned Kimmel to maneuver on, as he appeared to get caught on the nominee, spending means an excessive amount of time attacking his previous when there have been others to choose on. It’s merely in poor style and part of Downey’s previous that shouldn’t creep in each time he’s experiencing triumph for his profession accomplishments.
The explanation why persons are up in arms about Jimmy Kimmel’s “jokes” about Robert Downey Jr., is an easy cause actually. He is simply not humorous.
The one cause he is nonetheless a late night time host and will get these gigs is as a result of he is a keen puppet. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/qaR9kLjGyb
— The Nu Geekz (@TheNuGeekz) March 11, 2024
Finest: The “dad” jokes
Who doesn’t love a very good dad joke? On the finish of the day, they might be tremendous tacky and a bit simplistic, however they’re additionally unequivocally harmless and boast a common enchantment. Kimmel made two of those playfully-spirited, wordplay-based jokes — the primary one concerned Cillian Murphy and the latter concerned Yorgos Lanthimos and Yorgos Mavropsaridis. He famous that when Cillian performs a dramatic half, his identify is pronounced “kill-ee-in,” however when he takes on comedy, it’s “silly-Ann.” He later defined that two males by the identify of Yorgos have been nominated, noting that “Yor-gos is pretty much as good as mine” as as to whether each would win. Eye-roll worthy? Sure. Smirk-inducing? Additionally sure.
Worst: Christopher Nolan porn jokes
We’re making jokes about drug dependancy and porn dependancy? Who greenlit these gutter feedback? Kimmel defined that Christopher Nolan could be very indifferent from the digital world — he doesn’t have a smartphone or use e-mail and writes his scripts on a pc with out an web connection. Kimmel went on to justify this alternative saying Nolan’s mentality is, “I can’t permit my porn dependancy to get in the best way of my work.” The joke felt lazy and uninspired as if there was no higher strategy to incorporate the profitable director behind The Darkish Knight, Tenet, Interstellar, and Dunkirk. There are such a lot of motion pictures to reference and so many jokes across the twist-turny worlds he develops…in addition to the bloated runtimes that are likely to outline his manufacturing.
Finest: Jodie Foster and Robert DeNiro zinger
Kimmel shared, “48 years in the past, Robert DeNiro and Jodie Foster have been nominated for Taxi Driver they usually’re each nominated tonight….In 1976, Jodie Foster was younger sufficient to be Robert DeNiro’s daughter. Now, she’s 20 years too previous to be his girlfriend.” Contemplating DeNiro is relationship Tiffany Chen — a lady who’s 35 years youthful than he’s — this remark is on the nostril. The joke will get even higher when the digital camera pans to Foster who’s smiling and nodding away with fervor in concurrence. The digital camera additionally reveals DeNiro laughing, revealing that the joke went properly over swimmingly for these concerned. It’s additionally a dig at an trade that lets males develop distinguished and date ladies half their age whereas ladies develop too previous to play main women and obtain condemnation when relationship youthful males.