- Jimmy Kimmel hosted his fourth Oscar ceremony on Sunday.
- In his opening monologue, the late-night host disparaged Barbie director Greta Gerwig.
- Kimmel also said that “Barbie” stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling won the “genetic lottery.”
Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted the 96th Academy Awards for the fourth time, criticized Barbie director Greta Gerwig's snub in his opening monologue.
The 2024 Oscars ceremony was held Sunday at Ovation Hollywood's Dolby Theater. Kimmel, who previously hosted the prestigious event in 2017, 2018 and 2023, was the first to present the story of “Barbie,” in which Margot Robbie's titular doll tearfully tells the elderly woman next to her that she is beautiful. He opened the show by inserting himself into the scene. Kimmel then took to the stage to Dua Lipa's “Dance the Night,” from the “Barbie” soundtrack.
“Thank you for the partial standing ovation,” he joked, and promised that despite starting an hour earlier this year, the show would still end “very, very late.”
Kimmel later called Barbie, which received eight Oscar nominations, “the biggest movie of the year,” and lamented the fact that Gerwig was not nominated for Best Director.
“I know you're clapping, but by the way, you guys didn't vote for her. Please don't act like you had nothing to do with this,” he said, adding that among attendees An awkward moment arose. .
After the uncomfortable moment, he singled out Robbie and Ryan Gosling, who are nominated for Best Actress and Best Actor.
“Even if neither of us wins an Oscar tonight, we have both already won something much more important: the genetic lottery,” he told his co-stars.
Kimmel went a step further and referenced the 2005 film “Brokeback Mountain.”
“Ryan, you're so hot. Let's go camping together without telling my wives,” he said, and Gosling, who is currently dating Eva Mendes, smiled sheepishly.
Kimmel's monologue also included a joke aimed at the cast of Christopher Nolan's “Oppenheimer,” which received the most nominations this year.
“This is the high point, well, one of the high points, of RDJ's long and illustrious career,” Kimmel said of Robert Downey Jr., alluding to the Marvel star's struggle with drug addiction.
Downey Jr. took the joke in stride, tapping his nose. But Kimmel didn't stop there.
“Look at this guy,” Kimmel said. “He's a very handsome, very talented guy. He's won every award there is to win. Is it an acceptance speech in your pocket, or do you just have a very rectangular penis?” Are you just there?”
Elsewhere in Kimmel's monologue, he gave a shout-out to Messi, the dog who plays Snoop in the Oscar-winning Anatomy of Fall. He also criticized the long running times of recent films such as Killers of the Flower Moon, and said that Maestro star Bradley Cooper frequently takes his mother as his date to awards shows. joked about bringing in Gloria Campano.
Kimmel also snuck in a mild political jab, referencing Sen. Katie Britt's reaction to the president. Joe Biden's State of the Union Address.
The late-night star ended his monologue with sincere words, reflecting on the actors and writers' strikes and emphasizing that Los Angeles is a union town, even though it's full of neopo babies.
Ahead of the ceremony, Kimmel explained that a big factor in agreeing to hold the Oscars again was the popularity and pop culture impact of this season's nominated films, including “Oppenheimer'' and “Barbie.''
“A big reason I decided to host this show this year is because I know there are movies that people have actually seen, and that makes it easier to tell jokes,” Kimmel said in a recent interview. He spoke at Good morning America. ”
Kimmel told The Hollywood Reporter that his goal is not to offend people with mean jokes, but he knows he can't please everyone with his humor.
“I'm not interested in hurting anyone's feelings, but sometimes some people are more sensitive than others and you have to accept that,” he said. “You can't build a monologue around it. And I don't mean to say anything mean, but not everyone likes every joke.”
