The 96th Academy Award took place on March 10th, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The ceremony presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honors movies released in 2023 under 23 categories. Comedian-host Jimmy Kimmel returned as the host of the ceremony for the fourth time. Kimmel hosted the ceremony in 2017, 2018, and 2023, respectively.
Actors Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills announced the nominations for Academy Awards 2024 in January 2024. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer tops the list by securing 13 nominations under its name. Jimmy Kimmel took the opportunity to have the center stage and decided to poke fun at various Hollywood topics, including Greta Gerwig’s Barbie being snubbed at the Academy Awards, which did not impress the fans.
Jimmy Kimmel pokes fun at several Hollywood trends at Oscars 2024
Comedian-host Jimmy Kimmel returned to host the 96th Academy Awards and started by congratulating the audience for making it on time. He added that the ceremony is starting an hour early this year, but it will go very late as they are already five minutes late. The host took the chance to poke fun at the recently released Madame Web stating;
“It was also a great year for movies, despite the fact that everything stopped. The people in this room somehow managed to come up with so many excellent movies and memorable performances. The night is full of enormous talent and untold potential, but so was Madame Web.”
Kimmel decided to address and poke fun at one of the biggest snubs at Oscars 2024; Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s Barbie being left out from major categories. He said that he’s heard that many people believed that the movie deserved to be nominated for the best director, especially after being dubbed as a feminist icon. Kimmel noted via Variety,
“I know you’re clapping, but you’re the ones who didn’t vote for her, by the way. Don’t act like you had nothing to do with this.”
Robert Downey Jr. who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Oppenheimer was also someone Kimmel decided to take a jab at pointing at his ‘substance abuse’ journey. He said that the actor is at one of the highest points of his career with the camera showcasing Downey Jr. tapping his nose in recognition, to which Kimmel commented,
“Was that too on the nose or a drug motion you made? Look at him, he’s so handsome, so talented, he’s won every award there is to win. Is that an acceptance speech in your pocket or do you just have a very rectangular p**is?”
Kimmel went ahead to make some jokes at Poor Things starring Emma Stone, which is also one of the most nominated movies at the awards in addition to addressing the WGA & SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Fans left unimpressed with Jimmy Kimmel’s flat-jokes at Oscars 2024
Despite returning to host the ceremony for the fourth time, the comedian-host did not manage to impress the audience with his jokes. Fans took the opportunity to share their views online with live tweeting about how it’s just bad.
A user shared that they wish that they could just take away the pen of the one writing Jimmy Kimmel’s stuff with another, adding, ‘That was awful. He should thank the laugh track engineer.’ Fans questioned about the fact that why was he hired again to host the ceremony calling his jokes ‘cringe’.
He was awful
— LE6 (@LE665058243) March 10, 2024
That was awful . He should thank the laugh track engineer
— RomEmpire (@rom_empire) March 10, 2024
Y do they hire Jimmy Kimmel every year lol
— 🍇🍉🥝🔴⚪⚽️🦇🍁✌😷 (@chandshru09) March 10, 2024
An X user noted, ‘this is more cringe than [David] Letterman’s hosting job’, with another tweeted ‘Jimmy is not funny’, with another noting ‘that speech was awkward as hell. RDJ’s drug past as a gag has been used to death at this point.’ Another user wrote that they muted the monologue after that RDJ’s ‘joke’.
This is more cringe than Letterman’s hosting job
— TedTalks (@ProfRossier) March 11, 2024
It’s sooo dry
— Ry (@Ry3337137144575) March 10, 2024
That speech was awkward as hell. RDJ's drug past as a gag has been used to death at this point.
— Jerome (@JeromebIXIII) March 10, 2024
Kimmel’s hosting of the ceremony already drew a lot of criticism with fans asking why he was brought back as the host pointing out that he is not funny. The comedian-host’s monologue did not leave the fans impressed as they pointed out that his jokes were flat, adding that it’s horrifying to watch.
Oscars 2024 is streaming live on ABC.
