Returning for his fourth stint as host, Jimmy ‘safe pair of hands’ Kimmel delivered some strong one-liners in his opening monologue and throughout the 2024 Academy Awards ceremony, held last night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Referencing the strikes, he said: “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 films and memorable performances. This night is full of enormous talent, and untold potential, but so was Madame Web.”
Poking fun at Republican senator Katie Britt’s much ridiculed response to Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech (filmed in her kitchen), the host said: “In Poor Things Emma Stone played an adult woman with the brain of a child – like the woman who gave the state of the union rebuttal.”
Discussing Barbie’s ‘snubs’, he said: “Now Barbie is a feminist icon, thanks to Greta Gerwig, who many believed deserved to nominated for best director tonight. Hold on a second. 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.”
Pointing to Robert Downey Jr. in the audience (who would go on to win best supporting actor): “This is the highest point of Robert Downey Jr.’s career… well one of the highest points. Was that too on the nose?”
Finally, filling time at the end of the show, Kimmel read out a bad review of the ceremony from Donald Trump, who posted on Truth Social: “Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars?”… adding: “Also a really bad politically correct show tonight, and for years – Disjointed, boring, and very unfair.” Kimmel replied: “Thank you, President Trump. Thank you for watching, I’m surprised you’re still — isn’t it past your jail time?”
‘I’m just Ken’
Ryan Gosling stole the show with a heartfelt rendition of ‘I’m just Ken’ from Barbie (which went on to miss out in the original song category at the expense of another Barbie tune, ‘What Was I Made For?’ by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell).
Gosling started out singing in the audience, before he was joined on stage by the song’s co-writer and producer Mark Ronson, many of the Ken actors from the film, and eventually Slash from Guns N’ Roses, whilst Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie and Emma Stone sung along. Collecting her Oscar later on in the night, Stone said she ripped her dress during the performance.
Another fun moment was a skit celebrating the 50th anniversary of the man who famously streaked on stage whilst David Niven was hosting (who quipped “Isn’t it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?”).
It involved John Cena stripping off to present an award, but changing his mind before coming on stage. “The male body is not a joke!”, he said.
Finally, Al Pacino seemed to go off script when presenting the best picture award. He jumped the gun by announcing Oppenheimer as best film before listing the other nominees.
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