Silke Jasso
Well yes, did we expect anything else? Of course, the Will Smith and Chris Rock jokes were going to occur.
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During his opening, let’s say act, host Jimmy Kimmel delivered a monologue in which he referenced the infamous slap incident that occurred back in 2022. He began, “There are five Irish actors nominated tonight, which means the probability of another brawl breaking out on stage just skyrocketed.”
In case you have somehow managed to avoid the whole incident and need a refresher, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock following a joke made by the comedian about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair loss. The incident sparked immediate and ongoing fallout that lasted for more than a year. Despite winning the Oscar and delivering a “tearful” acceptance speech, Smith continued to “express remorse” and “apologize” several days and weeks after the incident. Rock, being as classy as he is, mostly remained silent on the matter. The Academy initially stated they would investigate Smith’s membership, but he ultimately resigned.
Oscars 2023 Live
After the slap, Smith was banned from attending Academy events for TEN years, which means he will not be able to present the Best Actor Oscar, a customary role for past winners.
On the red carpet before the show, Janet Yang, the president of the Film Academy, acknowledged that the Academy’s response to the incident last year wasn’t the best. She expressed her excitement about moving forward with the current show and stated that the Academy is well-prepared for any incident.
Still, Kimmel decided to put his two cents in, saying “We want you to have fun. We want you to feel safe. And most importantly, we want me to feel safe. So we have strict policies in place. If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence at any point during the show, you will be awarded the Oscar for Best Actor and be permitted to give an 18-minute long speech.”
“Seriously, the Academy has a crisis team in place. If anything unpredictable or violent happens during the ceremony, just do what you did last year – nothing,” Kimmel went on to say.
The late-night host also made several jabs at other actors, calling Steven Spielberg and Seth Rogan “the Joe and Hunter Biden of Hollywood.”
Including other top-notch jokes, relayed below.
- “Tom Cruise and James Cameron didn’t show up. The two guys who insisted we go to the theater didn’t go to the theater.”
- “I’m happy to see Nicole Kidman has been finally released by that abandoned AMC. Thank you for encouraging people who were already at the movie theater to go to the theater.”
- “Batgirl became the first superhero to became defeated by the accounting department.”
- “James Cameron is not here. You know a show is too long when even James Cameron can’t sit through it … How does the Academy not nominate a guy who made Avatar, what do they think he is, a woman?”
- “Only Walt Disney has been nominated for more Oscars than John Williams. He’s been nominated 53 times and won 5. Which is not great.”
This marks Kimmel’s third time hosting the Oscars, which will is being broadcast live on ABC from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.
