We knew we were in for a treat when Jimmy Kimmel was announced as the host of this year's Academy Awards. With three years of experience under his belt, the man's a pro at turning the Oscars stage into a comedy set.
That's all to say—we were never in danger of having another Jo Koy situation on our hands. When Kimmel hit the stage, he immediately heckled the crowd. At one point, he motioned to Bradley Cooper, who brought his mom with him. "How many times can one bring their mom as their date before they’re dating their mom?" Kimmel quipped. He also poked fun at Robert Downey Jr., who is up for Best Supporting Actor for his stellar turn in Oppenheimer. "Look at him, he’s so handsome, so talented, he’s won every award there is to win," Kimmel said. "Is that an acceptance speech in your pocket, or do you just have a very rectangular penis?"
Though Kimmel always makes his opening monologues look easy, hosting the Oscars is no simple feat. In preparation for the big night, Kimmel brushed up on this year's biggest films. In case you were wondering, Barbie was one of his favorites. Kimmel told ABC, "I looked at the movie, and I thought, 'This is a good reason to host the Oscars.'" Naturally, Kimmel took a minute to mention Greta Gerwig’s omission from the Best Director field, despite Barbie’s historic success. When the crowd cheered for her, Kimmel said, "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." Then, he turned his attention to Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie, who won the "genetic lottery." We can't argue with that.
Before wrapping up, Kimmel reflected on the SAG-AFTRA strike and congratulated his peers on negotiating a deal. Then, he brought many working Hollywood crew members on stage to celebrate their accomplishments. "Take a bow, you deserve it," he said. "In your upcoming negotiations, we will stand with you, too. I'm going to make sure this show goes really long tonight, so you get a ton of overtime."
After an awards season full of lukewarm preambles, Kimmel hit the sweet spot. Let's hope the rest of tonight is just as special.
