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The Will Smith and Chris Rock slap episode is still afresh in everyone’s mind. For the same reason, the Oscars 2023, too, started with the infamous slap joke, as the host for the evening, Jimmy Kimmel, said in his opening monologue:
“Five Irish actors are nominated tonight, which means the chances of a fight just went way up.”
Addressing the Will Smith slap joke, Kimmel bantered about having a "crisis team in place," and said that anyone who "commits an act of violence at any point during the show.. will be awarded the Oscar for Best Actor and permitted to give a 19-minute long speech."
Despite the popularity of the Will Smith-Chris Rock incident, several netizens took to Twitter to point out that the slap jokes have now “gotten worn out.” One social media user took to Twitter and said:
“These will smith jokes have already gotten worn out and we’re not even an hour into the oscar’s.”
Social media users bored as host Jimmy Kimmel brings up Will Smith slap jokes at the Oscars
While it was understood and expected that Jimmy Kimmel would bring up last year’s infamous slap during the ceremony, it it was not expected that Kimmel would have a whole monolog about it. At one point, he said:
"If anything unpredictable or violent happens during the show, sit there and do absolutely nothing. Maybe even give the assailant a hug.”
Jimmy just didn't stop there. As soon as the ceremony reached its two-hour mark, he again joked about the Will Smith and Chris Rock slap episode and said:
“At this point in the show, it kind of makes you miss the slapping a little bit, right?”
As the audience laughed and giggled, social media users also shared their reactions, as many reminisced about the instance, and others thought that the joke had been cracked too many times, and it was now time for it to stop.
The 95th academy awards were held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. The ceremony applauded the work of some great actors, directors, singers, and other talents.
Brendan Gleeson won the supporting actor award for The Banshees of Inisherin, while Navalny won the Best Documentary feature. The Whale won the award for Best Makeup and Hair, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever took home the Oscar for Best Costume Design.
