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Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the Oscars for the third time this year, after 2017 and 2018. Despite being a fan-favorite, during Kimmel's opening monologue at the 95th Academy Awards, he said a few words that did not go down well with the audience.
While the monologue featured some of Kimmel's best jokes, he also mentioned James Cameron, pointing out the latter's absence from the event, adding:
"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."
However, it was the second part of the speech that annoyed fans. Addressing further about Cameron not being nominated for an award as the director of Avatar: The Way of Water, Kimmel added:
“James Cameron is not here. You know a show is too long when even James Cameron can’t sit through it… Some of the cynics are saying Jim Cameron isn’t here because he didn’t get a best director nomination. And while I find that very hard to believe about a man of such deep humility, he does have a point. I mean, how does the Academy not nominate the guy who directed Avatar? What did they think he is, a woman?”
The last reference to women left netizens disappointed, with many taking to Twitter to react to the same. One user even compared Kimmel to Jimmy Fallon, saying that the former is "better."
Jimmy Kimmel criticized for referring to women in his Oscar monologue
While Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue at the Oscars 2023 drew quite a few laughs from those present at the Dolby Theatre, the public did not appreciate the host's reference to women not being nominated for the awards while he was speaking about James Cameron.
The speech was a dig at the Academy's history of nominating fewer female directors than male ones, but it led to a series of criticisms towards Kimmel on Twitter:
Despite the criticism, there were quite a few who spoke in support of Kimmel and appreciated the host bringing up the issue of fewer female directors being recognized by the Oscars.
What else did Jimmy Kimmel say?
Jimmy Kimmel began by saying that the organizers want everyone to feel safe and this time, the rules are strict compared to what they have been all these years. He added that an Oscar for Best Actor shall be given to anyone indulging in violence, referring to Will Smith's Oscar win last year after slapping Chris Rock.
He continued:
“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. Maybe even give the assailant a hug.”
Kimmel mentioned that five Irish actors are also on the list of nominations and that a few actors who played tough characters in their films are sitting in front of the stage and they will protect him if anything bad happens. He added:
“We have no time for shenanigans. This is a celebration of everyone here.”
In his monologue, Kimmel also spoke about the shortage of new ideas in Hollywood, pointing out that the Top 10 highest-grossing films were sequels or franchises. He also praised Michelle Williams for her Oscar nomination for The Fabelmans and announced that Nicole Kidman has been released by AMC, where she has been busy for two years.
Jimmy Kimmel also spoke about Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan, saying that they had already worked on a film 31 years ago.
