- The 2024 Oscars kicked off with an engaging opening scene between Jimmy Kimmel and Margot Robbie
- The comedian shared his thoughts on a common complaint of award season
- Kimmel also riffed on Robert Downey Jr.'s Hollywood redemption story
The 2024 Oscars kicked off with an engaging opening scene, featuring Margot Robbie (from Barbie) complimenting Kimmel, who jokingly responded, "Thanks, I haven't eaten anything. I have to go host the Oscars.
In his opening Oscar monologue, Jimmy Kimmel humorously tackled various Hollywood hot topics. Hosting for the fourth time, he quipped about the earlier start time, jokingly mentioning the potential for a late finish. Kimmel also humorously referenced the recent box office disappointment, Madame Web, saying, “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."
Kimmel joked about Greta Gerwig not getting a Best Director nod for Barbie
He also joked about Barbie director Greta Gerwig not getting a best director nod, saying, “Now, Barbie is a feminist icon, thanks to Greta Gerwig, who many believed deserved to be 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.”
Talking about Roert Downey Jr
Kimmel also riffed on Robert Downey Jr.'s Hollywood redemption story, saying he is at “one of the highest points of his career.”
After the actor tapped his nose in recognition, Kimmel said, “Was that too on the nose or a drug motion you made? Look at him; he’s so handsome, so talented, he’s won every award there is to win. Is that an acceptance speech in your pocket, or do you just have a very rectangular penis? 20 years ago, Robert played the villain, and correct me if I have this wrong, in a movie where Tim Allen turns into a dog, right? And if you ever decide to remake that film, I have just the guy to play Tim Allen. That is—where is he? Messi. Even though he’s a dog, may have given the performance of the year in ‘Anatomy of a Fall.’ He has an overdose scene. I haven’t seen a French actor vomit like that since Gérard Depardieu.”
Addressing the common complaint of the award season
The comedian shared his thoughts on a common complaint of award season: the movies were too long. “There were so many great movies that held audiences captive this year,” he said. “And I mean that literally. Your movies were too long this year. The average length of the top ten movies was 2 hours and 23 minutes. That’s up 30 minutes from three years ago. When I went to see ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ I had my mail sent to the theater. It’s so long, you could drive to Oklahoma and solve the murders yourself.”
Before the ceremony, Kimmel discussed the challenge of selecting pop culture topics for the event. "I have three times the material I need," he said. "Deciding what to cut and what to keep is tough. You grow attached to jokes, but you know you have a strong show when you're trimming good material." Kimmel, who also hosted last year's Oscars, gained attention for his jokes about Will Smith's incident with Chris Rock at the 2022 ceremony.
“We want you to have fun, feel safe, and, most importantly, we want me to feel safe,” Kimmel said to the star-studded audience. “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 permitted to give a 19-minute long speech. But seriously, the academy has a crisis team in place. If anything unpredictable or violent happens during the show, sit there and do absolutely nothing. Maybe even give the assailant a hug.” watch the full video below