Bringing Jimmy Kimmel on board to host the 95th Annual Oscars is a good first move by the Academy that signals a more traditional show.
In the past, well-liked hosts like Johnny Carson & Billy Crystal provided audiences at home & attending the show with some good laughs that poked fun gently at that year’s big movie targets and a good time was had by all.
The 94th Oscars, of course, made history thanks to a bad-taste Chris Rock joke & its face-smacking reply by Will Smith, who minutes later was back onstage happily accepting his best actor Oscar. Had somebody else hit Rock, they’d have been tossed out of the theatre straight away. The Academy’s management at the time just didn’t get it. They’ve since been succeeded by a much smarter team.
Kimmel’s hosted two previous Oscars — the 89th in 2017 & the 90th in 2018. He’s already seen chaos erupt onstage — in ’18 when Warren Beatty & Faye Dunaway announced LA LA LAND as best picture, but the winner was really MOONLIGHT. The wrong envelope wound up getting the blame.
Hopefully, Kimmel doesn’t tell any jokes on ABC’s Oscar telecast on 3/12 that provoke new onstage assaults. At least, Smith’s banned and can’t be there. But clearly, Kimmel gets the idea. He’s told his viewers, “I’ve already started making a list of whose names I should keep out of my f-ing mouth. You know, you can’t be too careful.”