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Final night time, Jimmy Kimmel presided over a surprisingly regular Academy Awards present. This system ran easily with no true upsets. Oppenheimer took residence a predicted haul, Ryan Gosling introduced down the home together with his efficiency of Barbie’s “I’m Simply Ken,” and Kimmel made some principally good-natured ribs about his fellow stars within the room. I spoke with my colleague Shirley Li, who covers Hollywood, about why internet hosting is a tricky job, how Kimmel pulled it off, and what goal the Oscars serve in 2024.
First, listed below are three new tales from The Atlantic:
Regular and Earnest
Lora Kelley: You’ve written about how internet hosting an awards present could be a fairly thankless job. What makes the duty so laborious?
Shirley Li: The individuals within the room at these Hollywood awards reveals are highly effective: They’re A-list celebrities and the individuals who will green-light the subsequent movies. A number is meant to be entertaining them but in addition making mild ribs, as a result of that’s what they need.
On the similar time, a number is attempting to attraction to the fully totally different viewers of customers tuning in from residence. The host has to take action a lot glad-handing whereas additionally taking all of the blame in the event that they don’t hold issues shifting. It’s a number of consideration paid to at least one one that, on the finish of the night time, doesn’t ever stroll away with a trophy.
Lora: So why do individuals conform to do it?
Shirley: The publicity to Hollywood’s energy gamers is big, and it’s a uncommon alternative for lots of comics. They might really feel that the publicity outweighs the stress—although, as somebody who has watched a number of awards reveals through the years and seen how a lot blame will get foisted upon these hosts, I feel the stress outweighs the publicity. I’m not shocked the Oscars turned to somebody who had hosted a number of instances earlier than.
Lora: How do you assume Jimmy Kimmel did final night time?
Shirley: He was a strong host. His monologue was punchier than the earlier 3 times he’s hosted. I assumed the best way that he ended the monologue, by mentioning the crew members backstage whereas additionally speaking about final 12 months’s Hollywood strikes, was a sensible transfer. He did job of creating jokes that appealed to the individuals within the room whereas additionally reminding the viewers at residence about why what’s taking place in Hollywood issues.
Kimmel is extra of a late-night host than a stand-up comedian. He has some wiggle room: He’s associates with the individuals within the viewers; they’re inclined to applaud him and go together with bits, even when they’re a little bit on the insulting aspect. I used to be sort of shocked that he made a joke about Robert Downey Jr.’s previous substance abuse. However Downey appeared prepared to play alongside; they’ve identified one another lengthy sufficient that Kimmel was in a position to get some laughs and hold issues shifting. Kimmel can also be somebody who is understood to individuals at residence. There was—I hate to place it this fashion—a number of Kimmel-core. You in all probability loved that if in case you have watched his present, or have been uncovered to his work previously.
Lora: Who has been, in your thoughts, the best host? The author Fran Hoepfner wrote on our website over the weekend that Billy Crystal is her excellent. Who’s your Billy Crystal?
Shirley: Billy Crystal is my Billy Crystal too. I really like that piece as a result of the author and I are the identical technology. Crystal is the Oscars host I grew up with. It’s sort of like my view on Saturday Night time Stay: The solid that you just grew up watching is your favourite solid of all time.
Crystal was a improbable host as a result of he appealed to the individuals within the room but in addition made issues actually digestible for individuals watching at residence. Whoopi Goldberg was a improbable host, too, as a result of she could possibly be self-effacing whereas additionally ribbing the movies themselves. I bear in mind seeing a number of film stars laughing together with her. She had a approach of creating jokes in regards to the movies being feted that didn’t make anyone within the room uncomfortable.
Lora: Have been there any surprises final night time? What huge moments stood out?
Shirley: This has been a protracted awards season. There are such a lot of extra awards reveals than there have to be. So, going into the night, I feel individuals might fairly simply predict who was going to win.
Emma Stone’s win for Finest Actress, for Poor Issues, could possibly be thought-about a shock, although she and Lily Gladstone, who starred in Killers of the Flower Moon, have been neck and neck all through awards season. The consensus was that it could seemingly be Emma or Lily. Nonetheless, Stone did appear flabbergasted, as my colleague David Sims put it in his recap of the night. It was a light shock that Poor Issues obtained the identical quantity of affection within the manufacturing classes as Oppenheimer—although Oppenheimer nonetheless took residence seven Oscars.
It was a well-run, well-produced present. That’s really sort of shocking given all of the stunning moments on the Oscars within the earlier decade. No one slapped anyone. At this level you count on one thing to go unsuitable, and nothing actually went unsuitable.
Final night time, the present introduced again, for the primary time since 2009, the format of earlier class winners monologuing in regards to the classes’ nominees. I personally love that format as a result of it’s heartfelt, and it’s earnest.
Individuals typically ask: What’s the purpose of honoring and being so lovey-dovey about filmmaking, of watching these A-listers clap each other on the again? In our social-media age, we are inclined to need issues to be ironic and cynical and contrarian. However the Oscars are a reminder that there’s a number of love and creativity that’s put into artwork irrespective of how you are feeling in regards to the nominated motion pictures. There’s a lot care put into this work.
Associated:
At the moment’s Information
- President Joe Biden launched his $7.3 trillion price range proposal for the 2025 fiscal 12 months. Amongst different measures, the price range seeks 12 weeks of paid household and medical depart, common pre-Ok for 4-year-olds, and an enlargement of $35-a-month insulin into the industrial market.
- Representatives within the Home will vote this week on a invoice that might result in a nationwide ban of TikTok if the corporate’s Chinese language house owners don’t divest the app’s U.S. operations.
- Housing and City Improvement Secretary Marcia Fudge introduced that she would resign from her Cupboard put up this month, citing a need to spend extra time together with her household.
Night Learn
Fruit Chaos Is Coming
By Zoë Schlanger
Summer season, to me, is all about stone fruit: dark-purple plums, peaches you’ll be able to scent from three ft away. However final summer season, I struggled to seek out peaches on the farmers’ markets in New York Metropolis. A freak deep freeze in February had taken them out throughout New York State and different components of the Northeast, buds shriveling on the department as temperatures plummeted beneath zero and a brutally chilly, dry wind swept by means of the area.
The loss was extreme.
Extra From The Atlantic
Tradition Break
Watch. Final night time, Da’Vine Pleasure Randolph gained the Finest Supporting Actress Oscar. In her acceptance speech, she voiced her hope that she would “get to do that greater than as soon as.”
Learn. David Toomey’s newest e book, Kingdom of Play, probes a query that has lengthy befuddled scientists: Why do animals play?
Stephanie Bai contributed to this article.
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