With all that has happened since the last Oscars, comedian Jimmy Kimmel has a major task at hand. Will the show share the somber approach majority of this year’s awards season and take this weekend’s 90th Academy Awards as a prime opportunity to continue the #MeToo conversation or will the event jump away from it? The latest, suggests the former.
Despite the comedian saying in an interview that this year’s ceremony, would be avoiding the conversation topic, Jimmy has taken his statement back after a major backlash.
It all stemmed from an ABC interview, broadcast on Thursday.
“This show is not about reliving people’s sexual assaults — it’s an awards show for people who have been dreaming about maybe winning an Oscar for their whole lives,†Jimmy told ABC. “The last thing I want to do is ruin that for someone who is, you know, nominated for, you know, best leading actress or best supporting or best director or cinematographer or whatever, by making it unpleasant.”
A case of ‘clear misinterpretation’, as an interview with Jimmy, printed the same day with Vanity Fair clarified, the comedian will, in fact, use the MeToo campaign as a hook to talk about all the things that have happened in Hollywood in the last year.
“There are certain things and people that deserve mockery, and there are parts of that story that most certainly don’t,†Jimmy told Vanity Fair. “You just have to sort through that and plan your approach that way.â€
Although it was always expected since the comedian has been vocal about healthcare and gun control on his night-time show, many were expecting the comedian to keep the Academy Awards clear of activism. Well, it seems the time we’re living in won’t let that happen for all the right reasons…
The  90th Academy Awards take place on Sunday, March 4th.
