Jimmy Kimmel has been announced to return as host for the 2024 Oscars — and fans are slamming the Academy for their selection.
The nighttime talk show host will return to host the 96th Oscars ceremony, making it the fourth time Kimmel has been given this honor. He previously hosted in 2017, 2018, and 2022. As many may remember, the 2017 Oscars were when the infamous “La La Land” and “Moonlight” best picture screw-up occurred.
Kimmel hosted last year’s awards show, which seemed to have excited fans as the 2023 Oscars ratings saw a bump in viewership as it recorded an average audience of 18.8 total million viewers — a 13% increase from the previous figures.
Jimmy Kimmel and The Academy Slammed For 2024 Host Decision
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After it was announced that Jimmy Kimmel would return as host for the 2024 Oscars, fans immediately voiced their frustrations, slamming the Academy for their decision.
“It used to be a very special and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to host the Oscars. Now it’s just Kimmel with a boring script. What happened to the academy…,” one fan wrote.
It used to be a very special and once in a lifetime opportunity to host the oscars. Now it’s just Kimmel with a boring script.
What happened to the academy…
— viewed (@viewed_) November 15, 2023
Another claimed they “won’t be watching” now that Kimmel is once again hosting.
We won’t be watching
— ⁶⁶ (@folyix) November 15, 2023
While one user said, “If ABC is wondering why the ratings keep plummeting then perhaps having the same host over and over isn’t helping.” However, it is important to note that last year’s ratings were up from past years — the same year in which Jimmy Kimmel hosted.
If ABC is wondering why the ratings keep plummeting then perhaps having the same host over and over isn’t helping
— MovieGainz (@MovieGainz) November 15, 2023
And in 2021, the year the show did not have a host, viewership dropped to the lowest of all time, with just 10.4 million viewers.
In 2022, after Kimmel was selected to host the 2023 ceremony, the nighttime talk show host said that “being invited to host the Oscars for a third time” was “either a great honor or a trap.”
“Either way, I am grateful to the academy for asking me so quickly after everyone good said no,” he joked.
Last year, Kimmel addressed the infamous Will Smith slap, which ahead of the live show, stated he would lead with the topic.
“I have given it much thought,” he told “GMA” co-anchor Lara Spencer in an interview ahead of the Oscars last year. “I know that a million jokes have been made about it, a million think pieces have been written on it… There has been a lot said about it, so whatever I say has to be I think — you know, it has to be good.”
“And I do have some good things to say about it. I think that it’s gonna be on everybody’s mind,” he added. “Everybody’s gonna be waiting for that moment. And that will be part of the show, but certainly not the focus of the show.”
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Warner Bros’ “Barbie” and Universal Pictures’ “Oppenheimer” are both up for nominations, which is no surprise as it created the “Barbieheimer” phenomenon over the summer.
Other notable nominations include “American Fiction,” “Maestro” and “Poor Things.”
The 96th Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 10, 2024.