• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, March 12, 2024

Political commentary and lectures from on high about social issues were almost completely missing from Sunday night’s Oscar telecast on ABC, and that was fine with many.

The only exceptions were two instances in which host Jimmy Kimmel had fun with two high-profile Republicans, most notably TV Critic in Chief Donald Trump.

It was in the show’s final half hour after 10 p.m. (Eastern) when Kimmel announced that the producers have informed him that the show was running a little fast (probably a “first” for the Academy Awards on TV), and that he had a couple of minutes to fill.

So he filled it in with a “this just in!” moment in which he read a critical “review” of his performance as Oscar host that was posted on social media -- Donald Trump’s Truth Social, to be exact.

"Doing this show is not about me,” Kimmel said. “And I appreciate you having me. It’s really about you and Emma [Emma Stone, winner of the evening’s Best Actress Oscar for “Poor Things”] and all these great actors and actresses and filmmakers.

“But I was told we have, like, an extra minute, and I’m really proud of something. I was wondering if I could share it with you. I just got a review.

He then read the text of a social-media post without identifying the writer, although anyone who heard it could figure it out.

“Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at the Oscars,” said the post. “His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be.

“Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC ‘talent,’ George Slopanopoulos [Trump’s apparent nickname for “Good Morning America’s” George Stephanopoulos]. He would make everybody on stage look bigger, stronger, and more glamorous,” wrote the mystery writer.

“Also a really bad politically correct show tonight, and for years -- Disjointed, boring, and very unfair. Why don’t they give the Oscars to those that deserve them. Maybe that was their audience and TV ratings will come back from the depths. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Kimmel replied after he read the post. “Blah, blah, blah … OK, now, see if you can guess which former president just posted that on Truth Social,” Kimmel said, and then provided the answer.

“Well, thank you, President Trump. Thank you for watching. Isn’t it past your jail time?”

Trump’s Truth Social critique of Kimmel and the Oscars was reportedly posted about an hour before Kimmel read it on the show. 

That means Trump violated the ethics (such as they are) of TV criticism, which advises the professional TV watcher to watch shows in their entirety before weighing in with an opinion.

Earlier, Kimmel took a shot at Republican Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, who delivered the GOP response following President Biden’s State of the Union speech last Thursday.

“Emma Stone is an Oscar nominee for a fifth time. Right? The fifth time,” Kimmel said in his opening monologue Sunday night.

“Emma you were so unbelievably great in ‘Poor Things.’ Emma played an adult woman with the brain of a child, like the lady who gave the rebuttal to the State of the Union on Thursday night!” he said. 

Donald Trump was wrong in his assessment of Sunday’s Oscar show as badly politically correct, as he insisted in his social media post.

On the contrary. In the main, self-important commentary from the Oscars stage on various social issues was virtually nonexistent.

Photo credit: Donald Trump photo courtesy of NBC “Meet The Press,” 2023.