Jimmy Kimmel plays it safe but lands a few punches in Oscars monologue: watch
"He keeps his hands where you can see them," joked Kimmel about Oscar, now in his 90th year
Jimmy Kimmel didn't exactly come out swinging in his opening monologue at this year's Academy Awards, but he did land a few key punches.
To start out, Kimmel addressed last year's remarkable gaffe, when Warren Beatty announced La La Land as best picture, when Moonlight had in fact won.
"Last year about a week before the show, the producers asked me if I wanted to do some comedy with the accountants and I said, 'No I don't want to do comedy with accountants.' So then the accountants went ahead and did comedy on their own," joked Kimmel. "I have to hand it to them it was hilarious, but it won't happen again this year."
Kimmel addressed the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements, offering jokes about alleged sexual harasser Harvey Weinstein, actor Mel Gibson, and even Oscar himself.
"Oscar is the most beloved and respected man in Hollywood and there's a very good reason why. Just look at him," joked Kimmel. "He keeps his hands where you can see them. Never says a rude word. And most importantly he has no penis at all. He is literally a statue of limitations."
The late-night comedian also took a jab at the notorious lack of women and people of colour in key Hollywood roles.
"Black Panther and Wonder Woman are massive hits, which is almost miraculous because I remember a time when the major studios didn't believe a woman or a minority could open a superhero movie," said Kimmel. "And the reason I remember that time is because it was March of last year."
Along the way, Kimmel also gave a nod to the Parkland students in Florida, poked fun at Donald Trump and Mike Pence, and, with the help of Helen Mirren, offered a free Jet Ski to the Oscar winner with the shortest speech.
Watch the full monologue here: