Oscars 2018: Jimmy Kimmel Tackles Harvey Weinstein Sexual Assault Scandal in Opening

Jimmy Kimmel kicked off the 90th Academy Awards with a hilarious monologue, which touched on last year’s Best Picture mistake and the #MeToo movement. This is the late night talk show host’s second consecutive time hosting the ceremony.

The opening was a throwback to black and white TV coverage of the Oscars, hilariously pointing out that there is a Hooters just a few blocks from the Dolby Theater. Before introducing himself, Kimmel made a joke about presiding over last year’s Best Picture flub.

Then, he came out to the stage and congratulated everyone for reaching the Oscars. “Some of you will be going home with an Academy Award. What could be better than that?”

“What happened last year was unfortunate,” Kimmel said, adding that the accountants decided to write jokes themselves. He also assured everyone that everything will go smoothly. Considering it is the 90th anniversary of the Oscars, this historic night has to go well.

Kimmel also spoke about the Academy kicking out Harvey Weinstein after dozens of women accused him of sexual harassment. The comedian said the ceremony should be about “positivity” and highlighting the diversity at the Oscars this year.

The monologue culminated in a Price Is Right gag, where Kimmel said whoever gives the shortest speech will win a jet ski as modeled by Helen Mirren herself.

In an interview with Vanity Fair before the show, Kimmel said he will take a “looser” approach this year compared to 2017. There will be more fun with the audience.

“I’m gonna do basically the same thing but with different jokes,” Kimmel said. “It’s kind of the same drill. I feel like I learned little things, subtle things. Every time you do something like this you gain wisdom because the audience is not like the audience of your talk show. They’re not there to see you. You’re there to see them, so it’s just a different approach.”

Kimmel said he was trying to avoid overplanning.

“I’ve learned not to overplan the show. I’ve learned you should play to the audience in front of you rather than the audience at home, and to keep it loose if possible. Some of these things tend to be very tightly wound,” Kimmel said.

Kimmel also oversaw last year’s big mistake, when La La Land was named Best Picture even though Moonlight was the real winner. This year, things are very different as the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements will be frequently discussed.

“It’s very tricky because when people are scared they don’t laugh, and when there’s a camera in their face they behave differently than they do in a comedy club or in the audience on a talk show,” Kimmel told Vanity Fair. “When you’re put in that position, those in the audience become a little bit of a deer in the headlights. That’s the part [where] you have to rely on experience and the knowledge of your medium.”