After 50+ years in the entertainment industry, actor Robert Downey Jr. is officially an Oscar winner. But now that the ceremony is over and all is said and done, some social media users fear his big win might be overshadowed by a distasteful joke made by its host, Jimmy Kimmel.
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Late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel is no stranger to controversy, having poked fun at A-listers including Matt Damon and Will Smith over the years, in addition to very publicly feuding with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
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Although stand-up comedy remains a bit of a gray area in terms of what can or can’t pass as “dark humor,” Jimmy Kimmel might have finally gone a step too far after remarks he made during his hosting gig at the 96th annual Academy Awards ceremony garnered controversy online.
During his opening Oscars monologue, Kimmel made sure to address some of the nominees, most notably Robert Downey Jr., who was nominated — and ultimately won — in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s WWII epic, Oppenheimer (2023).
When speaking about the movie’s success, Kimmel suggested that Nolan, who famously does not own a smartphone, worked without an internet connection to avoid his “porn addiction.” Speaking to the cast, the host then said, “Congratulations to [Cillian Murphy’s] co-star Robert Downey Jr. This is the highest point of Robert Downey Jr.’s career,” pausing before he added, “Well, one of the highest points.”
This, of course, is a reference to Downey Jr.’s lifelong struggle with drugs, which began when the actor was just six years old. After numerous rehab stints and prohibition periods, Downey Jr. finally got sober in July 2003 and has since opened up about his tumultuous childhood and battle with addiction.
Although the Avengers (2012) and Iron Man (2008) star initially smiled and tapped his nose at Kimmel’s joke, the room turned noticeably tense when the host continued, “Was that too on the nose, or was that a drug motion you made?”
Downey Jr.’s co-star Emily Blunt then reached across the row to consolingly touch his shoulders, looking mildly uncomfortable. The actor motioned, “Wrap it up,” and mouthed, “Keep it going” to encourage Kimmel to finish the monologue, looking increasingly awkward as the camera remained focused on him. Still, the host continued, making a raunchy joke about Downey Jr.’s “very rectangular penis” before eventually moving on.
The whole incident was enough to get the internet up in arms, with many leaping to Downey Jr.’s defense, as recovery is, to many, no joke.
On X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), user @patrickbetdavid went as far as to call Kimmel’s quip a “qualified dirtbag joke that wasn’t even funny,” suggesting that the late-night host is jealous of Downey Jr.’s fan-favorite status:
A qualified dirtbag joke that wasn’t even funny.
Jimmy Kimmel does this on the night Downey wins his first Academy?
It’s people like @jimmykimmel that turn people off from watching this garbage.
It’s as if Kimmel is envious of how much RDJ is loved.
A qualified dirtbag joke that wasn’t even funny.
Jimmy Kimmel does this on the night Downey wins his first Academy?
It’s people like @jimmykimmel that turn people off from watching this garbage.
It’s as if Kimmel is envious of how much RDJ is loved.
— Patrick Bet-David (@patrickbetdavid) March 11, 2024
Meanwhile, this individual called Downey Jr. and Kimmel’s interaction “awkward,” accompanied by a hilarious GIF of Jonah Hill at the 2012 Oscars:
Jimmy Kimmel… awkward Robert Downey Jr. “jokes” #Oscars
Jimmy Kimmel… awkward Robert Downey Jr. “jokes” #Oscars pic.twitter.com/iTsY9xea3B
— think.™🌊 ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ (@_GLVSS_) March 10, 2024
And this user called Kimmel’s jab at Downy Jr. “pretty lame,” before adding, “I’m not surprised though, because Jimmy Kimmel has always sucked:”
Making fun of the drug issues of Robert Downey Jr. is actually pretty lame. I’m not surprised though, because Jimmy Kimmel has always sucked.
#Oscars
Making fun of the drug issues of Robert Downey Jr. is actually pretty lame. I'm not surprised though, because Jimmy Kimmel has always sucked.#Oscars pic.twitter.com/LwsEhKwFr6
— Craig R. Brittain (@RealBrittain) March 10, 2024
Ultimately, it’s hard to say if Downey Jr. found Kimmel’s comments to be funny or if he was genuinely upset and annoyed to have such a dark part of his past resurfaced after 21 years of sobriety. But if the look on the actor’s face was anything to go by, it seemed like he wasn’t too happy about his — very commendable — recovery being made fun of on live TV.
However, Downey Jr. has been outspoken about his addiction struggles over the years, and he certainly doesn’t shy away from mentioning the bleaker moments of his life, meaning we probably wasn’t too offended by the joke. He even poked fun at himself during his acceptance speech, thanking his wife by saying she “found [him] a snarling refuge pet and loved [him] back to life.”
In any case, is it even “Hollywood’s Biggest Night” without a bit of controversy here and there?
Did you think Jimmy Kimmel’s joke was made in poor taste? Chime off in the comments below!