‘That was hard to watch’: Jimmy Kimmel ruins the Emmys in the five seconds he’s on stage

Jimmy Kimmel only briefly took the stage at the 2024 Emmys to pay tribute to Bob Newhart. However, he still managed to put a damper on the night with his distasteful jokes.

Viewers were likely relieved when Dan and Eugene Levy were announced as this year’s hosts instead of go-to awards show host Kimmel. Although the talk show host is frequently tapped to host the Emmys and Oscars, reception to him has been steadily declining. Earlier this year, his distasteful and juvenile jokes, such as those about Robert Downey Jr.’s substance abuse struggles, left viewers begging for the Oscars to find anyone besides Kimmel to host the show. He also earned criticism the year prior when he disrespected Malala Yousafzai at the Oscars.

Even when he’s not hosting, he often still manages to insert his distasteful jokes and disrespectful antics. At the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, he was tapped to present the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series award. The award went to Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary, marking her first Emmy win. However, the moment was ruined when Kimmel decided to perform a comedy bit, which included lying motionless on stage. Brunson was forced to step over him to get the award and delivered her acceptance speech with a grown man lying on the floor in front of her. Now, Kimmel has once again successfully distracted from a powerful moment at the Emmys.

Jimmy Kimmel ruins the Emmys touching “In Memoriam” segment

The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards included an “In Memoriam” segment to pay tribute to the television greats who passed away this year. During the touching segment, Jelly Roll performed “I Am Not Okay” as a montage of late stars played on the screen. Then, Kimmel took the stage. He appeared immediately after the “In Memoriam” segment to pay tribute to the late Newhart.

He started his tribute with, “And the Emmy for deceased industry professional we will miss the most goes to …” His bizarre joke was met largely with silence. He then went on to deliver a joke about Newhart’s accounting degree, stating, “Bob had what very few comedians have, especially today: a degree in accounting.” Kimmel then offered a few touching words for Newhart, describing him as a “humble, politely hilarious man” and recounting how he didn’t win his first Emmy until 51 years after his first nomination. However, the tribute then derailed as Kimmel inserted a random jab at Jon Stewart, who beat him this year for the Emmy for Talk Series.

Kimmel stated, “He [Newhart] got his first Emmy nomination in 1962 and didn’t win one until 2013. 51 years later, which is a great lesson. And that lesson is, Jon Stewart, you should be ashamed of yourself. You said you were retiring.” He finally concludes his meandering tribute by noting that Newhart will be missed. Kimmel then stood on stage for a moment, seemingly waiting for applause. However, aside from a smattering of hollow laughs, the audience remains silent. After several moments, he walks awkwardly off stage. It seems his tribute missed its mark both with the live audience and with viewers at home.

On X, viewers expressed their annoyance with Kimmel. Many accused him of ruining the “In Memoriam” segment with his distasteful joke about the award for the best “deceased industry professional.” Some questioned who thought it was a good idea to have him follow up the segment, while others suggested he should just stop being invited to awards shows altogether.

Fortunately, Newhart’s family approved the tribute and thanked Kimmel and the Emmys for remembering the performer.

Still, Kimmel’s bad joke about the “In Memoriam” segment as a whole has left some viewers pushing for his retirement. Given that it’s just the latest in a long string of awards show incidents involving Kimmel, it’s unclear why he continues delivering his poor jokes or why awards shows continue giving him a platform.