Glutton for punishment Jimmy Kimmel will referee this year’s Oscars

Two years after Chris Rock refused to keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out of his damn mouth, Jimmy Kimmel has signed on to the Oscars for another term as host, risking criticism from a violent, vengeful audience that won’t stand for G.I. Jane jokes in this century, per The Hollywood Reporter. Kimmel returns following his successful stint last year, at the end of which he proudly noted that the Academy had gone one telecast without incident. Now he’s looking to make it two for two.

The 96th Academy Awards will mark Kimmel’s fourth time hosting the awards. He ties Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon, who hosted twice solo and twice with a co-host, with four ceremonies under his belt. But he’ll have to get those rookie numbers up if he wants to compete with Billy Crystal (nine ceremonies) or Bob Hope (19).

In recent years, the Oscars have struggled with its hosts, which have ranged from the disinterested (James Franco) to the sexist (Seth MacFarlane) to the nonexistent (from 2019 to 2021, there was no host). However, Kimmel has proven a firm hand with the ceremony, offering gentle ribbing at Hollywood’s expense to an even-keeled handling of the ceremony’s many controversies. Kimmel can steer the ship.

This year’s Academy Awards will be yet another Hollywood homecoming. Following the two massive strikes that turned production lines into picket lines for several months, Kimmel is primed to help the industry blow off steam by giving the dog from Anatomy Of A Fall a Best Supporting Actor trophy. What better way to unite the entertainment elite than celebrating the world’s best dog actor?

Despite some early grumblings, the Academy Awards have not moved dates. The 96th ceremony will air on ABC on Sunday, March 10, 2024.