What distinguishes Oscar presenter Jimmy Kimmel?

Eactually had Jimmy Kimmel promised never to host the Oscars again. In 2017, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway chose the wrong film for Minutes, in one of the biggest bloopers in Academy Awards history.

Kimmel, who was moderating the gala for the first time, took all the blame that evening in his closing words with an ironic wink and promised never to stand on this stage again. But the following year the Academy invited him back, and a third appearance is to follow this weekend.

Approachable image

So, with Kimmel, an Oscar veteran returns. Not without reason: the broadcaster ABC wants better ratings. In recent years, the prize gala has attracted fewer and fewer viewers in front of the television sets – the late-night presenter Kimmel is considered a safe bet. He’s been appearing on ABC five nights a week on his own show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, for about 20 years – no competitor has been seen that long – and the ratings are still going strong. Kimmel is considered non-partisan, both Democrats and Republicans can laugh at his jokes.

This may also be due to its approachable image. The fifty-five year old was born in Brooklyn but grew up in Las Vegas. The talk show legend David Letterman is considered his role model, which is why he began his career in college radio. He later returned to New York to work at the cable network Comedy Central.

The Southwestern origin was important to him, as it set him apart from the competition. Where other moderators score points with intellectuality and East Coast irony, Kimmel stands for buddy charm.

His show rarely gets political – with a few exceptions. In 2017, he made it a matter of the heart to speak out against the abolition of health insurance introduced under Barack Obama. In an emotional monologue, he talked about his son, who had to be operated on several times due to a heart defect when he was just a few weeks old.

An intervention that should not be the privilege of rich Americans, but should be accessible to everyone, as Kimmel emphasized on several evenings on his show. The abolition plans were rejected in the Senate. The following year, Time magazine named Kimmel one of its 100 most influential people.

Announcing his return to the stage at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles this Sunday, Kimmel shared his trademark humor: “To be invited a third time to host the Oscars is either an honor or a trap.”