Why Jimmy Kimmel Was Wrong: Lessons to be Learned From The 2022 Emmys Fiasco

Greg Ehrhardt, OnScreen Blog Columnist

Yeah, we’ll say it, Jimmy Kimmel is an asshole.

For those of you who didn’t hear the news, Jimmy Kimmel made the Emmys all about him when he took a gag way too far, pretending to play dead on stage while Quinta Brunson was giving her acceptance speech for winning the Emmy for writing for “Abbot Elementary”. You can read the context here.

This reminded us of when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, not because there was any violence involved of course, but because a celebrity (in this case, Kimmel) decided to steal the attention away from the deserved award winners who worked so hard to get to this point and make the show about themselves.

Did Kimmel intend to put the spotlight on him and away from Brunson? I doubt it, but that’s not the point. Yes, Kimmel is an entertainer, his job is to make the Emmys entertaining. Without a doubt, all he was thinking about was “How can I get laughs from the audience” and “How can I make the Emmy’s buzzing on social media and beyond”.

Even on more basic terms, Kimmel is a comedian, and comedians are fundamentally hams. They want the spotlight when they are on stage.

None of this is an excuse from my vantage point. The Emmys is not another episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. It’s a show featuring the wonderfully talented cast and production team behind the year’s best tv shows. Frankly, it’s not about the actors: they can get the spotlight in other venues. The writers and production team do not. The Emmys is their Super Bowl, their big chance to shine, to be known to the world.

Kimmel decided, (probably impulsively, admittedly, that’s the nature of the comedian business) to insert himself into their story.

And that’s a shame because what happened didn’t have to happen.

Is this about race, as some have suggested? I doubt it, for the reasons raised above, but it’s fair game for discussion, and Kimmel has no one to blame but himself for that.

It’s more about the inherent narcissism of certain celebrities and comedians; their wants and needs trumps others. Kimmel knows his impulses; he could have trained himself before the show to make sure he doesn’t upstage winners who never get the spotlight. Many, many other awards show hosts have done it, why not Kimmel?

For those defending Kimmel, saying it’s no big deal, and Brunson saying she didn’t care. First, what else is she supposed to say, she probably wants to be invited to Kimmel’s show as a guest one day!

Secondly, ask yourself if Kimmel would have done the same thing to a more prickly, better-known celebrity who isn’t chummy with him.

To be honest, in his Man Show days, he might have.

Now, I’m more skeptical.

He stole the spotlight because he could, without fear of repercussion.

Let’s hope this is a lesson for theatre performers too. Sometimes, the leads of a play pull stunts during the final bows to make it about themselves. Just remember, the final bows are important for everyone, but especially the actors towards the bottom of the cast. They don’t get the spotlight during the performance like the leads, but the show doesn’t happen without them.

They deserve their curtain call as much as the leads. Let them have their moment.

Bottom line, give respect for everyone, let everyone have their moment to themselves. Not everyone is the ham that you might be.

Maybe Kimmel will remember that next time, and hopefully everyone will practice it in their own lives going forward.