Kimmel talks Oscars and Jet Ski giveaway
The Jet Ski that was given away at Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony to the winner who delivered the shortest acceptance speech required contest rules to be hastily developed by ABC’s legal team.
Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel offered a few dishy insights into Sunday’s telecast during his monologue on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” The giveaway of a Jet Ski was dreamed up as a lark by Kimmel and his writing staff. He said lawyers with stopwatches were watching the action backstage, carefully tabulating the length of winners’ remarks before handing the Jet Ski to “Phantom Thread” costume designer Mark Bridges, who said his thank-you’s in 36 seconds.
“Once we decided to do it, because it was technically a contest, the legal department had to come up with rules and guidelines for it,” Kimmel said.
“Do we start the timer when the winner’s name is called, so they have to rush to the stage? Well, we couldn’t do that because that would be unfair to the winners in the back and people wearing heels — and tight dresses — and you do not want to get in a legal dispute over a personal watercraft. That’s how people get killed.”
Kimmel also disclosed that his mother made cookies in the shape of an Oscar trophy and handed them out to the crowd at the Dolby Theatre.
Kimmel also showed off the hot-dog cannon he had built for his bit on the Oscars. He led a group of celebrities into a screening of “A Wrinkle in Time” at the Chinese Theatre complex next door. Kimmel said the contraption was built for the Oscars.