Emmys 2016: Jimmy Kimmel’s Monologue Slams Trump and Touts TV Diversity Over Oscars
Jimmy Kimmel kicked off the 68th annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday night with the same bite he brings to his talk show every evening. Live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Kimmel returned as emcee of the ceremony for a second time. The host began with a pre-taped sketch where he was seen driving on the freeway with “The People v. O.J.” star Malcolm Jamal Warner in a white Bronco, catching a ride to the ceremony. The trip didn’t go as planned, and he got dropped off on the side of the street, only to be picked up by the “Modern Family” Dunphy family. He also did some “Carpool Karaoke” with James Corden, chatted with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and former presidential candidate Jeb Bush.
READ MORE: Emmys 2016: Full Winners List
When he finally arrived on stage, the first thing he did was hand Jeffrey Tambor an Emmy and said, “That will save 22 minutes tonight.” (Tambor is nominated in the Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series category). He also congratulated Sarah Paulson as the winner of the “plus one” contest because she brought Marcia Clarke as her guest.
“Everyone in L.A. knows, if you want to win, sit next to Marcia Clark,” he joked. “Hi, Marcia. This must be very strange for you. Are you rooting for O.J. to win this time?”
READ MORE: 2016 Emmys Live Stream: How To Watch The Emmy Awards Live Online
Kimmel also brought up diversity, calling it one of the year’s most diverse awards, “Here in Hollywood, the only thing we value more than diversity is congratulating ourselves for valuing diversity,” he said. “The Emmys are so diverse this year the Oscars are telling people we’re their closest friends. We’re not, by the way.”
“If you’re a person of color here tonight, just take a moment to find a white person … and take a moment to thank them for their bravery.”
Of course Donald Trump couldn’t be left out of the opening monologue. Blaming Mark Burnett, the creator of “The Apprentice,” for giving a television platform to the presidential candidate, Kimmel joked: “Thanks to Mark Burnett, we don’t need to watch reality shows anymore because we’re living in one. If [Trump] builds that wall, the first person we throw over is Mark Burnett.”
Check out his full monologue below:
Watch the live stream of the ceremony by clicking here and check out the full list of winners here.
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