Livewire: 89th Annual Academy Awards Kimmel Slams USA: Show is Being Broadcast in ‘More than 225 Countries that Now Hate Us’

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Welcome to Breitbart News’s livewire of the 89th annual Academy Awards.
The Oscars kick off at 5:30 p.m. PT, but Hollywood’s biggest stars have already begun arriving on the red carpet. Jimmy Kimmel hosts this year’s ceremony live from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

The storylines to watch:

— How many wins can the musical La La Land rack up out of its record 14 total nominations? Director Damien Chazelle and leads Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are all hoping for big nights in their respective categories, though Gosling faces stiff competition from Denzel Washington (Fences) and Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea).

— Which stars will use the Oscars stage to launch anti-Donald Trump tirades? Meryl Streep — up for a record 20th Oscar nom for Florence Foster Jenkins — is set as a presenter, so there is a decent possibility of a Golden Globes-style encore, but it could really come from all angles tonight. Look out for Kimmel to zing Trump in his opening monologue.

— Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge is up for six awards, but don’t expect him to win Best Director. Chazelle is the overwhelming favorite in the category, though Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea) or Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) could pull it out.

Follow along with Breitbart News as the Oscars get underway in Los Angeles. Latest updates at the top. All times Pacific.



5:35 P.M. — Kimmel is on.

“This broadcast is being viewed by millions around the world, and in 225 countries that now hate us.”

Kimmel says the country is divided, and that he’s been told he needs to say something to unite us. Says there’s only one “Braveheart” in the room, and he’s not going to unite us. Cue an awkward pan to Mel Gibson.

Wow. Kimmel urges the audience to reach out to one person you have a disagreement with, not as a liberal or conservative, and have a positive conversation with them. That would be a way to “make America great again,” he says.

But the moment is short-lived as Kimmel calls President Trump a racist just one minute later. He thanks the president: “Remember last year when we thought the Oscars were racist?”

The host also roasts the stars by saying (rightly) that no one came out to see their films.

Gives a special shout-out to Meryl Streep: “Nice dress. Is that an Ivanka?”

Full video of Kimmel’s monologue coming shortly.