Emmy Award viewers slammed Jimmy Kimmel for cracking an "unfunny" joke during the In Memoriam segment of the ceremony.
Following an emotional performance by country star Jelly Roll , Kimmel introduced the segment with a joke that did not land well among many viewers. As he took the stage to pay tribute to late actor and comedian George Robert Newhart , Kimmel introduced the former Elf star by saying: "and the Emmy for deceased industry professional we will miss most goes to…" which many found inappropriate and unfitting for the serious moment.
After the introduction Kimmel faced a string of backlash on X, formerly Twitter , as one viewer wrote: "Can we just all collectively agree to force Jimmy Kimmel into retirement.. like every award show he does or says something distasteful." While another brutally added: "jimmy kimmel is extremely unfunny."
And a third replied: "Everything @jimmykimmel said seemed in such poor taste and super awkward. I mean, to joke about the award for best dead person. Then to say we will miss Newhart and no applause for several beats. Delivery seemed off." And someone else chimed in: "Sorry. I just don’t find Jimmy Kimmel funny anymore… it wasn’t classy to make that joke or have him come out after such an emotional ‘In Memoriam’ performance by Jelly Roll like that."
During the segment, Kimmel went on to crack a number of other jokes about the former Big Bang Theory and his comedy style. He whipped: "He did not have range. He didn't need to have range. Bob had what very few comedians have, especially today: a degree in accounting."
Kimmel then noted how Newhart didn't win an Emmy Award until 2013, 51 years after he was first nominated for The Bob Newhart Show. He said: "Which is a great lesson and that lesson is: Jon Stewart, you should be ashamed of yourself. You said you were retiring."
Newhart was just one of the many famous faces in Hollywood that were honored during the In Memoriam portion of the evening that kicked off with a moving performance of Jelly Roll's song 'I Am Not Okay.' Other stars celebrated included Richard Lewis, Bob Newhart, Louis Gossett Jr., Gena Rowlands, Martin Mull, Piper Laurie, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Chance Perdomo, Carl Weathers, Dabney Coleman, Richard Moll, Susan Wojcicki, Donald Sutherland and James Earl Jones, among others.
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