Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel delivered plenty of zingers aimed at President Donald Trump during Sunday night’s show, with scores of celebrities donning pins in support of Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and other such causes.
But while political quips and frustrations emerged throughout the show, Kimmel did have some strong and uniting words for Americans during his opening monologue, briefly addressing the intense division that has gripped the nation.
“As you know, I don’t have to tell anybody the country is divided right now. I’ve been getting a lot of advice — people have been telling me, ‘It’s time to bring everyone together. You need to say something to unite us,'” Kimmel said, before veering off into a joke. “And let’s just get something straight off the top … I can’t do that.”
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The comedian proceeded to say there’s “only one Braveheart” in the room, referring to actor Mel Gibson and his iconic movie role, joking, “And he’s not going to unite us either, okay?” Laughs abounded, but while Kimmel said he himself isn’t the guy to single-handedly unite the country, he did have a message for every American about what they can do to help mend the divide.
“You know, if every person watching this show — I don’t want to get too serious, but there are millions and millions of people watching right now, and if every one of you took a minute to reach out to one person you disagree with — someone you like — and have a positive considerate conversation, not as liberals or conservatives, as Americans, if we would all do that, we could make America great again,” Kimmel proclaimed. “We really could. It starts with us.”
Of course, he didn’t stay in serious mode for too long, promptly delving back into his jokes and quips. Still, it was a standout moment during a key time in his opening — and one worth watching.
Watch Kimmel’s comments about unity below:
The comedian did, of course, proceed to skewer Trump during other parts of the monologue.
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