Jimmy Kimmel presided over a boring Oscar ceremony, but that was probably a good thing

The Washington Post

"Boring Oscar shows aren’t the worst thing in the world," says Hank Stuever, adding that "a boring Oscar show is good for an industry trying to shuck off its past." Thanks to Kimmel, says Stuever, "the show has blessedly become more efficient — and thanks to a host such as Kimmel, less of an extravaganza of ego. It was only five years ago, after all, that host Seth MacFarlane opened — very badly, especially in hindsight — with a song called 'We Saw Your Boobs,' about actresses who have done on-screen nudity. In his second year, Kimmel has shown that the telecast needn’t be anything but sharp and sure, with a funny host whose bits are manageable, shareable and — best of all — forgotten. We’re not making showbiz history here; we’re just trying to get through another Oscar night."

ALSO:

• Early ratings show Oscars eyeing an all-time low
• Kimmel was needed more than wanted: This was the year that the host needed to fade into the background
• Kimmel was charming if predictable, but we got a glimpse of a potential riskier ceremony with Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph
• It felt like this Oscars show was in a stalemated battle with itself, but it finally settled on a message
• The ceremony was a rollercoaster when it came to progress: Two steps forward, three steps back
• Kimmel worked to keep the tone light and the outrage to a minimum
• Here's an idea: Lose the "We love the movies!" montages and ditch the stunt gags
• Kimmel's theater stunt was the biggest time-waster: Oscar hosts should quit with these "smug, unfunny stars-are-just-regular-folks moments"
• The Oscars attempt to be "woke AF" this year "almost" felt sincere
• As promised, Tiffany Haddish's Oscar dress was the same one she wore for on SNL and the Girls Trip premiere
• Kimmel left each of the 3,400 audience members an Oscars-themed lunchbox with snacks and a handwritten note
• Frances McDormand delivered one of the best Oscar speeches in years
• Jet ski winner says his short speech was an "accident"
• What did McDormand mean when she demanded an "Inclusion Rider"?
• Kimmel ended the Oscars telecast -- as he did at the Emmys -- with a shout-out to The Howard Stern Show