The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is ready to respond to potentially unscripted incidents at the 2023 Oscars.
In an interview with Time, Bill Kramer, the CEO of The Academy, was asked about the choice to pick comedian Jimmy Kimmel to host the show.
“It’s so important to have a host who knows how to handle live television and a live audience,” Kramer responded. “That’s a very specific skill, and there aren’t a lot of people who can do that well. Jimmy is a dream to work with. He’s funny; he’s respectful; his edges aren’t too sharp.”
He also predicted viewers will see a “show that is much more immersive, much more nominee-focused, and much more focused on all of the disciplines of filmmaking.”
When asked if “any measures are being put in place this year for potential surprises,” Kramer said, “Absolutely. And that’s why you want someone like Jimmy on stage who is used to dealing with live TV: Things don’t always go as planned. So you have a host in place who can really pivot and manage those moments.”
He explained:
“We have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place. We’ve run many scenarios. So it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we’re planning for just in case it does happen.”
Kramer continued, “We’ve opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars. But these crisis plans—the crisis communication teams and structures we have in place—allow us to say this is the group that we have to gather very quickly.”
He noted the plans lay out a process for choosing a spokesperson and developing a statement to respond to any potential incident.
During the 2022 Oscars, comedian Chris Rock made a joke about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, because of her hair.
“Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it,” Rock said.
As The New York Times notes, Pinkett Smith has alopecia which is a condition that leads to hair loss.
After the joke, Will Smith walked up on stage and smacked Rock.
Flashback:
Upon returning to his seat, he could be heard saying, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!”
Smith was later banned from attending events hosted by The Academy, including the Oscars, for 10 years. He also resigned from the organization.
