Watch Matt Damon take his sweet revenge at the Emmys, plus other Jimmy Kimmel highlights
Jimmy Kimmel ran a tight ship at Sunday night's Emmy Awards, and he got some pretty big laughs, too. The secret of his success seems to have been modesty, his willingness to be upstaged — by Jeb Bush in the delightful opening sequence, for instance. He also played the fool to Matt Damon, the frequent (willing) butt of Kimmel's jokes on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Kimmel's show was up for an Emmy, and it's not clear what the joke would have been if he had won — he lost to John Oliver's Last Week Tonight — but since Kimmel didn't get a trophy, Damon took his revenge to his and the crowd's evident pleasure.
Bush (or "Jeb exclamation point") was only one of many stars to appear in the opening and kick Kimmel out of their vehicles — James Corden's karaoke SUV, a Modern Family minivan, the world's most infamous Ford Bronco, even a dragon.
Kimmel even shared his Emmy duties with his mother, and the kids from Stranger Things, plus some PB&J sandwiches with the poor, starving celebrities:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Finally, you can watch Kimmel's opening monologue, replete with jokes about O.J. Simpson and Donald Trump — he pointedly blamed Mark Burnett, the executive producer of NBC's The Apprentice, for Trump's candidacy.
Burnett, from Britain, responded later that Trump was eminently grateful for the free publicity, so it looks like everyone got a good laugh on Sunday.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Three fun, festive activities to make the magic happen this Christmas Day
Inspire your children to help set the table, stage a pantomime and write thank-you letters this Christmas!
By The Week Junior Published
-
The best books of 2024 to give this Christmas
The Week Recommends From Percival Everett to Rachel Clarke these are the critics' favourite books from 2024
By The Week UK Published
-
Parmigianino: The Vision of St Jerome – masterpiece given 'new lease of life'
The Week Recommends 'Spectacularly inventive' painting is back on display at the National Gallery
By The Week UK Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published