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Jimmy Kimmel’s Pre-‘In Memoriam’ Robert Blake Joke At The Oscars Left Viewers Feeling Divided

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The 2023 Oscars were bound to be a mostly civilized affair because, and this is sheer speculation, that’s the natural bounce-back reaction the year after an Oscar nominee-about-to-be-turned-winner hauls off and Slaps the host. This year, the emphasis was on the awards with a few sparse moments raising eyebrows. Surely, the actual Slap jokes could have gone a lot further.

One (unrelated) joke may have gone too far, according to some people, although other people couldn’t help but snort-laugh. That would be Jimmy Kimmel’s nearly offhanded mention of a phone-in poll to ask viewers if Beretta and In Cold Blood star Robert Blake should be included in the customary “In Memoriam” section of the broadcast. Blake, of course, remained a controversial figure — due to being criminally acquitted but held civilly liable in his wife’s 2001 death — up until his death late last week at age 89.

Andrew Garfield’s instant meme face (from earlier in the broadcast) became a handy social media reaction when Kimmel offered his most incendiary joke of the evening.

Very quickly, people reacted. Blake passed only a few days ago, so perhaps it’s too soon? A vocal contingent, however, enjoyed the morbid nature of the joke, both despite and in spite of its savageness.

Still, others were not fans of the joke and did feel that it should have been skipped and/or Blake should have been included in the segment.

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