Oscars 2023: Viewers are calling for an end to 'boring and unimaginative' Will Smith jokes

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By stefan armitage

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As we reach the halfway point of tonight's 2023 Academy Awards, some viewers have already had enough of the Will Smith jokes.

Let's be honest, it was inevitable that last year's events were going to be brought up during tonight's 95th annual Oscars event.

Just in case you've forgotten (which we highly doubt), Smith's Best Actor win last year was tarnished after he took to the stage to slap comedian Chris Rock around the face.

While presenting an award, Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head (a choice she made following a battle with alopecia). "Jada, I love ya! G.I. Jane 2 - can't wait to see it," Rock quipped.

Check out the infamous moment below:

The incident has continued to make headlines throughout the year, and Smith was eventually handed a 10-year ban from the event.

But despite there being no sight of Will this year, that doesn't mean he isn't being referenced... a lot.

During host Jimmy Kimmel's opening monologue, the 55-year-old made repeated references to Smith's slap, saying:

"We want you to have fun, we want you to be safe and we want me to be safe.

"If any person in this theater commits an act of violence, you will be awarded best actor and be allowed to give a 19-minute speech."

Check out Kimmel's speech below:

He continued: "But seriously, the Academy has a crisis team in place. If anything unpredictable or violent happens during the ceremony, just do what you did last year... Nothing. Sit there and do absolutely nothing. Maybe even give the assailant a hug."

Then, later in the evening, Kimmel joked about the audience wanting another incident like the slap as the evening started dragging on. He asked the crowd: "This point of the show kind of makes you miss the slapping a little, right?"

But, many viewers feel like enough is enough, and have called for an end to the "boring" and "unimaginative" Smith jokes.

"Here’s an idea: let’s stop making boring, unimaginative, unfunny Will Smith ‘jokes’", one viewer tweeted, with a second adding: "OMG stop mentioning Will Smith Jimmy Kimmel. Get new jokes already."

A third tweeted: "Yo @TheAcademy, stop cutting people off just so Jimmy Kimmel can make his 5th Will Smith joke. That’s gotta be the worst feeling for them."

Another added: "can jimmy fallon stop with the will smith jokes? everything out of his mouth is about 'keeping your hands to yourself.' just shut up. #Oscars"

Let's see how the rest of the show goes.

Featured image credit: REUTERS / Alamy