Host Jimmy Kimmel offers Lake Havasu trip for shortest Oscars speech
Mar 4, 2018, 8:01 PM | Updated: Mar 5, 2018, 11:02 am
Host Jimmy Kimmel speaks at the Oscars on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
PHOENIX — Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel first dangled an $18,000 jet ski as an award to whomever gave the award show’s shortest acceptance speech.
That wasn’t the only carrot dangled to keep the primetime show moving along quickly, but an additional reward took what some perceived as a jab at one of Arizona’s more well-known vacation spots.
Later in the Oscars awards show on Sunday evening, Kimmel added a complementary item to that jet ski — a trip to stay at the Days Inn in Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
“We’re sweetening the pot,” Kimmel said as a fake Lake Havasu tourism ad played.
Apparently, not everyone appreciated the joke by Kimmel, who probably knows Lake Havasu City having attended Arizona State University.
Former “Jeopardy” heavyweight Ken Jennings came to Arizona’s defense.
I don’t appreciate these smug Hollywood elites sneering at Lake Havasu Arizona.
— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) March 5, 2018
The reaction after the slight sent Lake Havasu City’s way ranged from agreement to anger.
On top of that, there were people who just didn’t know that Lake Havasu is a real place.
Who wouldn't want to win this? #LakeHavasu #Oscars pic.twitter.com/DpYgNdR6Zt
— Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) March 5, 2018
Lake Havasu??? where is that……. Jimmy not landing these jokes… #bgnoscarwatchparty #Oscars pic.twitter.com/WgYCYW4k22
— Drea (@naturcurlygirl) March 5, 2018
Lake Havasu looks decent…. #oscars 2018 #lakehavasu pic.twitter.com/3EhHx88fDg
— Matthew Payton (@paytesy89) March 5, 2018
Kimmel ups ante for Jet Ski contest. Winner of shortest acceptance speech also gets weekend at Lake Havasu – where Arizona comes to play. #Oscars2018
— Bill Brownstein (@billbrownstein) March 5, 2018
Looking forward to the eventual #Oscars winner posting jet-ski vacation pics from Lake Havasu.
— Alonso Duralde 🌹 (@ADuralde) March 5, 2018
Hey! Lake Havasu isn’t that bad… plus they shot Piranha 3D there and I like that movie. PLUS PLUS I was there when they shot it. Walked right past Jerry O’Connell and Elizabeth Shue. I was like woah, that’s cool. Anyways… #Oscars
— Christian Ruvalcaba (@Cobbster15) March 5, 2018
Kimmel sweetens the jet ski pot with a trip to the painfully average-looking Lake Havasu (Arizona)#Jetskiwatch #Oscars
— Josh K. Elliott (@joshkelliott) March 5, 2018
Wait… And a trip to Lake Havasu #Oscars90 #jetski pic.twitter.com/pg1vYahvb4
— The Lue Crew (@TheLueCrew) March 5, 2018
