Kimmel praises ‘Me Too’ during Oscars speech: ‘The world is watching us’

Host Jimmy Kimmel addressed the “Me Too” and “Times Up” movements head-on during his Academy Awards opening monologue, telling the audience amid one-liners that Hollywood is “clueless” when it comes to women.

“This is a night for positivity,” the second-time Oscars host said Sunday as he kicked off the 90^th annual awards show in Los Angeles.

“What happened with Harvey [Weinstein] and what’s happening all over was long overdue,” Kimmel told the star-studded crowd, referring to the former Hollywood mega-producer who was accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct.

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“We can’t let bad behavior slide anymore,” Kimmel, 50, said.

His monologue came as Hollywood continues to reel from a string of allegations against prominent male celebrities that began in force following the publication of articles accusing Weinstein of sexual assault. The “Me Too” and “Times Up” movements were started in response to raise awareness of sexual misconducted directed at women across a variety of professions.

“The world is watching us. We need to set an example,” Kimmel said. “If we can work together to stop sexual harassment in the workplace, if we can do that, women will only have to deal with harassment all the time and every other place they go.”

Kimmel skewered Hollywood’s culture toward women, saying, “Here’s how clueless Hollywood is about women: We made a movie called ‘What Women Want’ and it starred Mel Gibson. That’s all you need to know.”

Admiring an oversize trophy on the stage, Kimmel said, “Oscar is the most beloved and respected man in Hollywood and there’s a very good reason why.”

“Keeps his hands where you can see them, never says a rude word, and, most importantly, no penis at all. He is literally a statue of limitations,” the comedian said to laughs. “That’s the kind of man we need more of in this town.”

While saying “things are changing for the better,” Kimmel noted, “Only 11 percent of movies are directed by women and that is nuts. We still have a very long way to go in that department. And a very long way to go when it comes to equal pay.”

A frequent critic of President Trump on his ABC late-night show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” the host largely veered away from mentioning the commander-in-chief.

Kimmel’s single shot against Trump in his opening remarks came while praising a Best Picture nominee: “None other than President Trump called ‘Get Out’ the best first three-quarters of a movie this year.”