Oscars 2022: The best jokes from presenters Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes opening
These are the best jokes from the 2022 Oscars' opening gambit
The Oscars 2022 naturally kicked off with jokes galore from the hosts, Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, and Regina Hall.
No movie was safe from the good-natured fun, with Sykes saying of Best Picture nominee The Power of the Dog: "I watched that movie three times and I'm halfway through it." Don't Look Up got a sly remark from Schumer, too, with the comedian commenting the Academy "Don't Look Up reviews." Ouch.
As for the movie's lead actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, he wasn't spared either. Schumer talked of his environmental work for the planet, and joked: "He will leave it in a better shape for his girlfriends."
On the topic of relationships, Schumer pointed out the couples nominated together, like Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem... and Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal. They are, of course, siblings. Cue Jake's "WTF" face.
Some high-profile snubs were also spotlighted: Jared Leto and Lady Gaga for the "House of Random accents" (AKA House of Gucci). The hosts also made fun of King Richard, pointing out that women's stories have been ignored, so it's good that there's a movie about Venus and Serena William's... dad. Will Smith laughed, though, so it's all good.
The opening also addressed some serious issues. Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill was soundly mocked by Sykes and her fellow hosts. "We're going to have a great night tonight, and for you people in Florida, we're going to have a gay night," she said, before all three chanted "gay" over and over. There was also a joke about the Golden Globes being included in the In Memoriam segment because "they didn't have any Black people."
The night's biggest controversy (at least, the biggest controversy before the show began...) was also mentioned – multiple categories this year were not broadcast live. The hosts joked that everyone was over that, and then the set started to flicker...
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Check out the full Oscars 2022 winners list to find out all the night's big winners. The biggest talking point, however, ended up being an on-stage altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock.
I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.