Twitter Is Furious About The Question Jimmy Kimmel Asked Malala
By Rebekah Gonzalez
March 13, 2023
Nobel Peace Prize winner and education activist Malala Yousafzai made her Oscars debut at the 2023 awards show on Sunday night (March 12th). During the broadcast, the show's host Jimmy Kimmel talked to the 25-year-old human rights activist, who served as an executive producer for the nominated documentary short Stranger at the Gate, as she sat in the audience next to her husband, Asser Malik, and people on Twitter were not happy about the interaction.
During a bit where he asked guests questions sent in by viewers, Kimmel asked Malala a question from someone who wanted to know, "As the youngest Nobel Prize winner in history, I was wondering, do you think Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine?” After a short pause and laughs from the audience, Malala responded, "I only talk about peace."
Jimmy Kimmel asks Malala Yousafzai a viewer question: “As the youngest Nobel Prize winner in history, I was wondering, do you think Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine?”
— ABC News (@ABC) March 13, 2023
“I only talk about peace.” #Oscars#Oscars95https://t.co/OizA2V2cyr pic.twitter.com/krf3VvN7os
Many viewers weren't fans of the playful interaction and immediately took to Twitter to share their opinions. "Malala has been such an iconic figure for activism for about a decade now and a literal nobel peace prize winner and u ask her about spitgate ?!," one fan wrote, with many others agreeing that moment was "cringe" and disrespectful to Malala. Another fan wrote, "I feel like a more respectful joke could have landed much better - and something maybe easier to respond to?"
People were also upset about what Kimmel said following Malala's response. "That's why you're Malala and nobody else is. That's a great answer, Malala," he said before riffing, "And the winner is Ma-Lala Land everybody," he said, referencing the 2016 film La La Land. "Did Jimmy Kimmel just make a racist joke about Malala’s name bro liberalism has not evolved one bit in a billion years," one fan shared.
Furthermore, the person wearing the Cocaine Bear suit after presenting with the film's director Elizabeth Banks went up to Malala in another bit shortly after. "Hearing the words “cocaine bear leave malala alone” has caused me psychic damage," one fan said. Malala's official Twitter account reacted to the moment shortly after it was shared online and responded with, "Treat people with kindness." Check out some of Twitter's reactions below:
Treat people with kindness✌️ https://t.co/ZvUVHcrTBJ
— Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) March 13, 2023
malala has been such an iconic figure for activism for about a decade now and a literal nobel peace prize winner and u ask her about spitgate ?! 😭
— 🐄 (@pIanetmarss) March 13, 2023
hearing the words “cocaine bear leave malala alone” has caused me psychic damage
— regretfully, alise (@AliseNavidad) March 13, 2023
I can’t get over Malala Land pic.twitter.com/E4foWVwElM
— Hunter (@poshspicelatte) March 13, 2023
How Malala looked at Kimmel when he asked her those disgraceful questions #Oscars pic.twitter.com/Il1lyABNlE
— Lusey (@itsslusey) March 13, 2023
Jimmy Kimmel saying: “Cocaine Bear leave Malala alone!” is somehow a sentence that summarizes the insanity of the past two decades.
— “Internet Conor” (@conorjrogers) March 13, 2023
to clarify: they're cutting off people's speeches so they can fit in *checks notes* someone in a bear suit bothering Malala?#Oscars
— Lillie Lainoff (@lillielainoff) March 13, 2023
imagine getting to speak to malala and u ask her what she thinks about harry styles and chris pine beefing.. insane
— suri (@suricidal) March 13, 2023
having malala there and asking her about harry styles is genuinely so stupid
— gee 💎 (@geeonfilm) March 13, 2023
Did Jimmy Kimmel just make a racist joke about Malala’s name bro liberalism has not evolved one bit in a billion years
— One More Baklava (@ShpongledHard) March 13, 2023
jimmy kimmel will pay for making malala answer that question btw
— carey (@brokebackstan) March 13, 2023
“the winner is malala land” pic.twitter.com/LCPJTTkjAV
— elle (@madmens4e7) March 13, 2023
why the hell did jimmy kimmel go up to malala, make that corny ass chris pine and harry styles joke and then call her malala land?? what is wrong with this man 😭 #oscars pic.twitter.com/3Ld73NPcgX
— yee yee (@yEeyEe006) March 13, 2023