Jimmy Kimmel Live!: The top 3 most viral moments
By Matt Moore
Jimmy Kimmel Live! celebrates 20 years on the air tonight. And in that time, no late-night TV show has made the most of the internet and going viral.
Thursday night’s show will pay homage to the 2003 premiere of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The same guest lineup of George Clooney, Snoop Dogg, and Coldplay are scheduled to appear.
Kimmel has been reminiscing about his 20-year run on late-night TV all week. He’s looked back at some of his favorite moments, including interviews, pranks, and more.
The occasion also gives us a chance to look at the viral segments that have helped Kimmel stay on the air and at the top of his game. Here are the three most popular clips from the official Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel.
3. The Avengers cast draws themselves on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Technically, this is the fourth most popular clip on the channel. But we’re taking some creative license to avoid a repeat (more on that later). Plus, there’s never a bad time to revisit the Avengers cast on late-night TV.
The press run for Avengers: Infinity War was unlike anything else we’ve seen and only outdone by the tour for Avengers: Endgame. As the official late-night TV home of all things Marvel, Jimmy Kimmel Live! benefited the most.
Robert Downey Jr., Zoe Saldana, Paul Bettany, Pom Klementieff and Tom Holland visited in April 2018. Kimmel asked the Iron Man, Gamora, Vision, Mantis, and Spider-Man actors to draw their characters and the sketches would be auctioned off for charity.
The thumbnail does a lot of the heavy lifting here bringing eyes to the video. The clip boasts 74 million views, with most likely intrigued by “Downey’s” surprise artistic abilities.
2. Jimmy Kimmel surprises a Justin Bieber fan
Justin Bieber released his debut studio album in 2010 and cemented himself as one of the definitive teen pop idols. It was also the same year Jimmy Kimmel used him to deliver what has become one of the show’s most-watched moments.
The clip stands as an example of how Kimmel and his team used viral videos to create more viral moments. Countless ordinary people have appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! after getting millions of YouTube views for a talent, spontaneous moment, or in this case, a love for Justin Bieber.
Kimmel put together a surprise meeting for the tiny Bieber fan that struck a chord with fans. The video has amassed 77 million views over the years.
1. Jimmy Kimmel’s Mean Tweets, Volume 7
Jimmy Kimmel Live! debuted “Mean Tweets” 10 years ago. Since then, the phrase has gone mainstream and everyone from Tom Brady to Barack Obama has read tweets on the air.
But the seventh edition of the bit has become the most popular. The May 2014 edition features Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle, Ashton Kutcher, Courteney Cox, Andy Garcia, Mindy Kaling, David Blaine, Don Rickles, Ethan Hawke, Matthew McConaughey, June Squibb, Jeremy Piven, Kit Harrington, Emma Stone, Gary Oldman, and Sofia Vergara.
So far, it has 93 million views on YouTube. Volume 8 has 75 million views. That’s good enough for Kimmel’s third most-watched clip, but we replaced it with the Avengers gag.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why this edition caught on the way it did. Maybe it’s hearing Gary Oldman crack up at being roasted. Or Sofia Vergara’s unexpected but hilarious comeback.
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What is your favorite viral moment from Jimmy Kimmel? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!