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Emmys 2020: Are they showing last year's audience? 'Embarrassed' fans say Jimmy Kimmel's jokes aren't hitting

An Internet user asked, 'Are these folks at the Emmys with no masks or are they last year's audience?'

Are they showing last year’s audience at this year's Emmys? This is the question the Internet is asking as host Jimmy Kimmel took the stage at an empty venue in Los Angeles for the 2020 Emmy Awards. "Welcome to the 'pandemmys.' Thank you for risking everything to be here," Kimmel said as he took the stage and a video showing last year’s audience featured. The footage from last year's Emmys audience was digitized to act as his audience, which has irked many on social media. 
 
Kimmel also poked fun at the timing of the awards as he said, "The big question I guess we should answer is, why would you have an award show in the middle of a pandemic? No, seriously I'm asking. Why are we having an awards show?" Meanwhile, as he spoke, the digitized audience was removed to show the empty Staples Center area he was actually addressing. "I am up here all alone. Just like prom night," he said, adding, "of course I'm here all alone. This isn't a MAGA rally. This is the Emmys." 
 
"We filled the seats with cardboard cuts outs," Kimmel further said showing cutouts of stars such as Meryl Streep and Regina King in front of him. This was not taken well by social media users who asked if Kimmel poked fun at the MAGA rallies, while others expressed their disappointment over the fake audience. 

"Is it wrong to suspect that Kimmel’s Emmys opener with audience shots from last year's show was partially aimed at MAGA folks who would tweet indignantly about Hollywood/celebrities/California/liberals (pick one!) being hypocrites about social distancing?" asked a user, while another wrote, "Jimmy Kimmel's monologue was good and funny. Good trick they used footage from last year's Emmys so that Jimmy have an audience to tell jokes to." 

A user asked, "Are these folks at the Emmys with no masks or are they last year's audience?" Meanwhile, others made fun of the footage with one user saying, "The Emmy's is actually using audience footage from last year. help. I can’t breathe." An enraged user wrote, "I don’t like this #Emmys deep fake with last year’s audience. They should put up disclaimers for the dummies." 

A user poked fun at how the jokes do not have the feel without an audience. "Lol, that Stanley Cup joke really just doesn't hit without an audience at all. Eyikes. #Emmys". Another concurred, "These jokes just aren't hitting with no audience I feel so embarrassed."