Last night’s Oscars was pretty boring, but a few things stirred me from my weed drink-induced stupor: that “Naatu Naatu” song n’ dance number, and Jenny the Donkey, the real star of Banshees of Inisherin. To Colin Farrell’s delight, host Jimmy Kimmel brought Jenny out halfway into the show, joking that, in addition to being an actor, she was also an emotional support donkey — “Or at least that’s what we told the airline to get her on the plane from Ireland.” This disturbed me, because a wee little donkey like Jenny should never get on a plane, even for the Oscars. Also, as we reported yesterday, Jenny was supposed to be living a quiet life in the Irish midlands! So, what gives? A Vulture source cleared things up, revealing that, actually, the Jenny at the Oscars was “just a random donkey.” BAMBOOZLEMENT!
Here’s Fake-Jenny’s bit at the Oscars:
Jenny from ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ made her #Oscars debut! pic.twitter.com/sR8Sb4A82x
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) March 13, 2023
The Vulture piece also revealed that Real-Jenny never has to lift a tiny hoof ever again:
Real Jenny fans know she is living off her Banshees bag in a donkey’s paradise. “Martin fell so in love with her that he never wanted her to work again,” her former trainer, Rita Moloney of Fircroft Animal Actors, told Vulture in October. “He asked if she could just do this movie and then retire. Now she’s just a happy donkey running with other miniature donkeys. I only saw her about three weeks ago down in County Carlow, and she’s looking fine, fit, and healthy. She’s just living the dream.”
Listen, I’m glad they didn’t send Real-Jenny 15,000 feet into the sky, but I feel pretty stupid for falling for this cheap trick. One might say I feel like… an ass? Pause for groans and boos… and we’re back! What I will say about Fake-Jenny is that she (or he, who knows?) is nearly identical to Real-Jenny. Maybe the Oscars shoulda pulled a Fake Jenny switcheroo for the human no-shows as well. “And the Oscar goes to… some guy who kinda looks like James Cameron!”
Pic: Twitter