Why Jimmy Kimmel Was Smiling During Fergie's National Anthem

Jimmy Kimmel found himself caught in the crossfire of Fergie's National Anthem fallout when he was captured smirking on camera during the NBA All-Star game, and now the late night host has offered up an explanation for his reaction.

"The reason I was smiling is because I love the National Anthem so much," he joked on Jimmy Kimmel Live. "That's the face I make when I really love a song."

Kimmel went on to poke fun at Fergie's "Star-Spangled Banner" performance, a largely derided interpretation that quickly drew ridicule online. "In hindsight, trying to work in the words, 'My humps, my humps, my lovely lady lumps' may have been a mistake," he riffed, referencing Fergie's 2005 Black Eyed Peas single, "My Humps."

The response to Fergie's rendition was so bad that the “M.I.L.F. $” singer felt the need to apologize, telling TMZ, "I'm a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn't strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best."

After reading her statement, Kimmel also had a bit of advice: "Here's the thing about taking risks, when it comes to the National Anthem: don't," he said. "Just regular is fine."

Watch a clip from Kimmel’s monologue in the video above.

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