I watched Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue Monday night and thought, hoo boy. This is not going to end well.
Glad he and wife and producer Molly McNearney got to dress up and enjoy The Emmys at least. But I was not surprised when Kimmel was suspended today, Wednesday, by ABC.
With America ripped even further apart in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting, pressure came from affiliate owner Netstar which vowed tostop carrying Jimmy Kimmel Live on their stations effective immediately. The Federal Communications Commission, which Trump has stacked with new leadership, now says they’re looking into his comments.
Here is what the FCC will find: somebody who dared to exercise his right to the First Amendment. That is now, clearly, a reckless, fireable offense in America.
And what did Kimmel say? He said the president of the United States had an opportunity to bring people together during this tragedy, and instead once again chose to blame and divide.
He said more than that. Did I think Kimmel seemed to be asking to be fired or suspended? Yes, frankly. In this horribly divided time, Kimmel had to know anything he said about the murder of Charlie Kirk would be like lighting a fuse. With Trump launching another media lawsuit Wednesday, a $15 billion legal challenge aimed at the New York Times, ABC had to know it as well and, frankly, I’m surprised they let Monday’s episode air. The show is called Jimmy Kimmel Live, but it is taped earlier the same night, not live.
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Did ABC, which is owned by Disney, then see this as their way to shed their late night star and placate Trump? That’s a fair question, but gIve Disney credit for standing behind him this far, Cancelled trips from red states have to be making it an even smaller world at Disney parks and Marvel movie premieres.
For Kimmel, however, this was personal. His son Billy was born eight years ago with a serious heart defect. This made the talk show host very sympathetic to the plight of thousands of other parents dealing with conservative zeal to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. He knew there were many who could not afford the care and treatments he wound need to provide for his own son.
The guy who once hosted a show where, when things got dull, cameras cut to women jumping on trampolines, transformed into a staunch defender of democracy, the rule of law, and the first amendment. He went from The Man Show to The Man, the one who would not bow and gave no quarter, who put his country and hs values before himself or his career.
You can only poke a bear so long, however, especially a super touchy one. His mocking of the president was as unrelenting as the madness emanating from The White House. With no one in the Republican Party or Congress stepping up, with the Supreme Court extending Trump extreme, unprecedented powers, Kimmel became the official opposition. He was joined by Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, John Oliver, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon. Two down, four to go, five if you count Saturday Night Live.
Is it possible that Kimmel also no longer felt there was anything funny about what was happening in America? Late night talk shows are starting to feel like a whole lot of whistling past graveyards. Pretty hard to do this job I imagine if your heart and stomach are just not in it.
History will prove Kimmel was right to speak out against this outrageous attack on 250 years of American freedoms and values. Having met and interviewed him several times over the years I just like him a lot. He is a good and decent man and I sincerely hope he and his family are okay.
Once again, I want to extend to him asylum in Canada. We’re going to need his help before this is all through.
