Jimmy Kimmel is back – mainly. The actor returned on Tuesday on television at the end of the evening after a six -day suspension by Disney, the owner of the ABC company, for comments he made on the man who would have shot the conservative activist Charlie Kirk two weeks ago.
In his opening monologue, Mr. Kimmel discussed the controversy around his remarks, in which he had suggested, without evidence, that Mr. Kirk’s accused killer came from the Maga movement. He did not apologize. But he torn apart, saying that it was never his intention “to shed light on the murder of a young man”. And he said that he understood why those who thought he would “point a finger” on the conservatives had angry.
However, he clearly told his audience that he had no intention of shooting for President Donald Trump.
Why we wrote this
The impacts of the six -day suspension of the actor Jimmy Kimmel can persist – because both an example of the Trump administration’s efforts to suppress the speech which, according to him, goes against the public interest, as well as what the success could look like.
“He did his best to cancel me; he rather forced millions of people to watch the show,” said Kimmel. “It turned very much. He may have to release Epstein files to distract us This NOW.”
Mr. Kimmel would have established the terms of his return to his late evening show directly with the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, who had faced a torrent of criticism – including the former CEO of Disney, Michael Eisner. “Where did all leaders go?” Mr. Eisner posted on September 19.
Everyone who wanted to watch the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” When broadcasting, television could do so. Two groups of ABC affiliated companies – Some 70 stations in all, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group – have chosen to continue to premented the show indefinitely. Together, they represent almost 30% of ABC stations, dispersed in the country, including the subsidiary of Washington, DC. Viewers could always watch the show via web streaming services.
Despite the return of Mr. Kimmel, the reverberations of this particular skirmish can persist – as an example of the Trump administration’s efforts to suppress the Unwelcome Discourse, as well as what a success could look like. President Trump hinted on Tuesday that he could continue ABC, about the return of Mr. Kimmel.
“In some respects, freedom of expression is probably at an inflection point,” said Heather Hendershot, a media historian at the Northwestern University in Chicago.
She suggests that the government “tests waters” to see if he can get away with entertainment programming with a political angle. “If they can get away with it, the news is the next one is my concern,” said Professor Hendershot. “It’s a fairly dangerous moment.”
Ilya Shapiro, director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Conservative Institute, offers little optimism in the predictable future.
“The culture of freedom of expression has experienced better days,” says Shapiro. “And with the generally polarized nature of our civilian discourse and the low confidence of the society we have, we are not in a very healthy place in terms of exchange of free and open ideas.”
For Mr. Kimmel, the return to the airwaves represents a victory. Some 400 Hollywood celebrities, including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Jennifer Aniston, signed a letter supporting freedom of expression and defending Mr. Kimmel. The Disney + streaming service has seen a wave of subscribers from subscribers in response to its “indefinite suspension” and the course of Disney’s action has dropped.
Kimmel’s break was triggered by this declaration in its monologue of September 15: “We hit new stockings during the weekend with the gang Maga trying desperately to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as something other than one of them, and by doing everything they can to score political points.”
The commentary triggered a reaction from the conservatives, including the president of the Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr, who asked for the suspension of Mr. Kimmel, adding: “We can do so easy or the way to the hard.”
Nexstar, it should be noted, a business before the FCC concerning its planned merger with TEGNA, a dissemination company, digital media and marketing services.
Some have heard crowd connotations in Mr. Carr’s comments – including the conservative senator of the Texas GOP Ted Cruz. Senator Cruz said about his podcast: “I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said”, but the comment of the President of the FCC sounded “immediately” Goodfellas “.
Popular Podcastor Joe Rogan, a supporter of Mr. Trump, called those who applauded the suspension of Mr. Kimmel “Folle”.
“I certainly do not think that the government should be involved to dictate what an actor can or cannot say in a monologue,” said Rogan.
Mr. Kimmel has made a duty to thank all the conservative voices that had spoken in his name in recent days, saying: “Perhaps above all, I would like to thank people who do not support my program and what I believe – but support my right to share these beliefs, anyway.”
Trump persisted in slamming Mr. Kimmel from the start of the controversy. Tuesday evening, the president weighed again on his social media platform.
“I cannot believe that the false news ABC gave Jimmy Kimmel his work to Jimmy Kimmy,” published the president, ending with his usual derision by Kimmel on the notes. (In fact, television at the end of the evening has been confronted with a drop in grades in recent years, because media consumption habits have changed.) Mr. Trump accused Kimmel of being “an arm” of the National Democratic Committee, and said that he could “test ABC on this subject”, noting that his defamation trial against the Network Division has resulted in a cup of $ 16 million last year.
Mr. Kimmel postponed directly Tuesday evening.
“The President of the United States clearly said he wanted to see me, me and the hundreds of people working here, have taken our jobs,” he said. “Our leader celebrates the Americans who lose their livelihoods because he cannot make a joke.”
In the end, the actor expressed his gratitude for the freedoms that come from life in the United States – and he urged the Americans not to take them for granted.
“This show is not important,” he said. “What is important is that we live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”
