Jimmy Kimmel Ran Right at His Critics

"Jimmy Kimmel returned to late night yesterday after nearly a week off the air with a monologue that largely dispensed with laughs. Instead, over the course of nearly 20 minutes, he ran right at his critics, and stated plainly what many commentators have argued since production of Jimmy Kimmel Live was suspended last Wednesday: "Our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television.""

"It was a forceful beginning to the episode, but also a fairly sober one-a speech that underlined the surreality of recent events, during which an irreverent talk-show comedian became a government target and a chilling, public example of the erosion of constitutional rights under President Donald Trump. Kimmel, who has spent most of his late-night career as a flippant, but not particularly scandalous figure, acknowledged just how scary things had become that the White House might take aim at him."

Jimmy Kimmel returned after nearly a week off with a nearly 20-minute monologue that largely dispensed with laughs and confronted critics. He declared that government cannot control television speech. The monologue framed recent events as surreal, describing an irreverent talk-show comedian becoming a government target and an example of eroding constitutional rights under President Donald Trump. Kimmel acknowledged the fear of White House attention and said the show itself was unimportant compared with living in a country that allows such shows. Production resumed after a tense week for ABC and Disney amid protests and public pressure from FCC chairman Brendan Carr.

Read at The Atlantic