Whereas Thursday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was preempted by a rerun of “Celebrity Family Feud,” persevering with ABC’s indefinite suspension of the discuss present, a few of Kimmel’s late-night colleagues used their platform to pontificate.
On “The Daily Show,” which airs on Paramount-owned Comedy Central and has rotating hosts, Jon Stewart suited up for emceeing duties exterior his traditional Monday slot. Desi Lydic had been internet hosting this week, however the comic had one thing to say in regards to the points surrounding his buddy Kimmel.
Stewart leaned heavy into irony from the beginning of the present, saying it’s now the “all new, government-approved” model, and was launched because the night’s “patriotically obedient host.” Stewart continuously scolded the viewers for laughing at his sarcastic pandering to the Trump administration. He mentioned the present was being taped within the “crime-ridden cesspool that is New York City” and notes that “someone’s National Guard should invade this place, am I right?”
“I don’t know who this ‘Johnny Drimmel Live’ ABC character is, but the point is, our great administration has laid out very clear rules on free speech,” Stewart mentioned. “Some naysayers may argue that this administration’s speech concerns are merely a cynical ploy, a thin gruel of a ruse, a smoke screen to obscure an unprecedented consolidation of power and unitary intimidation, principleless and coldly antithetical to any experiment in a constitutional republic governance. Some people would say that. Not me, though, I think it’s great.”
Stewart and the correspondents then serenaded the president with an off-key tune stuffed with compliments and praises.
Seth Meyers, host of NBC’s “Late Night,” additionally didn’t keep away from the subject. He opened his phase “A Closer Look” on Thursday by cracking jokes about how something destructive he’s mentioned in regards to the president is an AI-generated deepfake. “I’ve always believed he was a visionary, an innovator, a great president and even better golfer,” he joked.
“Trump promised to end government censorship and bring back free speech, and he’s doing the opposite, and it has experts worried that we’re rapidly devolving into an oppressive autocracy in the style of Russia or Hungary, much faster than anyone could have predicted,” Meyers continued.
The host additionally commented on his private relationship with Kimmel, saying it’s a “privilege and an honor” to be his buddy, in the identical method he feels privileged to host his personal present. “I wake up every day, I count my blessings that I live in a country that at least purports to value freedom of speech, and we’re going to keep doing our show the way we’ve always done it, with enthusiasm and integrity,” he mentioned.
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” added David Remnick, the editor in chief of the New Yorker, to its lineup Thursday, which already included CNN journalist Jake Tapper. Colbert’s present generated its personal headlines this summer season when CBS introduced the late-night discuss present can be canceled after the season wraps in Could 2026 — successfully ending the franchise after 33 years on the air. The choice, the corporate mentioned, was attributable to monetary causes relatively than a response to Colbert’s criticism of a deal between the Trump administration and Paramount, the guardian firm of CBS, the community that airs “The Late Show,” as many have speculated.
Colbert used his vocal skills Thursday to sing a tune in regards to the state of affairs, presenting a brief tune as a message from ABC and its guardian firm, Walt Disney. The tune was to the tune of “Be Our Guest,” the “Beauty and The Beast” basic — besides the repeating chorus is “shut your trap.”
Colbert sings as an animated clip of the candlestick character Lumière from the film performs, however he’s donning a purple MAGA hat right here. “Shut your trap, we’re warning you to cut the crap. Our dear leader’s skin is thinner than a sheet of plastic wrap,” he sings.”Mum’s the phrase, have you ever heard, kissing ass is what’s most well-liked. Don’t insult our nice dictator or he’ll hit you with this turd,” the tune continues as a photograph of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr seems on display screen.
“The new rule at ABC: Don’t make fun of Donny T,” he sings. “So don’t you make a scene or mention Jeff Epstein, or your show will be scrapped — shut your trap.”
Colbert additionally spoke in regards to the suspension in a monologue, studying a social media put up from Carr that mentioned “While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values.”
“You know what my community values are, buster?” Colbert requested. “Freedom of speech.”
Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly can be scheduled to look in an episode of “The Late Show” airing Monday; Kelly final appeared on the present final 12 months forward of the November 2024 presidential election, discussing border safety and gun reform.
Earlier on Thursday, whereas participating in a panel dialog moderated by the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, late-night veteran David Letterman, who as soon as helmed “The Late Show” on CBS, described this week’s flip of occasions as “misery.”
“In the world of somebody who’s an authoritarian, maybe a dictatorship, sooner or later, everyone is going to be touched,” Letterman mentioned. He first addressed what transpired with Colbert and the cancellation of “The Late Show,” alluding to political stress as the actual perpetrator, earlier than addressing the choice to yank Kimmel’s present.
“I just feel bad about this because we all see where this is going, correct?” he mentioned. “It’s managed media. And it’s no good. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous. And you can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian — a criminal — administration in the Oval Office. That’s just not how this works.”
With three a long time within the late-night circuit, Letterman by no means shied from mocking presidents: “Beating up on these people,” he mentioned, “rightly or wrongly, accurately or perhaps inaccurately, in the name of comedy — not once were we squeezed by anyone from any government agency, let alone the dreaded FCC.”
ABC carried out the choice to take Kimmel off the air Wednesday after the comic and host made feedback about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s loss of life throughout his opening monologue on Monday evening.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel mentioned.
Kimmel has not but commented publicly on the matter. However his present’s suspension shortly ignited fierce debate, with critics accusing ABC and its guardian firm, Disney, of capitulating to political stress. Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Fee, mentioned Wednesday that his company would possibly take motion towards ABC due to Kimmel’s feedback.
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney,” Carr mentioned on the Benny Johnson podcast. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
In the meantime, Kimmel’s fictional late-night competitor, Deborah Vance, has an opinion on the ordeal — or relatively, actor Jean Sensible does. She could solely play a late-night tv host on TV, however the “Hacks” actress was fast to share her ideas on the choice to tug Kimmel from the air: “What Jimmy said was FREE speech, not hate speech,” Sensible shared in an Instagram put up. “People seem to only want to protect free speech when its suits THEIR agenda.” (Kimmel made a cameo within the latest season of “Hacks.”)
She went on to write down: “Thought I didn’t agree at ALL with Charlie Kirk; his shooting death sickened me; and should have sickened any decent human being. What is happening to our country?”
