CLEVELAND, Ohio — ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and Jimmy-Free Speech-Madison Live were revived and returned to ABC’s late-night lineup they should have never been suspended from even temporarily.
Wednesday night Kimmel delivered record ratings with a four-star MAGAnificent monologue. The first star being the First Amendment right to free speech, first drafted by another Jimmy, James Madison.
Both Jimmy’s were ‘Live’ everywhere except ABC-Affiliate Nextstar and Sinclair stations owned in Ohio and the rest of the nation that make up 1/3 of American-TV homes. So Nextstar and Sinclair still suspended/pre-empted the founding fathers and First Amendment from 25% of the United States. Not even King George or Vladimir Putin have been able to do that.
Kimmel’s monologue drew tears from him, laughs and BIG, BEAUTIFUL RATINGS of 6.3 million TV viewers and more than 26 million online views.
The most-viewed Kimmel episode before had been when he emotionally discussed his young son’s heart disease.
As he had then, Kimmel became emotional again near the start of his opening monologue and at the end talking of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and his widow, Erika.
Kimmel clarified his point from the past monologue that sparked his suspension for 48 hours:
“I do want to make something clear because it’s important to me as a human. And that is you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
“I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed sending love to his family and asking for compassion and I meant it and I still do. Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what… was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make.”
“But I understand that to some that felt either ill-timed or unclear or maybe both. And for those who think I did point a finger, I get why your’e upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way.”
“I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to even though we don’t agree on politics at all. I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution, and it isn’t it, ever.”
“And also selfishly, I am a person who gets a lot of threats. I get many ugly and scary threats against my life, my wife, my kids, my co-workers because of what I choose to say. And I know those threats don’t come from the kind of people on the right who I know and love. So that’s what I wanted to say on the that subject.”
When Kimmel spoke of “many friends and family members on the other side” and threats against him, it hit close to home. He could have been speaking for me and I suspect many if not all other political cartoonists and comedians.
Kimmel’s opening monologue ended with him shedding candle light on the words of wisdom and grace from Erika Kirk: