ABC’s decision to indefinitely suspend Jimmy Kimmel and his late-night TV show has prompted a mix of satire, criticism and solidarity from fellow broadcasters Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was taken off air earlier this week when the host of the show highlighted US President Donald Trump’s indifferent response when asked by a reporter how how he was “holding up” in the wake of the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The decision to suspend Kimmel came amid pressure from the FCC and ABC’s parent company, Disney. The suspension has ignited a firestorm among fellow late-night hosts — Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and others — who are speaking out about what they see as an alarming threat to free speech in media.
What did Colbert, Stewart and Fallon say?
Colbert called the suspension “blatant censorship,” criticizing ABC and Disney for yielding to external pressure rather than defending Kimmel. He especially zeroed in on the role of FCC Chair Brendan Carr, framing the suspension as symptomatic of growing media suppression. Colbert emphasized the danger of letting “autocrats” define what counts as acceptable speech.
On “The Daily Show,” Stewart adopted a satirical approach. He referred to the new version of his show as “government-approved” and teased a “patriotically obedient host,” turning the idea of censorship into a surreal parody.
When “The Tonight Show” returned, Fallon expressed support personally for Kimmel.
“He’s a decent, funny and loving guy,” Fallon said about Kimmel, and conveyed hope that Kimmel’s show would resume soon.
Fallon also used satire to convey his message, when using what was clearly voice-overs repeatedly interrupted him, exaggerating praise for Donald Trump.
Kimmel has yet to respond to his suspension.
Trump’s disdain for late-night hosts
In July, CBS said it would cancel “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” next May. The network said it shut down the decades-old TV institution for financial reasons. But the announcement came three days after Colbert criticized the settlement between President Donald Trump and Paramount Global, parent company of CBS, over a “60 Minutes” story.
Trump expressed his delight at the decision and said he heard Kimmel would be “next.”
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
