Jimmy Kimmel will return to the airwaves next Tuesday after a brief suspension of his late-night show, stemming from a controversy that sparked significant backlash against Disney and ABC. The suspension ignited fury from her competitor’s industry colleagues and celebrities. It was issued in response to Kimmel’s comments, which some people found to be politically incendiary.
This year, Kimmel has plenty of company. Even fellow late-night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver are voicing their support! Among these peers who have rallied around Kimmel. They mobilize their platforms to express solidarity with their communities and to condemn the decisions of Disney and ABC. Former chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, commended Kimmel’s fellow celebrities for targeting Disney and ABC. They fought back with biting and acerbic humor.
The Theants, as Kimmel now knows, stirred the pot when Kimmel said something that caused Disney to temporarily pull his show due to popular outrage. This decision led to criticism from various segments of the entertainment industry, with notable figures such as Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep denouncing what they called “government threats to our freedom of speech.”
Brendan Carr then followed up with an explicit threat to ABC, warning the network of possible FCC retaliation. He cautioned, take this the easy way or the hard way. He has since denied threatening to revoke the licenses of ABC stations, asserting that it “did not happen in any way, shape or form.” This public statement has set off even more debates over whether or not people in the entertainment industry should be allowed to speak their minds.
The aftermath of Kimmel’s suspension has been quite the debacle. Disney’s stock dropped nearly 3.5% after the announcement, causing the company to lose market value of nearly $4 billion. At least five unions representing the entertainment industry have taken Disney to task for its heavy-handed tactics. The screenwriters’ union even cited the company for a form of “corporate cowardice.” Damon Lindelof, a creator of ABC’s acclaimed series Lost, expressed his discontent by stating that if Kimmel’s show did not resume, he could not “in good conscience work for the company that imposed it.”
Jon Stewart took to his platform to address the situation, dedicating a segment of his show to a takedown of what he viewed as Disney’s cowardice in handling the controversy surrounding Kimmel’s remarks. This event has, rightfully so, led to a vigorous national debate on freedom of speech. It has even raised awareness of the corporate accountability involved in the entertainment industry.