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* Who did it better?…
Jimmy reacts to ABC’s decision to suspend @JimmyKimmel after pressure from the FCC, leaving everyone thinking WTF? #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/v5wLrPEAOM
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) September 19, 2025
An obedient Jon Stewart offers a refresher on the rules of free speech (White House-approved) in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel's suspension pic.twitter.com/4uj18ZziNG
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) September 19, 2025
Deep breaths before commenting, please.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:09 am
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The Hollywood Reporter has a pretty good breakdown of events, but this looks like another case of the Trump Admin jumping the gun where they would’ve been much better off letting events play out to their advantage.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/how-jimmy-kimmel-benched-by-disney-dana-walden-1236374959/
Comment by City Zen Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:17 am
No contest: Stewart. The whole segment is brilliant, though props to Fallon as his will likely have the greater audience reach.
Comment by Dirty Red Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:19 am
Exhaled. Stewart - hands down best of the night - script better, acting better and a longer bit.
Loved Colbert perfect cold open. He also had a great monologue.
Comment by Norseman Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:19 am
=== greater audience reach ===
Expand Stewart’s reach by sharing with friends. Maybe a few enemies too.
Comment by Norseman Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:21 am
Both of those clips were very funny. Didn’t finish watching Stewart’s clip. However, both sort of satirized recent events perfectly which is why I would watch late night comedy.
Comment by Levois Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:30 am
I think they both handled it with comedy and grace.
Can you imagine Reagan canceling Jonny Carson?
Bush canceling Leno?
Just remember how HW Bush and Dana Carvey became friends and look at what is taking place today.
Comment by Scoot Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:31 am
-Can you imagine Reagan canceling Jonny Carson?-
Can you imagine Johnny Carson doing a political fundraiser for one of the major political parties and then keeping a big audience?
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-campaign-trail-los-angeles-hollywood-fundraiser/
Comment by Steve Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:36 am
==Can you imagine Johnny Carson doing a political fundraiser for one of the major political parties==
Here we go with the nonsense. Some of you just can’t stop yourselves.
To the post -
Jon Stewart. Hands. Down. He showed the receipts that shows the Republicans only favor “free speech” when it’s them doing it.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:44 am
Better to laugh than to cry, I suppose. The hypocrisy is stunning.
Comment by Formerly Unemployed Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:47 am
First- Jon Stewart. Everytime. He is the master.
=Can you imagine Johnny Carson doing a political fundraiser for one of the major political parties and then keeping a big audience?=
Oh heavens to betsy, how horribly scandalous that is. I pray those on the right will recover from this egregious injury that has been pilked on to their already terrible suffering at the hands of funny men.
Now do Sean Hannity campaigning for trump. I’ll wait.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:49 am
I am obviously appalled. But hold on, I need to check and see who might be printing Proft’s newspapers and use all my might to intimidate them from printing them.
But that’s different right, because slandering a large group of people by saying Charlie Kirk’s assassin was MAGA is GOOD speech. Suggesting I’m doing a not so good job is BAD speech.
(Don’t worry, Rich. You are safe in Illinois.)
Byt the way, does anyone know when the services and burial is for Jimmy Kimmel?
Comment by JB Pritzker Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:50 am
Stewart, if only for the fact that he used Republicans’ own words against them.
What’s frustrating is that I easily see this situation only getting worse, not better because the Ds don’t have the power or the will to actually do something meaningful about it.
Comment by The Dude Abides Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:53 am
-Oh heavens to betsy, how horribly scandalous that is.-
So, Jimmy’s show wasn’t an “in kind campaign contribution” according to FEC standards? Being an MC at a big politicial fundraiser sure is something.
Comment by Steve Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 10:57 am
==So, Jimmy’s show wasn’t an “in kind campaign contribution” according to FEC standards?==
He’s a COMEDIAN and late night television host. If you don’t like it don’t watch and go back to watching Fox News. Don’t trample on the First Amendment because you got your feelings hurt that he’s not praising Republicans.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:00 am
- So, Jimmy’s show wasn’t an “in kind campaign contribution” according to FEC standards? -
In your mind that justifies the government threatening to revoke the network’s license?
Comment by Excitable Boy Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:01 am
=So, Jimmy’s show wasn’t an “in kind campaign contribution” according to FEC standards? Being an MC at a big politicial fundraiser sure is something.=
Ever watch Fox “News”/infotainment?
The entire network is a groveling “in kind contribution” to trump.
Your attempt to elevate kimmel’s fundraising over a decades long bootlicking by a network is simply pathetic.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:02 am
=So, Jimmy’s show wasn’t an “in kind campaign contribution” according to FEC standards? Being an MC at a big politicial fundraiser sure is something.=
The entire Fox network isn’t an in kind contribution?
Hannity and the rest of the crew campaign directly for trump. It wasn’t an “MC”. Kimmel is a comedian and not an alleged ‘news” source or reporter. The same is not true for fox or hannity.
How often does Lester Holt “MC” events for any campaign?
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:10 am
=Being an MC at a big politicial fundraiser sure is something.=
Oh please. We have a 24 hour “news” channel providing alternative facts and paying out hundreds of millions for lying about voting machines. And you’re bent out of shape about a comedian being an MC at a political event on his day off?
Comment by Pundent Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:11 am
Here we go with the nonsense. Some of you just can’t stop yourselves.
Did you like it when Kimmel exploited children and women on trampolines? Or maybe his blackface portrayal?
Comment by Capcitynewt Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:15 am
They each have differently-styled shows. Fallon’s bit was funny, skewered Trump, then stopped. Stewart was funny and did actual analysis. That’s why we like him. I remember him on the Daily Show many years ago (late 90s?) commenting on the idea that many viewers watched him to get the news. As I remember things, he asked why the media weren’t doing a better job of news and analysis…because he was an actual comedian hired to do a comedy show, and how ridiculous it was that he was doing a better job covering the news than new outlets.
Comment by Don't Bloc Me In Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:17 am
==Byt the way, does anyone know when the services and burial is for Jimmy Kimmel?==
That’s despicable and just shows the double standard of Republicans.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:21 am
==Can you imagine Reagan canceling Jonny Carson?==
Moot point. Carson addressed this very issue in an interviewd with Mike Wallace.
“Why do they think that just because you have a Tonight Show that you must deal in serious issues? It’s a danger. It’s a real danger. Once you start that, you start to get that self-important feeling that what you say has great import. And you know? Strangely enough, you could use that show as a forum. You could sway people. And I don’t think you should as an entertainer.”
Comment by City Zen Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:23 am
@Capcitynewt -
Kimmel peaked as an entertainer for me when he was hosting “Win Ben Stein’s Money” but that still doesn’t mean I’m good with the FCC bullying networks and station managers into cancelling TV hosts who hurt the feelings of our thin-skinned president.
I grew up on Conan’s hilarious fake lips conversations with Bill Clinton in the ’90s. Wouldn’t have supported Bill using the FCC to take Conan off the air for those either.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:24 am
- Did you like it when Kimmel exploited children and women on trampolines? Or maybe his blackface portrayal? -
Release the Epstein files.
To the post: Stewart FTW.
Comment by Irma Gerd Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:30 am
Love them both.
Finally put a smile on my face this morning.
Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:41 am
== But that’s different right, because slandering a large group of people by saying Charlie Kirk’s assassin was MAGA is GOOD speech. ==
1) It’s not slander if it’s true, and while we don’t know if it is true, we definitely don’t know that it’s false. MAGA casting aspersions about political allegiances were certainly fair game for the shooter of the Hortman family.
2) I’ll take this kind of pearl-clutching more seriously when MAGA stops portraying any middle-of-the-road liberal as some kind of communist-marxist-socialist. Especially when they can’t define what those words even mean.
Comment by Leap Day William Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:42 am
Stewart, BUT Colbert bringing back his alter ego from The Colbert Report won.
Comment by Rahm's Parking Meter Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:47 am
==Did you like it when Kimmel exploited children and women on trampolines? Or maybe his blackface portrayal?==
If we’re reaching back 26 years to score political points, allow me to ask who the Speaker of the House was at this time and what sort of transactions were taking place in his checkbook.
Congratulations to all the right-wingers commenting on this post for fully absorbing the true point of Republican free speech advocacy: When someone who is with us says it or does it, that’s free speech and it would be unconstitutional to silence it, mock it, or argue against it. When someone who is not us says it or does it, they need to be fired, maybe arrested, told it’s their fault, and we need to have a serious talk about how outdated all this 1st Amendment nonsense is.
Prove me right some more in the replies.
Comment by Roadrager Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:47 am
They both did their thing. I enjoy Stewart’s approach much more. It’s much more satisfying to have real analysis mixed in with the humor.
I think David Letterman’s comments are some of the best I’ve heard on this moment.
Comment by Montrose Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:48 am
@ Scoot - 10:31… Reagan would not have cancelled Carson and Bush would not have cancelled Leno because they were FUNNY. But, then, I’m old enough to remember when late night television was funny. I thought that was what it was supposed to be.
Comment by Behind the Scenes Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 11:51 am
Jon Stewart 2028
Comment by Vote Quimby Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 12:04 pm
===because they were FUNNY===
According to whom?
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 12:10 pm
here’s a shock….Fallon was succinct and funny. Still not forgiving him for hair tossing back in another lifetime. Colbert forever, and Letterman before that and always never Leno. I’ve been off Stewart since he had his vaccine questioning.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 12:14 pm
=Here we go with the nonsense. Some of you just can’t stop yourselves.=
Every accusation is a confession.
=Moot point.=
Disagree. Because you think the wisdom of carson from 30 plus years ago should hold is one thing, and I don’t entirely disagree, but you cannot seriously think that it should apply to late night hosts and not entire networks that claim to be “news”.
Applying rules unilaterally to the side we disagree with is simply hypocrisy. And I think you are better than that.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 12:28 pm
The Fed should not have gotten involved. That said, Kimmel was more than likely heading out anyway. His ratings have been going down, and he was last among the other late-night hosts.
Late-night network shows are just not getting the ratings they used to. Celebrities go on to spend 8 minutes telling crappy stories and promoting a film or TV show. There really isn’t anything special about them anymore.
Comment by Frida's Boss Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 12:36 pm
Behind the Scenes “…because they were FUNNY”
And who is the arbiter or what is or is not funny? Or determines whether funny or not funny speech should be silenced and punished? Seems MAGA is ok with that being the federal government.
Gee whiz, I could’ve sworn the right and GOP were all for free speech and smaller government. Seems I was mistaken, clearly Trump needs to establish a Department of LOL to dictate to America what will or will not be considered funny under threat of punishment
Comment by Charles Edward Cheese Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 12:43 pm
== … Bush would not have cancelled Leno because they were FUNNY ==
Imagine in the year of Lord 2025 trying to argue in defense of Jay Leno. Even without the backstabbing of Letterman/Conan, dude has always been a massive comedic hack.
Comment by TreeFiddy Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 12:55 pm
==think that it should apply to late night hosts and not entire networks that claim to be “news”.==
I don’t think FCC rules apply to cable newtworks as they do public airwaves.
I’d prefer the FCC stay out of it entirely and let Kimmel sink his own already sinking ship. None of these late night therapy sessions for the MSNBC crowd are getting viewers anyway. All Trump is doing is giving netowrk execs an excuse to pull the plug and making martyrs out of these hosts shouting into an ever increasing void.
Comment by City Zen Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 1:06 pm
Spare me the outrage from MAGA world. Their hero is as gross as it gets.
Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 1:19 pm
Oops, wrong post, but I guess still accurate.
Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 1:20 pm
=I don’t think FCC rules apply to cable newtworks as they do public airwaves.=
Oh, so this is about the FCC “rules”? My bad. Here I was silly enough to think this was about a set of standards.
Bye the bye, not sure if you knew it or not, but FOX operates an over the air network as well.
But this is about real standards and not the delicate feels of the president or the right wing maga people who are all well understood (as proven by many of the video clips shred by John Stewart) to be righteous high standard people sensitive to the humanity of others. In no way was any of this about the abject hypocrisy and authoritarian approach of the administration.
Nope.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 1:21 pm
== Imagine in the year of Lord 2025 trying to argue in defense of Jay Leno. Even without the backstabbing of Letterman/Conan, dude has always been a massive comedic hack. ==
He was on a tour with Arsenio Hall that rolled through Champaign during Mom’s Weekend on campus in 2024. Arsenio’s opening was good, but Leno was just awful and reminded me why I solidified my views as pro-Letterman in the early 90s.
Comment by Leap Day William Friday, Sep 19, 25 @ 2:28 pm