Plus ‘American values’ versus ‘British values’ and Emma Watson’s allergic reaction to press junkets
Plus ‘American values’ versus ‘British values’ and Emma Watson’s allergic reaction to press junketsMonday
Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and if we don’t always get the heroes we want, we surely get the ones that we need. This week, as Donald Trump mouthed off at the UN and told Europe it was going to hell, relief came in the form of – what else? – a man best known for his Beadle-style pranks, including painting people’s houses while they’re out and putting snakes on their backs while they’re waiting for a massage. Jimmy Kimmel, who has always struck me as the best of the late-night hosts and infinitely preferable to his late-night rival, Jimmy Fallon, nonetheless looked surprised, this week, to find himself caught in the spotlight of history.
It was Disney+ boss, Bob Iger’s decision last week to suck up to Trump by indefinitely suspending Kimmel’s show, triggering uproar in the form of a popular campaign to cancel all our Disney+ memberships and – deep breath, everyone – a now-you’ve-really-done-it open letter from Hollywood actors. This one, signed by Meryl Streep, Jennifer Aniston and Tom Hanks, among others, was notable for forcefully pushing back against Trump and his cohorts – “We the people must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech”– and also for failing to include George Clooney’s signature; perhaps he’s decided to sit this one out or the wifi was down at Lake Como.
Anyway, no one likes being told off by icons and Iger caved, Kimmel returned, and on Tuesday night, the genial host rose to the occasion with a moment of real Voltaire-like gravity. “I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway,” said Kimmel, a reference in part to Ted Cruz of all people, who had criticised Iger’s decision. Kimmel then landed a couple of well-timed Epstein jokes and was moved to tears by his own eloquence. In the 24 hours after it aired, 17.7 million people watched the monologue on YouTube, confirming that the Streisand effect is real and the quickest way to a massive audience is to tell everyone not to watch something.
