No. 103 of 108
September 24, 2025
Late night show host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel returned last night after a week’s suspension by ABC’s owner, Disney. Stations owned by Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group pre-empted the time slot with other programming. How was Kimmel received? The opening monologue on YouTube, with a 6-month median of 240K viewers, had a same night viewership of 6.7 million. The Google search for “What time is Jimmy Kimmel” was up 10,000%. Television ratings are not yet available.
When does free speech go too far? When does the cancellation of free speech go too far? While laws and politicos and rulers have difficulty figuring out too-far-ness, frequently caught in their own too-far-ness, turns out everyday folx kinda know. Thus, an entertainer suspended for their social commentary will receive the support of everyday folx while rulers and entities requiring the good graces of rulers continue to do their thing. Thus, everyday folx will weigh in on the impact of politicized speech on violence. (See No. 95) The sense in the commons is finding its own ground. A good thing. It has taken extreme actions and violence for the realignment to begin. A sad thing… and yet, yes, we must begin.