Comments on: FCC Chair threatens fines, Disney suspends Kimmel

FCC Chair threatens fines, Disney suspends Kimmel

pjsky — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:31:05 -0800

ABC pulls Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show over Charlie Kirk comments after FCC chair threatens fines From The Guardian US edition: ABC bowed to pressure from the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday by announcing that Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show will be taken off the air "indefinitely" following complaints about his comments on the killing of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week. "Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely," an ABC spokesperson told CNN. The decision by Disney-owned ABC came after one of the country's largest owners of local ABC stations, Nexstar, announced that it would immediately preempt Kimmel's show, "for the foreseeable future" because the company "strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk."

By: pjsky

pjsky — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:34:21 -0800

The Democrats have responded, (also from The Guardian): "Democrats to introduce a No Political Enemies (NOPE) Act, to protect government critics In the wake of Jimmy Kimmel's sudden disappearance from the airwaves, Democrats in the House and Senate plan to introduce legislation "to protect individuals and organizations, including non-profits, faith groups, media outlets, and educational institutions, from politically motivated targeting and prosecution by the federal government." Senators Chris Murphy, Chuck Schumer, Chris Van Hollen and Tina Smith will be joined by representatives Jason Crow, Greg Casar and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.-06) at a press conference on Thursday to discuss their proposed No Political Enemies (Nope) Act. According to the lawmakers, they will also talk about threats from Donald Trump, and his vice-president, JD Vance, his attorney general, Pam Bondi, and his deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, "to use the tragic shooting of Charlie Kirk as justification to weaponize the federal government to go after left-leaning individuals and organizations that don't align with Trump's political agenda."

By: hortense

hortense — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:36:07 -0800

CBS turned off the transmitter for Bill Hicks during David Letterman's broadcast. they were so afraid he was going to tell his Rush Limbaugh Barbara Bush abortion joke, so this is really nothing new it's just more blatant. You know like a boot in your face or rats held up to it.

By: MisantropicPainforest

MisantropicPainforest — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:36:54 -0800

No this is something new. Come the fuck on.

By: emjaybee

emjaybee — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:46:09 -0800

Well I was wondering whether to keep my Disney subscription. Between dropping them and boycotting Target I think I will end up saving almost enough to make up for inflated grocery prices.

By: pjsky

pjsky — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:46:47 -0800

This is catastrophic. And I say that not because I am a Jimmy Kimmel fan, I don't watch any late night tv shows, but because it is so blatantly unconstitutional. Even hate speech is, or should I say, was protected speech. Freedom of Speech is literally the First Amendment! Americans are supposed to have the freedom to criticize their government. Basically the FCC Chair has decided the first amendment is dead.

By: TwoWordReview

TwoWordReview — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:50:18 -0800

And ABC is pre-complying with that decision. Astonishing!

By: jabo

jabo — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:50:33 -0800

Just finished canceling Disney streaming and gave the reason as "Disney has chosen fascism over freedom of speech". I'm open to any other ideas to help protest this assault.

By: His thoughts were red thoughts

His thoughts were red thoughts — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:56:17 -0800

Here's is Kimmel's comment that has generated this response.

"The Maga Gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it."

It's totally factual. This response is insane.

By: mygraycatbongo

mygraycatbongo — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:57:25 -0800

If I wasn't retired and able to start drinking at noon I'd be throwing dishes at the wall.

By: NoMich

NoMich — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:57:31 -0800

So, he didn't actually say anything about Charlie Kirk?

By: Mr.Know-it-some

Mr.Know-it-some — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:00:23 -0800

Kimmel made a stupid statement; there's little to no evidence, at least at this point, that the shooter was MAGA. But as Adam Ozimek observes, in a supremely incisive comment on this encroaching autocracy, "When a canary in a coal mine falls sick from carbon monoxide poisoning because they are sensitive it's not really a story about the sensitivity of canaries."

By: mygraycatbongo

mygraycatbongo — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:02:33 -0800

The comment: We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it." Jimmy stepped in it but this reaction is where the fascist rubber hits the road.

By: non canadian guy

non canadian guy — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:04:03 -0800

I see the pig-king managed to take time out from being feted-'n'-fellated by the House of Windsor to "suggest" that Meyers and Fallon be shitcanned next. Every day a new low.

By: Catblack

Catblack — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:05:36 -0800

Well this is some bullshit.

By: pjsky

pjsky — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:06:03 -0800

Does anybody remember that in April of 2023 Fox News agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 Million dollars for lying about the 2020 election? Remember how everyone wondered what the ramifications might be? Would the FCC revoke their license? Hell no! They didn't even have to apologize. They just kept right on lying. But Jimmy Kimmel makes comments about the kid who killed Kirk and the FCC takes offense and Kimmel is taken off the air! WTF!?!

By: Mizu

Mizu — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:06:51 -0800

Nexstar is trying to buy Tegna (another broadcasting company) and needs FCC approval to do so, thus the preemptive bootlicking. AP news article about it here.

By: DangerIsMyMiddleName

DangerIsMyMiddleName — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:08:51 -0800

Can we start using words like Quisling, or Collaborator, for these complying-in-advance executives? Whether it's broadcasters or universities or any other billion dollar entity, there really needs to be some public labelling - it's not shaming if you're proud of the association, after all - of these people who make this sort of decision. An immediate social signifier that they should surely be proud to be called.

By: njohnson23

njohnson23 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:10:44 -0800

I just posted a comment in the CK thread because this one hadn't started yet. It's about Orson Welles, 55 years ago on the David Frost show commenting on freedom of speech.

By: Method Man

Method Man — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:13:09 -0800

I just don't know, man. This is absolutely insane, but tomorrow a poll will come out showing that 40% of Americans, maybe even more, approve of Trump and the appalling fascism he's inflicting on us all. I've always hated doomering but every day since this regime took office I've become more and more convinced that Americans simply don't have what it takes to sustain, much less restore, democracy. Not the guts, not the heart, sure as hell not the brains for it. This country has had so many chances since 2016 to get it right and more and more I'm beginning to think we're out of chances.

By: TwoWordReview

TwoWordReview — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:17:54 -0800

By: Liquidwolf

Liquidwolf — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:18:53 -0800

Mass cancellation of Disney + would send a message. They'd feel that... but it needs to be a lot of people.

By: atoxyl

atoxyl — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:22:15 -0800

It's totally factual. This response is insane There really is not a weight of evidence pointing to the kid being "one of them." Sorry if that's not what you meant to imply, but I can't handle seeing people on the left veer off into "post-truth" and there's been more than a little of that from people purporting to analyze the shooter's background. The decision is insane, though (and of course people on the right get away with saying far more blatantly untrue things all day).

By: gimonca

gimonca — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:26:13 -0800

A couple of decades ago, we had to confront corporate media misbehavior. In 2004, the culprit was Sinclair Broadcasting, who were planning to broadcast a fraudulent pseudo-documentary about John Kerry, who was running for President that year. The counter-tactic: an advertiser boycott. Activists noted any company that was buying ad time on their local Sinclair station, and threatened those advertisers with a boycott if the Kerry piece was aired. It somewhat worked. We even got local news coverage in the Twin Cities area that described how local businesses who had bought cheap advertising time on the local Sinclair station were getting a wave of negative communications directly from customers and the public, which had never happened before. It was the pressure on smaller, local companies that seemed to have the biggest oomph. Sinclair backpedaled on their plans. Bush won in 2004 regardless. But the boycott left an impression, at least. There are still bits of reporting online from years ago about the events, like this NBC News bit. "The company and many of its executives have endured personal attacks of the vilest nature, as well as calls on our advertisers and our viewers to boycott our stations and on our shareholders to sell their stock."

By: MisantropicPainforest

MisantropicPainforest — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:29:16 -0800

Kimmel made a stupid statement; there's little to no evidence, at least at this point, that the shooter was MAGA Kimmel didn't say the shooter was MAGA.

By: flamk

flamk — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:30:32 -0800

Don't worry y'all, I'm sure Bari Weiss and her merry band of centrists are gonna be all over this!

By: Joakim Ziegler

Joakim Ziegler — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:34:42 -0800

As someone on BlueSky said: "If Jimmy Kimmel is edgy now, we are so fucked."

By: Zalzidrax

Zalzidrax — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:35:06 -0800

As as "one of them" ... MAGA loving Fuentes supporter attacking from the right? No. But someone raised in a conservative family operating from those values and not leftist ones. This guy puts it better than I could.

By: 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a

922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:35:52 -0800

pjsky: "Does anybody remember that in April of 2023 Fox News agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 Million dollars for lying about the 2020 election? Remember how everyone wondered what the ramifications might be? Would the FCC revoke their license? Hell no! They didn't even have to apologize. They just kept right on lying. But Jimmy Kimmel makes comments about the kid who killed Kirk and the FCC takes offense and Kimmel is taken off the air! WTF!?!" What license? FoxNews a cable channel doesn't have a broadcast license to lose.

By: flug

flug — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:36:05 -0800

Kimmels' comment: "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it." I would just like to point out that this is a completely accurate statement. Kimmel did NOT say that the kid is MAGA. Rather, he said that the MAGA crew was literally falling all over themselves to portray him as anything other than MAGA, and in particular far/radical left, when there was actually no evidence at all either way. That is accurate. If you haven't looked at that stuff, they were literally falling all over each other with accusations of this and that, with literally no evidence behind them. Only assumptions and jumping to conclusions. And scoring political points. Based on literally nothing. No evidence. It was indeed reprehensible, and very deserving of pointing out and highlighting. (Now if you read an implication in there that the kid was indeed "one of their own" then maybe that implication is indeed incorrect. But parse the words carefully: That is not what he actually says.)

By: fragmede

fragmede — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:36:55 -0800

I think Luigi Mangione, and the inability to post on Reddit in the wake of is more exculpatory as to who is in charge here. This is just more noise to distract from the Epstein files, and how many Republicans voted to keep them secret.

By: gwint

gwint — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:37:04 -0800

A reminder that a few days ago Fox host Brian Kilmeade endorsed euthanizing homeless people ("Involuntary lethal injection, or something. Just kill them.") He still has his job.

By: rubatan

rubatan — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:38:11 -0800

Stremio Stremio for Firestick TV Stremio for iPhone Stremio Guide

By: aintnolobos

aintnolobos — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:43:37 -0800

Can you impeach or sue the chairman of the FCC for blatantly unconstitutional threats? The law is fake and faker every day. Trump is King. The Democrats have responded oh no Democrats to introduce a No Political Enemies (NOPE) Act, to protect government critics Sick joke of a controlled opposition party. Here's what's going to happen. In a few weeks or months he's going to say that the Democratic Party is illegal antifa and the Democratic Party will say okay, boss! and will help to jail or deport the few good members of congress, mayors of new york, etc., in exchange for getting to keep their offices and their money. Pray, pray, pray that the great vile donkey then dies in fact to match its death in spirit. It should have gone the way of the Whigs after 2000 at the latest. But hey, far far too late's better then never right?

By: flug

flug — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:44:13 -0800

Also - and far more important - whether or not Kimmel's statements is completely true or utterly false, the FCC has absolutely no business weighing in on it one way or the other. Kimmel's statement was not only "speech", which should be covered under the free speech provisions of the Constitution. It was not hate speech or incitement to violence or libel anything else that might for one reason or another fall under the rubric of regulated speech. Furthermore, it is very clearly not just speech but political speech, which has been found time and time again to be the most highly protected form of speech in the U.S.

Kimmel's statement very clearly falls into this category and should receive the very highest degree of protection. This action is utterly reprehensible and should be soundly condemned at every level.

By: Didymus

Didymus — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:48:29 -0800

Checklist for this thread if you want further evidence for why fascism is proceeding unchecked: - now we can call them names. What names? Let's have fun with names - interminable debate on whether Kimmel crossed a line like people HAVEN'T PAID ANY FUCKING ATTENTION FOR THE PAST 10 YRS you are utterly missing the point - I'm bored. Really, come the fuck on people. Fight this

By: nubs

nubs — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:50:36 -0800

Senators Chris Murphy, Chuck Schumer, Chris Van Hollen and Tina Smith will be joined by representatives Jason Crow, Greg Casar and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.-06) at a press conference on Thursday to discuss their proposed No Political Enemies (Nope) Act. Aren't they cute, thinking they are still relevant?

By: HearHere

HearHere — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:51:46 -0800

Trump posted on July 22nd that Jimmy Kimmel would be the next late night host to go after Stephen Colbert

By: Didymus

Didymus — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:57:19 -0800

Aren't they cute, thinking they are still relevant? I don't know man, maybe you're right. Chris Van Hollen is one of the reasons I encountered Anthony Aguilar's story. That is relevant.

By: BungaDunga

BungaDunga — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:59:30 -0800

Can you impeach or sue the chairman of the FCC for blatantly unconstitutional threats? Wouldn't that be more effective than another stunt bill with a cute backronym that has no hope of passing, let alone getting to a veto-proof majority? Republican governors tried suing Biden over far less, but SCOTUS tossed it out on standing grounds. They couldn't plausibly do that here, but who knows where they'd actually land on the merits.

By: NotLost

NotLost — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:59:41 -0800

Fox host Brian Kilmeade endorsed euthanizing homeless people ("Involuntary lethal injection, or something. Just kill them.") I am sick of this being called "euthanasia". It's murder!!!

By: y2karl

y2karl — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:00:04 -0800

I am so fucking pissed.

By: kittens for breakfast

kittens for breakfast — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:00:39 -0800

(Now if you read an implication in there that the kid was indeed "one of their own" then maybe that implication is indeed incorrect. But parse the words carefully: That is not what he actually says.) This is absolutely the way I read it, that Kimmel was saying the shooter was MAGA. Then I realized there is just no way Jimmy Kimmel, of all people, is (a) running with the groyper theory, (b) perhaps more to the point, addressing his extremely normcore people as though they too know all about the groyper theory and accept it as fact. Then I understood that he had to mean that they were pointing fingers at everyone who was not MAGA. Mostly because I just don't think Jimmy Kimmel is that Extremely Online. But it's a horribly worded statement. I am NOT taking the side of the CC. But I am saying Kimmel kinda set himself up for some trouble by being a little too off the cuff about it.

By: atoxyl

atoxyl — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:00:49 -0800

interminable debate on whether Kimmel crossed a line That is not, in fact, a conversation that has happened in this thread.

By: BungaDunga

BungaDunga — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:00:50 -0800

that is, if Kimmel or ABC or Nexstar sued. Democrats in Congress or governors wouldn't have standing.

By: fluffy battle kitten

fluffy battle kitten — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:01:17 -0800

It'd be a shame if Stephen Colbert got a minor cold and Jimmy Kimmel had to fill in for a couple nights.

By: dances_with_sneetches

dances_with_sneetches — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:05:14 -0800

I for one am looking forward to the Kid Rock Comedy Hour.

By: atoxyl

atoxyl — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:05:32 -0800

But I am saying Kimmel kinda set himself up for some trouble by being a little too off the cuff about it. Bad timing on my last comment I guess. It absolutely shouldn't matter whether he was "asking for trouble," and that's not why I brought up the lack of evidence for the "groyper theory."

By: Didymus

Didymus — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:05:53 -0800

That is not, in fact, a conversation that has happened in this thread. Fuck off away with that "too off the cuff" enough already. The people who will oppress you speak freely their murderous bile and you tone police each other

By: atoxyl

atoxyl — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:09:15 -0800

Yeah that wasn't what I meant (nor the people who brought it up before me, I don't think). I just see some amount of liberal-flavored social media misinformation make its way to MetaFilter and it bums me out and I wanted to head it off. But I guess it is what someone meant.

By: Liquidwolf

Liquidwolf — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:13:47 -0800

I for one am looking forward to the Kid Rock Comedy Hour. It'll be like Hee Haw but less sophisticated.

By: Didymus

Didymus — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:17:28 -0800

Yeah that wasn't what I meant Let's take stock of the real cost of the violent brainwashing we've endured up to this moment If we are aware, then what We're not typing away our Big Thoughts are we So???

By: kittens for breakfast

kittens for breakfast — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:21:24 -0800

Um, so...yeah. No one is tone policing anyone in the thread. I realize emotions are high, I guess.

By: atoxyl

atoxyl — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:29:04 -0800

I don't really know what's going on at this point in the thread, but apologies for my contribution to the derail.

By: kittens for breakfast

kittens for breakfast — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:30:03 -0800

I feel like everyone is either drunk or tired. Maybe both. Happy Wednesday.

By: Slackermagee

Slackermagee — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:36:02 -0800

With Bari Weiss already having taken on the political officer role over at CBS/Paramount, who do we think is being sent in to oversee ABC in a few months? I'm thinking someone tired and a bit washed up at this point, like Ben Shapiro.

By: Mr.Know-it-some

Mr.Know-it-some — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:37:41 -0800

But I am saying Kimmel kinda set himself up for some trouble by being a little too off the cuff about it. Yes, except that if the First Amendment means anything, it means you can say whatever the fuck you want without worrying whether you're setting yourself up for some trouble with the government. Trouble from your friends, neighbors, employers - yes: they can react how they want. But not the government.

By: Thistledown

Thistledown — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:38:29 -0800

Whatever happens with Kimmel, I have great and inexorable faith that John Oliver will pick this up and use HBO's money - probably despite the moaning and wailing from their lawyers - to call this out as the actual bullshit that it is. God, I hope it helps.

By: xigxag

xigxag — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:49:38 -0800

Anybody remember when people threw a fit because the Federal Government had the temerity to even suggest that social media rein in dangerous misinformation about Covid, and more dubiously, about the US election? Now companies are falling over themselves to please the White House by muzzling political dissent, and this is fine. Totally fine.

By: flamk

flamk — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:00:22 -0800

We tolerated the fascists so now they can send us to camps! Yay free speech!

By: kittens for breakfast

kittens for breakfast — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:02:50 -0800

Yes, except that if the First Amendment means anything, it means you can say whatever the fuck you want without worrying whether you're setting yourself up for some trouble with the government. Trouble from your friends, neighbors, employers - yes: they can react how they want. But not the government. I would go so far as to say that there are a LOT of reasons to speak clearly and cogently to a group of millions of people if you take it on yourself to discuss the evolving circumstances around an apparently politically motivated murder, and the possibility of getting shitcanned by a pusillanimous employer isn't even on the list. I'm not saying he deserved to have this happen, but if you're gonna talk about this shit, there shouldn't be a lot of daylight between what you say and what you mean to say.

By: sickos haha yes dot jpg

sickos haha yes dot jpg — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:03:31 -0800

This is just more noise to distract from the Epstein files wow weird how "just more noise" seems to include more authoritarian erosion of "free speech," seems like a little more than "just more noise," be serious

By: CheeseDigestsAll

CheeseDigestsAll — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:08:56 -0800

History rhymes • The Malicious Practices Act (1933): This law made it a crime to speak out or "make fun" of the government and its leaders. This meant that even telling a joke about Hitler could be considered a malicious attack on the state. • The Treachery Act (1934): This expanded on the 1933 law by criminalizing any remarks that caused "severe damage" to the welfare or reputation of the Third Reich or the Nazi Party. What's notably different here is that Trump isn't using legal means, but financial threats. He won't approve your merger. He'll sue you personally. He'll start a DOJ investigation that will cost you a lot of money. Same effect.

By: subdee

subdee — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:10:48 -0800

The FCC threatening to pull your broadcast license is a pretty direct legal threat, no? Even if it's an executive action and not a legislative one.

By: non canadian guy

non canadian guy — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:16:05 -0800

I for one am looking forward to the Kid Rock Comedy Hour. It'll be like Hee Haw but less sophisticated. Also one helluva lot less good-natured. Not to mention that at least Hee Haw actually had decent musicians on once in a while.

By: mazola

mazola — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:19:21 -0800

Hey don't dump on Hee Haw. Dump on Gutfeld.

By: subdee

subdee — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:20:11 -0800

Proud of posters in this thread for not taking the bait to make this thread about Dems. It's not about Dems. They are speaking out, which is more than you can say of ABC.

By: Omon Ra

Omon Ra — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:25:32 -0800

I for one am looking forward to the Kid Rock Comedy Hour. It'll be like Hee Haw but less sophisticated. I think you meant like Lord Haw-Haw.

By: subdee

subdee — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:54:18 -0800

tonight I want to focus on something else: the utter stupidity of going after Kimmel, and the desperation and weakness it reveals. Narratives benefit from a protagonist. And now the crackdown on dissent has one in Kimmel, who will draw outsized attention because of his stature. The news stories about him will not be about him alone. Many will inevitably connect to the broader list of outrages this regime has committed against its critics. And let us not forget: This regime is already deeply unpopular. Kimmel is a skilled communicator. So what happens now? Did the regime think beyond their quest for instant gratification? How will he respond to the craven capitulation of his network, ABC, and its corporate parent, Disney which has taken his show off the air indefinitely? What will his powerful allies, people who can easily command microphones with public attention say about the bigger threats to democracy? The story of Kimmel points to a larger picture of a corrupt, vindictive, lawless, and juvenile regime. We have the pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who threatened ABC's broadcast licenses. A company that owns affiliates desperate for government to approve a merger, stoking political blackmail. And of course it includes Trump's unhinged, fact-free gloating about ratings on social media. The more people see how outrageous the Kimmel story is the more they will see how it reflects so many of the outrages of this regime. truth is you can be terrifying and stupid at the same time. And the MAGA minions, competing to one-up each other in loyalty to their dear leader, have unnecessarily emboldened formidable foes. Elliot Kurschener weighing in.

By: grubby

grubby — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 22:19:46 -0800

Kimmel should take his show to PBS

By: mr_roboto

mr_roboto — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 22:20:13 -0800

I was driving home from work today in Los Angeles and I saw a "❤️ U Jimmy" sign hanging from one of the overpasses.

By: fairmettle

fairmettle — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 22:39:27 -0800

Straw #738. [note: camel's back broke years ago]

By: Avelwood

Avelwood — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 22:44:48 -0800

I don't know. That whole "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." quote as been going through my head as I listened to "freedom loving" "libertarians" talk about censoring speech recently. Particularly as people have made excuses for police actions in Los Angeles, DC, Chicago, Memphis, etc. "It's cool! They say. There's some crime. What crime? Why THAT CRIME I was just made aware of now!" The same people who thought every FEMA aid action or DUI checkpoints in DC were a prelude to Obama or Biden grabbing all their guns are now cool with masked police asking for papers like it's Communist-Occupied East Germany. I hope Jimmy Kimmel seriously embraces the I'm spitting so much truth I'm BANNED BY THE GOVERNMENT label that people like Alex Jones and *cough* CHARLIE KIRK helped popularize. Let's truly honor the guy who wanted to show up at schools and challenge everyone's beliefs by letting people at universities CHALLENGE EVERYONES BELIEFS. It's a free marketplace of ideas. Honestly, the "I'm the free speech that the government doesn't want you to hear" market is pretty big. Let's use it to actually empower the working class after shit-stain bell-weather free speech "libertarians" are selling out their values by spinning the police state as freedom.

By: cnidaria

cnidaria — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 23:00:57 -0800

Huh, given this context it's interesting to me how all the Serious Journalists who baselessly printed that there was "trans propaganda" etched on the bullet casings are still gainfully employed but a late-night talk show host is canceled for being apparently insufficiently factual for the fascists

By: Ursula Hitler

Ursula Hitler — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 23:06:50 -0800

tomorrow a poll will come out showing that 40% of Americans, maybe even more, approve of Trump and the appalling fascism he's inflicting on us all. Trump has his rock solid 40-something percent. Always has, and he probably will until we're in the Great Depression II, another pandemic is raging unchecked, half the country is on fire while Trump openly gloats, etc. These dumbfucks will not learn until something truly hideous happens to them, personally. I've become more and more convinced that Americans simply don't have what it takes to sustain, much less restore, democracy. If it was a question of the left needing to organize, rise up and revolt, I think we'd be cooked... we're all just too divided and/or lazy and/or scared. But the thing is, the right keeps pushing and pushing and pushing, they're rapidly making life intolerable for a lot of people. If these lunatics could slow their roll a little they could probably get away with more, but they're literally disappearing your neighbors and dismantling the government services many Americans count on and even canceling TV shows because the host said something that hurt Dear Leader's feelings. They are making it very, very clear that they are indeed full-on fascists, they're stopping just short of putting on the arm bands, and if you won't shut up and behave you're gonna get hurt real bad. So it's not that America's decent people necessarily want to fight, it's that the jackbooted thugs may well bring the fight to you, with broken windows and cracked ribs and your loved ones gone in the night. So, just how much shit will you eat? How much agony will you endure? When they kick in your front door, how ya gonna come?

By: mr_roboto

mr_roboto — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 23:20:53 -0800

We can talk about this, but seriously. Leave or arm yourself. Anyone can get a gun, and there are so many resources for learning how to use one. I understand how uncomfortable it is. And it might not make any difference. But at this point you need to be ready. If there's any place where it could make a difference, it's here and now. I understand how terrible it is. Check out the liberalgunowners subreddit. They had a debate earlier this year and decided to keep the name the same even though they were leftists and not liberals. Which is something you all should appreciate.

By: Token Meme

Token Meme — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 23:28:50 -0800

Ma Bell is calling. She wants her ill community weblog back.

By: They sucked his brains out!

They sucked his brains out! — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 23:31:52 -0800

A reminder that a few days ago Fox host Brian Kilmeade endorsed euthanizing homeless people ("Involuntary lethal injection, or something. Just kill them.") He still has his job. A gun owner shot two schoolchildren the same day a Nazi got shot in Utah by another gun owner. Not much coverage in the press about those kids, or the violent threat that gun owners pose, not then, nor now. NYTimes journalists still have their cushy jobs, etc etc.

By: Token Meme

Token Meme — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:27:50 -0800

Time to row your boats.

By: Pseudonymous Cognomen

Pseudonymous Cognomen — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:50:01 -0800

A gun owner shot two schoolchildren the same day a Nazi got shot in Utah by another gun owner. In both cases the weapons were obtained illegally. Robinson, the shooter in Utah, "borrowed" his grandfather's hunting rifle; the shooter in Colorado probably stole the .38 revolver he used from a family member--he certainly didn't acquire it legally; he's 16 and you have to be 18 to own a gun in Colorado. Both shootings probably could've been prevented if the owners of those guns had kept them stored securely in a locking gun case, cabinet, or safe.

By: adrienneleigh

adrienneleigh — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 01:10:04 -0800

Erik Hane on Bluesky: a key reason they see an opening for such a blatant speech crackdown is that they already did one to Palestinian and anti-genocide activists and it got enthusiastic bipartisan approval

By: flabdablet

flabdablet — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 01:49:43 -0800

The bit that got Kimmel cancelled is still up on YouTube for the time being. I've watched a fair bit of Kimmel ripping on TFG and really the only distinguishing mark of this episode, near as I can tell, is that he's letting a tiny bit more of the genuine disgust show through than usual.

By: deeker

deeker — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 02:32:07 -0800

South Park was due another episode but it's not happening. Parker and Stone say they just didn't finish it in time but anyone who has been watching the latest series may well have other ideas.

By: glaucon

glaucon — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 02:52:01 -0800

I think it says something that he's suspended indefinitely and not just outright fired. There's a chance (vanishingly small) that there are executives who could be influenced by backlash. Our society is too selfish, too overworked, too absorbed in brainrot to register this and take action collectively. One day the screens won't work or there won't be coffee for the fourth week in a row or enough people will realize how many family and friends are no longer around and it might click, but we are a long ways from that.

By: zymil

zymil — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 03:04:22 -0800

I think Luigi Mangione, and the inability to post on Reddit in the wake of is more exculpatory as to who is in charge here. This is just more noise to distract from the Epstein files, and how many Republicans voted to keep them secret.

Genuine question, what do you think is in the Epstein files that we don't know already?

By: From Bklyn

From Bklyn — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 03:15:02 -0800

The only real difference with Kimmel getting the boot is that a bunch of people who do not follow politics at all know who he is. They might suddenly recognise, "Oh hey, something is going on here..." Then again they might not - to be honest I'm working overtime trying to maintain a certain optimism and losing the fight.

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:02:30 -0800

Genuine question, what do you think is in the Epstein files that we don't know already? Certainty. We all "know" the way that you just "know" that two of your acquaintances who seem flirty are "totally hooking up, you guys". Until and unless those two acquaintances tell you "hey, we have some news, we're dating", you don't really KNOW that - you can make a good guess based on your observation, but there always exists the possibility that you're totally wrong. (exhibit A - I just KNEW that two of my junior high teachers were dating. One of them was also my piano teacher, and she somehow found out the rumor and took me aside to gently tell me I was wrong; I later found out the guy I thought she was dating was gay anyway to boot.) If the files are released, then the stuff that we know will be public record, and absolutely no one will have any reason for plausible deniability about any of it. It will be far more difficult to hide behind the "it's a Democratic plot" shield when it is out in public in black and white. It will also draw the attention of those who have been somehow unaware of the whole situation in the first place. ....And as for Kimmel - he has been suspended, not fired. I have the strange feeling that this is ABC's tiny way of leaving the door open a tiny crack so that when Trump leaves office, whenever that happens, they can turn back around and say "okay, Jimmy, we're ready when you are."

By: tiny frying pan

tiny frying pan — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:22:40 -0800

I have no clue how anyone could even parse what Kimmel said as saying the kid was MAGA. Like get some comprehension going. This is egregious. It's getting worse day by day. I'm terrified.

By: i used to be someone else

i used to be someone else — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:32:30 -0800

But I am saying Kimmel kinda set himself up for some trouble by being a little too off the cuff about it. ex-host of the man show was asking for it, i suppose. he had it coming. if you're critical of the régime or the fascists in ascendancy, mind your words; if you're part of the sanitizing project like b. weiss, e. klein, or part of the state media, like b. kilmeade, it's okay to not just have daylight between what you say and what you mean, but decades too. honestly, if it wasn't this, they'd have eventually found another excuse for kimmel if they wanted to; the whole thing is perpetually in bad faith, and i think it's absurd to argue that had kimmel been more exact, more precise, they wouldn't have been gunning for yet another head on a pike

By: Smedly, Butlerian jihadi

Smedly, Butlerian jihadi — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:35:26 -0800

Speculation I saw on the ol Bluesky was that suspending him rather than firing him was more about keeping him under contract than planning on bringing him back. Given the rise of podcast empires and all that, someone with the pull of Kimmel, who has newfound market appeal due to being explicitly suppressed... Well, that guy could make a lot of money by going independent. Selling "Jimmy Kimmel, Uncensored!" at this point would be as easy as selling ice cream on a hot summer day. I gotta be honest, I never gave that dude a second thought before last night. So I went and read his Wikipedia page. He's got a lot, and I mean a lot of friends in Hollywood, and Hollywood types are not exactly known for rolling over easily. I don't know what the pushback here is going to be, but you can guarantee it's going to happen. Making enemies of all the super popular funny people and the people they work with to actually make all the television and movies just doesn't seem like a good idea. Oh, and important to keep this in context: the economy is very likely going to head into recession in the next quarter or two. There's going to be a lot of Q rating available for those who can make jokes that capture resentment around that. Typically, fascists in this situation get ever more ham handed in their repression, because as we are seeing this very moment, they cannot abide being criticized, and definitely not mocked. So buckle up, I would imagine shit's gonna get pretty interesting here in the next year or so.

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:35:39 -0800

But I am saying Kimmel kinda set himself up for some trouble by being a little too off the cuff about it. WHO THE FUCK CARES. If LARRY FUCKING FLYNT was able to win a First Amendment case for publishing Hustler, then NOTHING Kimmel said should have mattered at ANY POINT.

By: mikelieman

mikelieman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:38:43 -0800

We all "know" the way that you just "know" that two of your acquaintances who seem flirty are "totally hooking up, you guys". Well, in Donald Trump's case there's the court record in which the preponderance of evidence shows that in 1994, Donald John Trump raped a 13 year old girl, a sex-slave trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell. And the facts therein don't seem to matter to those who worship Donald Trump, the earthly incarnation of Belial, the Lord of Lies. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4524664/doe-v-trump/

By: emptythought

emptythought — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:41:19 -0800

>Nexstar is trying to buy Tegna (another broadcasting company) and needs FCC approval to do so, thus the preemptive bootlicking. AP news article about it here. We are in a uniquely loser era of corporate ass kissing, i mean the gold dipshit bitcoin statue also happened today. We just sat through all the tech company ceos giving offerings like they were in the kings court, including other weird gold objects. There was the bizarre nvidia deal recently as well. I think some huge portion of this is anticipatory, and some portion of it is scared shitless of being treated like Tiktok, or otherwise bizarrely whipped with some CEO publicly humiliated. I have to admit this is one of the strangest things i've ever lived through. None of these corporations, of CEOs seem to be afraid of the government. They seem to be afraid ot Trump, in a twilight zone cornfield kid kind of way. And not necessarily baselessly, i'm sure he could throw some tantrum and pull their FCC licenses or fine them a million bajillion dollars... but it's still amazing to not see any of them stand up to this at all, and just instantly roll over and self-piss. And outside of that, damn. It really is amazing to see that person vindicated who stated that Kirk was worth 1000x more to them and ~the movement~ dead than alive.

By: Glibpaxman

Glibpaxman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:55:47 -0800

If Kimmel and the rest of us have to be 100% accurate and perfect in what we say while Kilmeade, Vance, or Trump himself can say anything without consequence that's just fascism with a gloss of paint.

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:04:00 -0800

How about that son of a bitch at Fox News calling on live TV for "euthanizing" homeless people who refused to enter govt. mandated drug treatment programs? I've seen the clip. First he says "involuntary lethal injection." Then he follows that with a totally glib "Just kill them all." Has that scumbag been fired yet? Bueller? Anyone?

By: mittens

mittens — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:13:04 -0800

None of these corporations, of CEOs seem to be afraid of the government. They seem to be afraid of Trump, in a twilight zone cornfield kid kind of way. Another way to look at this--and I don't know if this is right or not--but crony capitalism is a market, and we're in early days, where we're still establishing prices. CEOs know they're going to have to pay something to Trump, but they're not certain what, yet. Is Kimmel an overbid for FCC merger approval? They won't know for a while.

By: neonamber

neonamber — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:28:23 -0800

USA democracy NGMI.

By: RonButNotStupid

RonButNotStupid — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:36:15 -0800

Speculation I saw on the ol Bluesky was that suspending him rather than firing him was more about keeping him under contract than planning on bringing him back. The obvious precedent that springs to mind is the Smothers Brothers. In 1969 CBS, under pressure from the Nixon Administration and with local affiliates threatening to censor or not air episodes of their show, CBS canceled the show. Tom and Dick Smothers then sued CBS and won a large payout for breaching their contract. I for one am looking forward to the Kid Rock Comedy Hour. It'll be like Hee Haw but less sophisticated I see what both of you did there....

By: lorddogbotherer

lorddogbotherer — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:37:32 -0800

You guys, I'm really scared

By: cmfletcher

cmfletcher — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:40:41 -0800

If Kimmel and the rest of us have to be 100% accurate and perfect in what we say while Kilmeade, Vance, or Trump himself can say anything without consequence that's just fascism with a gloss of paint. What Kimmel said was 100% accurate. It is praise dear leader or face consequences.

By: mittens

mittens — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:48:38 -0800

You guys, I'm really scared Me too. Well, when I'm not super-depressed or furious. Maybe all three at once. They need us to be afraid because, as John Ganz mentions today, "Fear is a force multiplier. If you strike terror into people's hearts, they will obey, far beyond their actual exposure to danger." We see the limits of their power all the time--often the limits are where their different factions are butting up against one another, jostling for power. The right wing is not a monolith, and so now at the moment of its greatest power, it seems to tear itself apart. Scary stuff, truly terrifying stuff, is happening all around. But it's patchy. They can't silence everyone, they can only try to scare everyone into being silent. Clearly that is not working out very well. Anyway that's what I keep telling myself. But holy shit I'm tired of living in political fear.

By: mygraycatbongo

mygraycatbongo — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:57:08 -0800

Looks like it wasn't just the threat of losing their license that made ABC and Disney cave.From the Daily Beast: "Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets," a statement from the company read. Nexstar, which already says it owns "America's largest local television broadcasting group," announced last month it had entered into a $6.2 billion merger with media company Tegna. The corporate merger will require approval from the FCC.

By: a3matrix

a3matrix — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:58:11 -0800

We are in a new age of McCarthyism. Companies are using moral clauses to get rid of people on a whim. The pendulum swings. It always does.

By: CheeseDigestsAll

CheeseDigestsAll — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:59:18 -0800

This is bad, but really scary thing will be if this happens not to a celebrity but a normal citizen. Celebrities rise and fall based on what they do (good movie/bad movie, Palestine/Israel) with some frequency. But as soon as people start thinking "this could happen to me" is when the rubber hits the road.

By: mittens

mittens — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:59:51 -0800

Just in case the "capital" part of crony capitalism wasn't clear, here's Sinclair: "Sinclair also calls upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, we ask Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA."

By: DirtyOldTown

DirtyOldTown — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:06:29 -0800

I think I fall pretty safe into the doomer camp and even I think we are speedrunning fascism more than expected. Have we also talked about charliesmurderers.com? Right wingers are collecting social media posts people make mocking Charlie Kirk and applying pressure to their employers to get them fired.

By: MisantropicPainforest

MisantropicPainforest — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:24:31 -0800

IMHO this is a huge blunder for Trump. He's got a sub 40% approval rating. He's hurting a pretty important demographic: normies who watch late night TV. This isn't hard to feel directly—-him and Colberts face isn't on TV. Only the most die hard can claim they like this and free speech. This is affecting not the kitchen table, but the living room couch.

By: gimonca

gimonca — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:24:41 -0800

"He acted not through persuasion, explanation, and patient cooperation with people, but by imposing his concepts and demanding absolute submission to his opinion. Whoever opposed this concept or tried to prove his viewpoint, and the correctness of his position, was doomed to removal from the leading collective and to subsequent moral and physical annihilation." Nikita Khrushchev, referring to Stalin, in the speech "On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences", 1956.

By: njohnson23

njohnson23 — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:27:36 -0800

If what Kimmel said was so bad, how come I keep hearing it over and over on the local news programs and NPR? Are they going to go after journalism in general over these specific words?

By: rhymedirective

rhymedirective — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:40:04 -0800

If what Kimmel said was so bad, how come I keep hearing it over and over on the local news programs and NPR? Are they going to go after journalism in general over these specific words? They don't care about what he said. It's a pretext.

By: AlSweigart

AlSweigart — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:40:05 -0800

This Feb 2016 quote aged like milk: Leslie Moonves on Donald Trump: "It May Not Be Good for America, but It's Damn Good for CBS"

Moonves called the campaign for president a "circus" full of "bomb throwing," and he hopes it continues. "Most of the ads are not about issues. They're sort of like the debates," he said. "Man, who would have expected the ride we're all having right now? ... The money's rolling in and this is fun," he said. "I've never seen anything like this, and this going to be a very good year for us. Sorry. It's a terrible thing to say. But, bring it on, Donald. Keep going," said Moonves.

Then again, fascism gains power because it's the easiest path for people with power. It's just that "people with power" becomes a smaller and smaller group over time...

By: BungaDunga

BungaDunga — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:40:12 -0800

They've already defunded NPR, but they could always start threatening NPR affiliates' broadcast licenses too.

By: DirtyOldTown

DirtyOldTown — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:41:35 -0800

IMHO this is a huge blunder for Trump I hear what you're saying, but the continued disintegration of the various avenues that are supposed to hold him in check does not fill a person with confidence that blowback is really coming, if it it remains possible at all.

By: Smedly, Butlerian jihadi

Smedly, Butlerian jihadi — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:44:07 -0800

None of these corporations, of CEOs seem to be afraid of the government. They seem to be afraid of Trump, in a twilight zone cornfield kid kind of way. This is undeniably true. And the thing is, whatever the reasons for this (which we may never know), it's the kind of thing that's true until it's not. The Trump team is blundering and over-ideological. They are making mistakes typical of that combination of traits. The Georgia battery plant debacle was one, this is another. Furthermore, Trump himself is old and physically ailing. Vance and Don Jr. aren't going to be able to hold this thing together. Peter Theil and Elon and the other vampire plutocrats are not good in front of the camera. Not sure how it all plays out when the fall comes, but make no mistake, the fall is coming.

By: AlSweigart

AlSweigart — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:52:32 -0800

IMHO this is a huge blunder for Trump "Surely this..." No, this is yet another victory for Trump and fascists. You're waving a rule book that says dogs aren't allowed to play basketball while a dog in a basketball jersey is ripping your throat out. He's got a sub 40% approval rating. That doesn't matter when the elections are rigged.

By: glaucon

glaucon — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:59:15 -0800

IMHO this is a huge blunder for Trump posted by MisantropicPainforest at 9:24 am on September 18 I hear what you're saying, but the continued disintegration of the various avenues that are supposed to hold him in check does not fill a person with confidence that blowback is really coming, if it it remains possible at all. posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:41 AM on September 18 Completely agree with DirtyOldTown. I doubt even 60% of Americans will register this as a Significant Event. People are buried in their phones, their poverty, podcasts, sports and social media feeds where they are rehashing high school drama as grown adults. Too distracted and too poor and too reliant on a god awful system that chains people to their decisions or happenstance of birth in perpetuity without any grace, kindness or support except that which they may be blessed to have around them. What action would make a difference? Truly, what is it? The only one I can think of is a mass, nationwide strike that is executed in an organized, peaceful way and hammers the pockets of the wealthy. Perhaps a 10-20 million person peaceful march in DC with 50 to 100 million marching in solidarity locally. How is that organized with the stooges at the helm of every social media company excepting very small, niche platforms? I'm not dooming, but begging for someone to point out another way that doesn't involve absolute catastrophe economically, militarily or otherwise to make people realize they can together move mountains.

By: mrgoat

mrgoat — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:02:32 -0800

Unfortunately, I agree with AlSweigart. He probably doesn't care about his approval rating, and even if he did, there's no way he believes the sub-40% number. I'm sure he's got numbers nobody's ever heard of. He probably thinks Threlvety-Nondredity% of Americans love him.

By: hankmajor

hankmajor — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:05:00 -0800

The "NOPE" Bill.... Christ, does every piece of proposed legislation need a jokey backronym? In the interests of some much-needed levity, here is a list of some of the greatest hits.

By: MattD

MattD — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:06:19 -0800

CEOs and billionaires are less afraid of Trump than they are of a possible ascendance of left-wing Democrats as a reaction to Trump. I don't know if that backlash-to-backlash is just an accident or some n-dimensional Republican chess, but whatever Disney is losing (if anything) by replacing Kimmel with "SportsCenter Late 'n' Live" or whatever will come next is orders of magnitude less expensive to Disney than what a President Ocasio-Cortez would dof to them, like a bump in the federal minimum wage or mandatory benefits for part-timers at Disney World, higher taxes on foreign earnings, environmental restrictions on their cruise ships, etc.

By: DirtyOldTown

DirtyOldTown — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:06:57 -0800

He doesn't follow THE CONSTITUTION. I think it's depressingly naive to think a new law would stop him. Best case scenario, it inconveniences him marginally until it gets taken in front of his hand-picked Supreme Court.

By: AlSweigart

AlSweigart — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:08:05 -0800

What action would make a difference? Well, I only approve of non-violent pushes for change such as going to a peaceful protest and getting your skull caved in by a riot cop's baton, or going to a peaceful protest and being run over by a Ford F-150. Donald Trump Tells Crowd to 'Knock the Crap Out Of' Hecklers

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:10:01 -0800

njohnson23: "If what Kimmel said was so bad, how come I keep hearing it over and over on the local news programs and NPR? Are they going to go after journalism in general over these specific words?" They're using Kirk's death as a pretext to quash free speech (and make Kirk a martyr in the process.) So, yes, they're going after whomever will make the biggest splash. They got Colbert fired, and now Kimmel, two of the biggest personalities on tv. It's called "chilling effect."

By: mazola

mazola — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:10:31 -0800

Best case scenario, it inconveniences him marginally until it gets taken in front of his hand-picked Supreme Court. I hope the rest of his natural life is a steady stream of inconveniences then.

By: DirtyOldTown

DirtyOldTown — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:13:13 -0800

I think what even well-meaning leftists often struggle to understand is that the long list of times when we said, "Surely this" played our hand and then lost were not simply missed opportunities. They were moments that buttressed his position, making similar efforts increasingly less possible to even attempt and increasingly more likely to fail. This has happened many, many times now and his position is much, much stronger now. Putting your hopes on a new "Surely this" isn't optimism anymore, it's magical thinking.

By: ob1quixote

ob1quixote — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:15:44 -0800

lorddogbotherer: “You guys, I'm really scared”

Me too, but, my dear MeFites, we must be brave. For ourselves and for the very idea of The Future. We cannot let THE MAN erase the the American Dream. These unreconstructed Confederates say openly, from behind the symbols of the United States, that they intend to be vicious because they know their position is weak and they can only win unopposed. They are hoping to frighten us into submission. Therefore, we must not let them. What I want you to do, when you are afraid, when you despair, when you can't keep moving forward is get out of your head and come back to the here and now by psyching yourself up like a sumo wrestler. Solidarity with you, my cousins. Please persist and be as brave as the quidnunc kid would want you to be. Feed as many as you can as long as you can and stand together until the last.

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:22:03 -0800

Putting your hopes on a new "Surely this" isn't optimism anymore, it's magical thinking. Or - maybe they are attempts to encourage people to keep pushing back, instead of giving up and channeling Bill Paxton ("That's it, man! Game over!")

By: DirtyOldTown

DirtyOldTown — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:26:04 -0800

Not sure if that's the best example, as Private Hudson was 100% correct in that scene and everyone who heard him say these words died horribly.

By: DirtyOldTown

DirtyOldTown — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:32:18 -0800

I mean, there's optimism and there's denialism. I'm not saying to give up. I'm saying, "We'll just keep doing variations of what has consistently failed and surely one of these days, we'll get 'im!" is a poor plan. I am loath to publicly (or even privately) consider what I think the next level of action is. Certainly, it's not great stuff to post about online.

By: DirtyOldTown

DirtyOldTown — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:43:29 -0800

(Lest that be read as more dramatic than I intended, I am old and my hypothetical future options wouldn't sniff the Willem Arondeus end of the spectrum and I probably wouldn't get a chance to be like Miep Gies either.) I honestly do not know what comes next.

By: KHAAAN!

KHAAAN! — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:46:08 -0800

From where I'm sitting, I see more purges of independent voices, crackdowns, corporate bootlicking, and worse. I see these chuckleheads coasting for years. As long as they don't starve too many normies at the same time, or start any big infights, they'll just keep right on going.

By: infinitewindow

infinitewindow — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:49:28 -0800

He just doesn't want to be laughed at and is in what he thinks is a position of power to stop that. He is only in a position of power to punish that.

By: MisantropicPainforest

MisantropicPainforest — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:53:41 -0800

IMHO this is a huge blunder for Trump "Surely this..." No, this is yet another victory for Trump and fascists. You're waving a rule book that says dogs aren't allowed to play basketball while a dog in a basketball jersey is ripping your throat out. No I'm not. I'm not talking about a rulebook. I'm talking about a lot of the shit that Trump has done so far that's egregious simply doesn't directly affect the lives of most people. Immigrants getting rounded up? Who cares I dont even know thsoe people. Liberals getting fired for their posts? Who cares I'm not posting political shit. Trump shaking down a judge? Who cares I'm not a judge and what is a circuit court. Trump making it so I can't watch my stories on TV? Now I'm affected.

By: mhoye

mhoye — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:58:36 -0800

If LARRY FUCKING FLYNT was able to win a First Amendment case for publishing Hustler, then NOTHING Kimmel said should have mattered at ANY POINT. I've said this plenty elsewhere, but "don't give them a reason" is just complying in advance. Any reason will do, doesn't matter, anything they can yell loudly enough. Trump threatened Kimmel on Truth Social last month, he said something innocuous enough this month and they had their reason. It's not a reason not to say it, just that anything he'd said about it that wasn't complete subservience would have become the reason.

By: hankmajor

hankmajor — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:59:13 -0800

Trump making it so I can't watch my stories on TV? Now I'm affected. But is this consequential any more? How many people watch linear TV? And how many of them care about Jimmy Kimmel one way or the other?

By: biffa

biffa — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 08:12:15 -0800

Private Hudson was 100% correct in that scene and everyone who heard him say these words died horribly. I hear what you're saying. Forget Trump and go after Fincher.

By: mazola

mazola — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 08:23:35 -0800

Statement in Response to ABC Taking Jimmy Kimmel Live! Off the Air [American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada]

"This is not complicated: Trump's FCC identified speech it did not like and threatened ABC with extreme reprisals. This is state censorship. It's now happening in the United States of America, not some far-off country. It's happening right here and right now. This act by the Trump Administration represents a direct attack on free speech and artistic expression. These are fundamental rights that we must protect in a free society. The American Federation of Musicians strongly condemns the decision to take Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air. We stand in solidarity with all those who will be without work because of government overreach."

By: DirtyOldTown

DirtyOldTown — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 08:48:58 -0800

I'm gonna dial back my gloom & doom for a minute and revert to my other default stance of "Look to Hungary." The model Fidesz followed over there hasn't been to totally silence and criminalize dissent. It has been to cast a chill over the larger outlets such that criticism of the regime is limited to lower profile outlets with less ability to affect the national discourse. Mother Jones will still run. Teen Vogue will probably still kick ass in its improbable way. Your favorite independent columnists and news outlets will report as usual. Mainstream coverage will be cowed into being less critical and more compliant and that will be sufficient. As for individuals, it is not the situation in Hungary that anyone criticizing the administration is punished/locked up/silenced. Rather, a segment of these folks--sometimes chosen for their prominence, sometimes almost at random (to encourage the fear that you could be next) find that their employers are pressured to fire them, or they get taken into court over trivial matters. They get bullied and harassed, so that the next person thinks carefully about what they might say. It's just maintenance work to keep a true opposition movement from picking up too much steam. Similarly, this administration doesn't need Thought Police rounding up everyone who calls the man a stupid Cheeto or some shit. They just need the volume of dissent to be muffled enough to shout comfortably over, such that lower information voters are more likely to go their way. All they have to do is keep the tone of the national conversation away from correctly identifying them as extremists, then the various ways they hold a thumb on the electoral system are enough to keep them in power.

By: Didymus

Didymus — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 08:54:28 -0800

the thing about MeFites coming in here and saying anything--like, any little fucking thing--about whether Kimmel's words were perhaps ill-considered etc. please accept that this is proof in front of our eyes of how this shit gets into our brains. I realize many have commented on how this has nothing to do with Kimmel's actual words. It amazes me that there are people commenting here, who don't get that. what will this moment look like for MeFi? I'm guessing we tap into our screens one day and the site is gone, just gone.

By: kittens for breakfast

kittens for breakfast — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 08:56:23 -0800

CEOs and billionaires are less afraid of Trump than they are of a possible ascendance of left-wing Democrats as a reaction to Trump. Yes, and the only people more afraid of an ascendancy of left-wing democrats are the actual leaders of the democratic party.

By: mygraycatbongo

mygraycatbongo — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:04:02 -0800

Disney + NOW we know what the plus stands for. Disney + whatever Trump wants Disney + whatever right-wing affiliates say is okay Disney + late night conservative talk show with Erika Kirk and other Maga celebrities with KKK in their names.

By: ob1quixote

ob1quixote — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:04:36 -0800

"Read the Jimmy Kimmel Monologue That Led to an FCC Crackdown," [Patreon] Parker Molloy, The Present Age, 18 September 2025

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:10:26 -0800

Mail: Jimmy Kimmel 'is actively looking for ways to get out of his contract'

By: mazola

mazola — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:18:24 -0800

"Read the Jimmy Kimmel Monologue That Led to an FCC Crackdown," [Patreon] Parker Molloy, The Present Age, 18 September 2025 For me, seeing/hearing the actual delivery removed any ambiguity over phrasing. Kimmel didn't 'step in it'. Why isn't anyone commenting on how TFG 'stepped in it' when started talking construction in place of... anything human?

By: 1adam12

1adam12 — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:02:05 -0800

Kimmel did nothing wrong. He said exactly what many other commentators have said. And his observations were based on Trump's own recent interview where, when asked about the effect Kirk's death had on him personally, immediately veered into a bizarre discussion of his gold-esque ballroom. And yet somehow the same people pretending to be so aggrieved over Kirk's murder had literally nothing to say about Trump steamrolling his "dear friend" in favor of some silly White House boondoggle. The regime has a list of enemies, Kimmel was on it, and the precise wording that Kimmel used or when he spoke had less to do with this grossly aggressive reaction than the regime's pre-existing plans to destroy everyone with a platform who feels publicly able to criticize it.

By: DirtyOldTown

DirtyOldTown — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:04:52 -0800

They simply had some powerful short term influence to spend and used it to get rid of a critic. What he actually said was incidental. They had juice to cancel someone over this and they picked their guy.

By: mhum

mhum — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:15:07 -0800

I'm sure all of those Free Speech Fundamentalists[tm] out there are gonna step in and clear this all up any minute now. Or, at least, once they're done scolding college undergrads for yelling at Milo Y or specifying which pronouns they'd prefer to be addressed with. But once they've vanquished those pressing threats, they'll definitely figure this all out for us.

By: hankmajor

hankmajor — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:17:45 -0800

please accept that this is proof in front of our eyes of how this shit gets into our brains. I realize many have commented on how this has nothing to do with Kimmel's actual words. It amazes me that there are people commenting here, who don't get that. At the risk of citing a clichéd quote, this is like Hemingway's line about bankruptcy. Just like bankruptcy, the erosion of liberties comes "gradually and then suddenly." So while I personally don't a give a damn about Jimmy Kimmel, or Colbert, or anyone else on this administration's personal "MSM" shitlist, this is for real; and step one is getting out of denial and equivocation.

By: TheWhiteSkull

TheWhiteSkull — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:28:03 -0800

I for one am looking forward to the Kid Rock Comedy Hour. It'll be like Hee Haw but less sophisticated. Hee Haw at least had actual musicians.

By: TheWhiteSkull

TheWhiteSkull — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:40:01 -0800

Right wingers are collecting social media posts people make mocking Charlie Kirk and applying pressure to their employers to get them fired. Good luck with that- I'm already unemployable!

By: timlimfimbim

timlimfimbim — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:42:54 -0800

Hmm I guess they're against this sort of thing and for it at the same time? Must be difficult to navigate... https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/28/2025-01902/restoring-freedom-of-speech-and-ending-federal-censorship

By: mumimor

mumimor — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:47:38 -0800

This reminds me a lot of the fatwa against Salman Rushdie. Hear me out. If you actually read the Satanic Verses, it is not blasphemous. But it does have a lot of ridiculing of Ayatollah Khomeini. I mean a lot. But what the ayatollahs did was to take a very little snip of text totally out of context and brand it as blasphemous, to followers who they knew would never ever read the book. Ayatollah Khomeini wanted to prevent people from reading how he was a smelly narcissistic fool. And he succeeded, not least because Rushdie embraced the label of blasphemy. I wish he had instead encouraged people to read his novel and explained that it was about current affairs and not about the Profet. I hope Kimmel will understand that he needs people to actually see the video and understand that his "offense" is not defaming Kirk, but ridiculing Trump.

By: TheWhiteSkull

TheWhiteSkull — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:49:15 -0800

Hmm I guess they're against this sort of thing and for it at the same time? Must be difficult to navigate... Literally the definition of "Doublethink." And remember, in Orwell's novel, this was a good thing in the eyes of the Party, not a bad thing.

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:57:51 -0800

"So I was at the taping this afternoon (Wednesday 17th) when Stephen found out!! Watching Colbert's face was also wild. Broke his persona cool a little. None of it was filmed, it was during a "commercial break", but he was clearly shocked and angry. He went white." It was clear Colbert was shocked, he darted off stage and tried to get more information, he darted off stage and tried to call Jimmy, but came back a minute later saying he had nothing new. I'm so curious to see what his response is when he does film something"

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:04:24 -0800

....uh....in the "I can't believe I'm typing this" department: Tucker Carlson says Trump administration is using Charlie Kirk's killing to trample First Amendment.

By: Smedly, Butlerian jihadi

Smedly, Butlerian jihadi — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:05:17 -0800

Mail: Jimmy Kimmel 'is actively looking for ways to get out of his contract' posted by jenfullmoon at 9:10 AM on September 18... 'Jimmy said he's going to fight this, not even because he cares so much for the show, although he does, but because he cares about the precedent. He can't make a comment about Charlie Kirk? Look over at all the sh** that they're saying on Fox. Look at what they say on South Park. This is persecution, and Jimmy isn't going to stand for it. And he has a lot of friends who are going to cause problems if suddenly he doesn't have a show. He'll get every friend he has to stop doing ABC shows. You want to book someone on the view? Good f***ing luck. How f***ing dare they? As p***ed off as I am, you can only imagine how Jimmy is. He's beside himself. I've never seen him this angry, ever. It's bad.' The real work here is getting big name actors to not show up to work tomorrow for any show or movie in production for ABC/Disney, or at least refusing to sign on to any more deals. The next step after that is an active campaign against Disney theme parks. As strange as it is to me, those parks are a sacred place to a lot of Americans, and Disney has gone way out of their way to make them open and welcoming to all, perhaps especially to LGBTQ folks. They are extremely exposed here, since they will be between a very angry customer base and a fascistic regime. There are reports of people inside Disney shitting bricks about possible boycott campaigns. They make an obscene amount of money in those parks. Making them political puts all of that in danger for them. It's a good place to start. Also, with all due respect to DirtyOldTown, the US is not Hungary. There are 9.5 million people in Hungary, not that many more than the Chicago metro area (where Donald Trump has so far quite conspicuously backed down from confrontation). It only 36 years since Hungary was a Communist satellite of the CCCP. The US has 360 million people and a bone-deep belief in freedom, with a long history of anti-authoritarianism. This isn't the time to sit and fret, it's the time to reach out to your non-politically active friends and family and see what they think of all this, and start building a case for the fact that Donald Trump is every day betraying the very basic definition of what it means to be an American. Oh, and *fuck* the Democratic Party. We're going to have to have some kind of leadership before this is over, but it won't come from them.

By: j_curiouser

j_curiouser — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:11:37 -0800

in heller's work catch-22, throughout the narrative, several definitions are produced beyond the popularly known instance. in one scene, at a brothel in allied-occupied Italy, us military police commit grievous injustice and violence. the old Italian man submits:

catch-22: they can do whatever you can't stop them from doing.

the implication being that, fascism and and all other expressions of power (including us military) are the same game - oppression of the powerless by the powerful. and worse, indifference to the powerless by the powerful. response essays are due wed /s

By: Lanark

Lanark — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:13:58 -0800

Writers Guild of America West - statement on ABC's Decision to Pull Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

By: mrgoat

mrgoat — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:15:18 -0800

Tucker Carlson says Trump administration is using Charlie Kirk's killing to trample First Amendment Tucker Carlson spent a lot of time trying to get trump elected and is personally responsible for his share of the current awfulness, so I wish him a very unpleasant go fuck sandpaper. He's not being an ally here, he's at best, trying to be the scorpion on the frog.

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:17:31 -0800

Writers Guild of America West - statement on ABC's Decision to Pull Jimmy Kimmel Live!. I'm seeing a lot of replies calling for the WGA to call for a member boycott of working with Disney/ABC at that link....

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:18:14 -0800

'The View' ignores news of fellow ABC personality Jimmy Kimmel's network suspension during today's episode

By: mhum

mhum — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:27:37 -0800

> mrgoat: "He's not being an ally here, he's at best, trying to be the scorpion on the frog." The enemy of my enemy may not be my friend, but they are still the enemy of my enemy.

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:29:32 -0800

Jimmy Fallon Abruptly Drops Out Of Event Following Kimmel's Suspension

By: mazola

mazola — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:30:34 -0800

"The enemy of my enemy may not be my friend, but Tucker Carlson quite reliably fucking sucks!"

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:36:07 -0800

Tucker Carlson fucking sucks - but Tucker Carlson also called out Trump LESS THAN A DAY after the last person to do that got shitcanned from his late-night talk show job. That's the part that threw me. Like, the odds I had on that were similar to the odds I had on "Kid Rock doing a Mongolian throat-singing album with Philip Glass".

By: atbash

atbash — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:39:20 -0800

It's time for "The Tomorrow Show With Stephen Colbert, made possible by viewers like you", exclusively on PBS Passport.

By: Didymus

Didymus — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:46:36 -0800

the odds I had on that were similar to the odds I had on "Kid Rock doing a Mongolian throat-singing album with Philip Glass" we can be grateful for this at least, that the topic has provoked EC to reach deep into her bag of phrasings and produce only the finest of late

By: anastasiav

anastasiav — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:54:05 -0800

The next step after that is an active campaign against Disney theme parks. I would personally like to see more discussion about boycotting (Disney-owned) ESPN in all of this. Not only canceling the "bundled" service with D+ but possibly a boycott of ESPN advertisers as well. Putting pressure on ESPN puts pressure in a whole lotta places downstream

By: BungaDunga

BungaDunga — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:57:56 -0800

Tucker Carlson also called out Trump LESS THAN A DAY after the last person to do that got shitcanned from his late-night talk show job. They were just pissed off by Pam Bondi talking about criminalizing "hate speech", which they consider to be their god-given right to say. I don't think it extends much beyond that. I believe this bit from Carlson came out yesterday day or the day before, before the Kimmel thing happened. If she just switches up how she talks about going after people for speech they'll be mollified, she doesn't have to actually do anything different.

By: DirtyOldTown

DirtyOldTown — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:04:46 -0800

I don't bring up Hungary to be a Cassandra. I bring it up because the Heritage Foundation (who wrote Project 2025) have explicitly said they patterned much of it off of what has been done in Hungary. Kevin Roberts, the HF president said: Modern Hungary is not just a model for conservative statecraft, but the model. It is 100% fair to say that just because it worked there, that doesn't necessarily mean it will work here. But so far...it kinda has been. And if anything, the imitation is moving faster than the more incrementally built original. This tracker has the goals of Project 2025 as being 47% enacted so far, roughly a fifth of the way into the presidential term. Absolutely no one will be happier than I will when me saying "Hungary" over and over stops being correct. It's not like I'm saying it because I'm smart or something. The worst people in the world keep continue to try to enact a plan they repeatedly say is based on Hungary. I'm just believing them. If you're contemplating how the next phases in the US will shake out, it's maybe a good idea to look at the model they're following, not simply for prognostication, but for gaining a better understanding of what kind of pit we're in. Anyway, I'll shut up now. Not just for your sake but for mine. I'm gonna watch videos of dogs or something. Be well, friends.

By: BungaDunga

BungaDunga — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:09:24 -0800

You can see what Carlson actually said here.

It's just prodding Bondi for using the wrong lingo to talk about speech restrictions.

CARLSON: She said this just yesterday. Watch. BONDI: There's free speech and then there's hate speech. And there is no place, especially now, especially after what happened to Charlie, in our society. CARLSON: There's free speech and then there's hate speech. This is the attorney general of the United States, the chief law enforcement officer of the United States telling you that there is this other category called hate speech. And of course, the implication is that's a crime. There's almost no sentence that Charlie Kirk, and I'm I'm not running the risk of appropriating his memory for my own ends by saying this, it's provable. There's no sentence that Charlie Kirk would have objected to more than that. And you've got to think the attorney general didn't think it through and was not attempting to desecrate the memory of the person she was purporting to celebrate. That she just threw that out there, that she hadn't thought about it. You hope that you hope that Charlie Kirk's death won't be used by a group we now call bad actors to create a society that was the opposite of the one he worked to build. You hope that you hope that a year from now the turmoil we're seeing in the aftermath of his murder won't be leveraged to bring hate speech laws to this country. And trust me, if it is, if that does happen, there is never a more justified moment for civil disobedience than that ever. And there never will be.

By: pwnguin

pwnguin — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:11:10 -0800

it is not blasphemous. But it does have a lot of ridiculing of Ayatollah Khomeini. Same as it ever was. Machiavelli was put on the Index because The Prince praised the Vatican and the Pope. For being a warmonger and adulterer who put his illegitimate son into power in an era of warring Italian states. But now part of me wants to see someone write an updated version featuring Don Jr. just so MBAs finally get the message that The Prince is not tutorial for success.

By: BungaDunga

BungaDunga — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:12:25 -0800

Trump floats pulling licenses if networks are 'against' him after Jimmy Kimmel suspended

By: Pseudonymous Cognomen

Pseudonymous Cognomen — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:28:05 -0800

And meanwhile Democratic Congressional leadership are continuing to display their utter spinelessness and uselessness by announcing that they'll vote for a GOP resolution honoring Charlie Kirk. Jeffries et al are fucking useless and if the Democrats aren't actually controlled opposition then they may as well be.

By: The River Ivel

The River Ivel — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:30:56 -0800

I think the two things that Hungary had that America doesn't is 1) Hungary rode a wave of commercial success in the eu by destroying all the things that people liked about eu - workers protection etc - and offering capitalists an entry into that market without, y'know, doing stuff. And 2) the eu, which funding a lot of Hungarian stuff, couldn't work out how to turn off the money tap (I think this has been solved because of Russia's Ukraine incursion). Trump and co can only destroy workers rights within the USA (already feeble, so it's not really useful) and they can't get more money to access the US because they are the money tap. And they're so dumb they're choking their own supply.

By: ob1quixote

ob1quixote — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:33:48 -0800

"A Few Thoughts on KimmelGeddon," Josh Marshall, Talking Points Memo, 18 September 2025

The first and most important thing is not to react or complain or bewail but to attack. ⋮ Every time. Attack and attack and attack. Don't complain. Attack. People are bewildered by what they're seeing. They don't like it. Everything that raises the salience of this issue is a win. They want to see someone talk back.

By: ob1quixote

ob1quixote — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:41:26 -0800

Upcoming SNL board: Oct 4: Bill Burr/ Chappell Roan Oct 11: NBC Apology Oct 18: Series Finale

—‪@disneyprimevideo.bsky.social‬ September 17, 2025 at 9:02 PM

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:48:02 -0800

(For those not in on the joke: @disneyprimevideo.bsky.social is a joke account.)

By: mhum

mhum — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:54:23 -0800

> ob1quixote: ""A Few Thoughts on KimmelGeddon," Josh Marshall, Talking Points Memo, 18 September 2025" Lol, was just about to post an excerpt from this. I was going to go with the final two paragraphs:

I hear all these people telling me how there won't be a 2026 election, or that it won't be free and fair or a bunch of other things. My question to them or maybe to you is what are you going to do about it? History is long. No one is in the saddle forever. It is critical for an opposition to give the people a vision of forward trajectory in time, that this isn't the end of the story, that consequences can be delayed but not evaded. It's such a demonstrable point. Think even of the longest lasting fascist or authoritarian dictatorships. Franco? About 35 years. Pinochet? 16 years, ousted by a referendum. I don't imagine this will last for even a tiny fraction of that length of time. My point is simply to demonstrate the incontestable point: no one remains in the saddle forever. That's true even in the most extreme cases. A reckoning comes and everyone needs to be on notice. Trump is already unpopular. He is getting more unpopular. His actions are unpopular. It is the elites, the big diversified corporations and monopolies who have tossed aside most rapidly Americans' instinctive disdain for kings and dictators. It's down at the most democratic level of our system where the resistance is strongest and growing — juries that refuse to indict or convict amid Trump's bogus crime crackdown, voters who are showing they've had enough. He slashes at the civic orthodoxies and values we were all raised on. This remains his opposition's greatest advantage. It simply needs to be exploited. Adam Smith says there's a lot of ruin in a nation. There's a lot of ruin in a democracy. We're in a very bad situation. To me, all I care about is what to do in response. These are a few of the many things. If history is long, we are not long. We will all die. The question, as always, is how do we conduct ourselves in the days we have?

By: RonButNotStupid

RonButNotStupid — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:59:33 -0800

Every time. Attack and attack and attack. Don't complain. Attack. People are bewildered by what they're seeing. They don't like it. Everything that raises the salience of this issue is a win. They want to see someone talk back. Someone to represent us.

By: mazola

mazola — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:07:47 -0800

""A Few Thoughts on KimmelGeddon," Josh Marshall, Talking Points Memo, 18 September 2025"

I don't want to participate in the, "How bad is this?" discourse. It's bad. We know that. An apolitical person told me yesterday this whole development was "frightening, scary." I agreed. So why don't you seem more upset about it, this person asked. Because I already knew we were here. All I have time for is what one does in response. So a few thoughts on that front. ———————— Want to keep reading? Join TPM and get The Backchannel member newsletter along with unlimited access to all TPM articles and member features.

:\ The revolution will not be accessible

By: mhum

mhum — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:11:45 -0800

> mazola: "The revolution will not be accessible" Here is a gift link for that piece.

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:13:52 -0800

ABC website removed staff emails after pulling Kimmel Damon Lindelof, creator of "Lost", which aired on ABC, says he will not work with Disney until Jimmy Kimmel's show is reinstated. Per entertainment reporter Matthew Belloni, other creatives are considering similar pledges.

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:25:30 -0800

Trump floats pulling licenses if networks are 'against' him after Jimmy Kimmel suspended This is going to be a new trick pony in his stable. Wonder if he'll yoyo with this like with the tariffs. "This week on ABC: who knows? If your screen is blue go touch grass."

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:29:09 -0800

An intriguing response to those links Jenfullmoon just posted: * Someone commented on how the team at Sinclair Media is insisting Kimmel should also publicly apologize and donate to Turning Point USA. Another person responded that hey - what would be even better is if Kimmel could donate to Sandy Hook Promise in Charlie Kirk's name.

By: aintnolobos

aintnolobos — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:30:28 -0800

@schumer.senate.gov‬ Brendan Carr should resign immediately, or Trump should fire him.

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:32:30 -0800

Dear Chuck: When Trump ignores your comment, are you going to actually fucking do something about it or are you going to cave yet again?

By: reedbird_hill

reedbird_hill — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:37:46 -0800

When Trump ignores your comment, are you going to actually fucking do something about it or are you going to cave yet again? He'll presumably be holding a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk.

By: Nerd of the North

Nerd of the North — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:41:11 -0800

He'll presumably be holding a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk.

If so, I certainly hope there'll be a press announcement or something so we can tell it from his other silence.

By: MattD

MattD — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:01:49 -0800

By: RonButNotStupid

RonButNotStupid — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:08:02 -0800

Senatorial courtesy didn't do jack shit to stop Trump from just ignoring the constitution and cancelling congressional appropriations.

By: RonButNotStupid

RonButNotStupid — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:21:25 -0800

By: aintnolobos

aintnolobos — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:23:43 -0800

Schumer main job as minority leader isn't to be the leader of the opposition but to preserve Senatorial courtesy In other words Schumer's job is to lend legitimacy to the institutions wielded by regime, thereby legitimizing the regime.

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:30:06 -0800

So the FCC won't let me be keeps going through my head, just wanted to say that. Jon Stewart to Surprise Host 'The Daily Show' Thursday Amid Jimmy Kimmel Fallout Chairman Brandan Carr warned that the upending of TV programming is "not done yet" Jimmy Kimmel suspension 'not enough' for local media giant Sinclair

By: hankmajor

hankmajor — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:32:25 -0800

Another dark reflection: this just goes to show how so much of what we take for granted in the Western world (freedom of expression in this case) depends on convention (which can change on a whim) rather than hard law. The FCC is a recent creation and its ability to regulate the "airwaves" is dependent on a scarcity rationale and judicial consent (i.e., convention) as much as anything else. The First Amendment that you USians hold so dear only expressly applies to congressional action against free speech ("congress shall pass no law ... prohibiting "the" freedom of speech" -- even the "the" in that sentence is contested). Scary times indeed.

By: i used to be someone else

i used to be someone else — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:41:11 -0800

He'll presumably be holding a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk well, the senate just passed a resolution declaring 14 oct as a day of remembrance for c. kirk by voice vote and schumer and the dems decided preserving "senatorial courtesy" was super important which definitely makes it seem like they're actually pretty comfortable with the sanitization, canonization, and hagiography around that fascist bigot, so.

By: soundguy99

soundguy99 — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:48:44 -0800

Schumer main job as minority leader isn't to be the leader of the opposition but to preserve Senatorial courtesy which is, most acutely, the prerogative of Senators from states with two minority Senators, like him and most of his caucus, to retain significant sway over appropriations and appointments that affect their states. I mean, this might well be true under a normal administration, or even under Trump I when there were still adults in the room & fewer batshit Republicans in Congress, but from the very start of Trump II he and the rest of his administration have been claiming that and behaving as if any government money is Trump's to hand out as he sees fit. Or not. Mostly not for states with 2 minority Senators and "liberal" organizations like universities & the CDC. (Then they get sued, then they lose, then they appeal, then depending on which judges they get they lose again, then they appeal again, and meanwhile they just flat out refuse to distribute the money regardless of where the court cases are in the process.) So, yeah, Schumer and a bunch of other Congressional Dems need to wake up and smell the coffee and realize that their job now is absolutely be the leaders of the opposition, because what they're getting from trying to keep sway over appropriations and appointments that affect their states is a big "Fuck You" from the Trump administration and the Republicans in Congress. Whereas various states & cities have shown that when you actually behave like the opposition and push back against the bullies, they fold.

By: j_curiouser

j_curiouser — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:50:14 -0800

The revolution will not be accessible eyeroll. weak. cancel disney, pay for tpm. they're legit fighting fascism with honest, quality journalism. you want a 4th estate, support independent media.

By: hankmajor

hankmajor — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:51:53 -0800

My modest proposal: I think the only solution is - as others noted - to (meaningfully) unionize writers/creators and make it count. Nobody cares about Jimmy Kimmel, but if free speech can be chilled like this - even as regards a normie like Kimmel - then this is truly the thin end of the wedge. Make people care about not getting access to free media.

By: BungaDunga

BungaDunga — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:00:44 -0800

The First Amendment that you USians hold so dear only expressly applies to congressional action against free speech ("congress shall pass no law ... prohibiting "the" freedom of speech" -- even the "the" in that sentence is contested). Scary times indeed. The FCC was created by Congress and it's only even able to issue and require broadcast licenses due to the law (the Communications Act).

By: BungaDunga

BungaDunga — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:02:07 -0800

Then they get sued, then they lose, then they appeal, then depending on which judges they get they lose again, then they appeal again, and meanwhile they just flat out refuse to distribute the money regardless of where the court cases are in the process The funny thing is that in a lot of cases recently it's been the blue states that got money unfrozen (because they sued) and red states that have been left in the lurch (because they didn't)

By: hankmajor

hankmajor — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:07:04 -0800

The FCC was created by Congress and it's only even able to issue and require broadcast licenses due to the law (the Communications Act). Correct, and I fully agree with you; but it is still classified as an "independent executive agency." I don't want to get into the vagaries of the law here, but you can see how this is still dependent on judicial interpretation (convention).

By: los pantalones del muerte

los pantalones del muerte — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:08:28 -0800

As I said to friends earlier today: Who knew fascism could save me so much money? All these subscriptions I'm canceling are really starting to add up. First it was The Washington Post, followed by Amazon on general principles and their weaseling over tariffs, and now Disney. It's so much it's almost enough to cover the spike in groceries under Herr Trumpski's economy.

By: kristi

kristi — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:16:05 -0800

Democracy Forward has filed a FOIA request:

The request seeks emails, calendar entries, and text messages from Carr and senior staff reflecting meetings and communications with individuals outside the agency, and covers records after January 20, 2025. The request seeks to provide transparency into which outside actors may be attempting to influence agency leadership as it considers new approaches that could chill free expression and reshape the role of the FCC in controlling broadcast content.

Their FOIA request is linked from that press release. Democracy Forward has followed up on lack of response to FOIA requests by filing lawsuits: DOGE FOIA lawsuit info HUD and Defense Department AI FOIA lawsuit info disappearing people to El Salvador FOIA lawsuit info Epstein files lawsuit info

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:36:55 -0800

He literally said "they aren't allowed to do that" where the "that" is criticize him. There is no way to interpret what he said in any other way. It was direct and it was clear. TV hosts are not allowed to criticize him. Trump Says Late Night Hosts' Jokes Should Factor Into FCC Licensing WGA members have gathered outside of Disney/ABC's Headquarters to protest the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's show.

By: adrienneleigh

adrienneleigh — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:04:35 -0800

j_curiouser: "cancel disney, pay for tpm." *eyeroll* Don't pay for TPM. Josh Marshall is correct in this essay, but he's also a rabid slavering genocide apologist. Pay for Marisa Kabas' Handbasket. Pay for Defector.

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:05:05 -0800

Seriously all I've done today is watch videos for work and check Reddit for updates. Disney executives and Jimmy Kimmel are meeting today to discuss the future of his show and whether there's any way for it to return (archive link) (doesn't really say anything beyond headline)

By: adrienneleigh

adrienneleigh — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:08:56 -0800

Oh, also: pay for Jonathan Katz' The Racket. Pay for Luke O'Neil's Welcome to Hell World. Pay for Spencer Ackerman's Forever Wars.

By: JoeXIII007

JoeXIII007 — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:11:00 -0800

Kevin Roberts, the HF president said: Modern Hungary is not just a model for conservative statecraft, but the model. And that's where we, a country of 350+ million, 75+ million of which indicated didn't want this (7x+ the population of Hungary), say that much like the rest of conservative ideas, their ideas do not scale.

By: valrus

valrus — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:18:17 -0800

Pseudonymous Cognomen:

And meanwhile Democratic Congressional leadership are continuing to display their utter spinelessness and uselessness by announcing that they'll vote for a GOP resolution honoring Charlie Kirk. Jeffries et al are fucking useless and if the Democrats aren't actually controlled opposition then they may as well be.

Not to defend the Democrats, who have absolutely not been Meeting the Moment, but am I missing something here? Every Democrat in the House voted no. Or by "vote for" did you mean "vote on?"

By: tiny frying pan

tiny frying pan — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:25:08 -0800

jenfullmoon: " TV hosts are not allowed to criticize him." holy shit how I still have the capacity to be amazed I do not know

By: JDC8

JDC8 — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:38:31 -0800

Oh, also: pay for Jonathan Katz' The Racket. Pay for Luke O'Neil's Welcome to Hell World. Pay for Spencer Ackerman's Forever Wars. Also consider some independent tech reporting publications, like Molly White's Citation Needed and her recommended associated sites and writers.

By: Pseudonymous Cognomen

Pseudonymous Cognomen — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:43:14 -0800

Not to defend the Democrats, who have absolutely not been Meeting the Moment, but am I missing something here? Very clearly, since it's quite obvious you couldn't be arsed to click the link I provided for more context. That vote you linked to was taken yesterday. This is from today and refers to a vote tomorrow: House Democratic leaders will vote in favor of a GOP resolution condemning political violence and celebrating Charlie Kirk in the wake of last week's fatal shooting of the conservative activist in Utah — a measure expected to hit the floor on Friday. In a closed-door meeting in the Capitol basement Thursday morning, top leaders informed rank-and-file lawmakers they will support the resolution, though they will not push other members to do the same.

By: armacy

armacy — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:53:33 -0800

DirtyOldTown definitely inspired me to read The New Yorker on Examining Trump's War on the Media, and a Warning from Hungary. Also, WGAE will do some sort of protest lunchtime in NYC (sorry, in a meeting and can't quickly find info but it is definitely on Instagram if you are in the area)

By: caviar2d2

caviar2d2 — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 17:33:19 -0800

I want the sort of Democrat who'll go to the Kirk funeral just to spit on his coffin, which is what I would do. I'm so sick of people talking about what a dark day it is and how bad they feel for his family. He and others like him caused the whole problem in first place! Also I'm sick of hearing about "polarization" when a bunch of assholes move farther and farther right and I stay the same. There's no "polarization" in this country. There's not even any kind of organized leftist or socialist movement. They just started calling centrists that!

By: j_curiouser

j_curiouser — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 17:44:05 -0800

on indy media: all those recommendations are welcome. moral purity tests tend to have diminishing returns. of course, find a variety in your diet.

By: Salvor Hardin

Salvor Hardin — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 17:56:34 -0800

Oh no, but I've been hearing how Charlie Kirk was totally a champion of free speech and debate, would he really want Jimmy Kimmel to be cancelled for speaking his mind? It almost seems like Charlie Kirk and his fans were just regular white supremacist fascists, rather than the noble warriors of democracy the NYT et al have been telling me about since he got shot. Huh.

By: MarchHare

MarchHare — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 18:17:52 -0800

In what can't be a coincidence, it looks like Jon Stewart's picking up some extra hours this week by hosting The Daily Show for an additional night this evening.

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 19:09:20 -0800

I am still stuck on "off the cuff." What does that mean to a TV comedian?

By: mazola

mazola — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 19:19:58 -0800

I Saw How Russia Killed Media Freedom: Censorship is central to the story of Russia's descent into KGB dictatorship. [Garry Kasparov | Substack]

Forget, for a moment, about the most high-profile assassinations of reporters and dissidents in Russia. Those would come later. The government's campaign of procedural harassment and lawfare made it impossible for journalists and media executives to do their jobs right out of the gate. Freedom is often lost under mountains of paperwork and crippling fines rather than in a cinematic showdown with a dictator. Many of the Russian government's targets were never actually arrested or charged with any specific offense. Many more were never targeted at all! A few high-profile people got shaken down and everyone else got the message.

By: WaterAndPixels

WaterAndPixels — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 19:21:48 -0800

I think Tucker Carlson knows fascists always end up grinding their own, and he can see that he can be liable to be crushed there. He still sucks.

By: adrienneleigh

adrienneleigh — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 19:33:41 -0800

Oh, another fantastic indy news outlet that isn't run by foaming-at-the-mouth genocide lovers: TruthOut.

By: straight

straight — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 19:55:40 -0800

Sinclair also calls upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Literally what could this apology even look like? What part of what he said was disrespectful to Kirk? Probably the Sinclair flack who wrote this has never seen a real apology before, thinks an apology means "I'm sorry people got upset about what I said."

By: valrus

valrus — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 20:29:31 -0800

you couldn't be arsed to click the link I provided for more context

I did, actually. That's how I got to the bill number. I missed the detail of the timeline of events. "Am I missing something here?" was an actual question and you didn't need to be a jerk to me. Sorry for not reading closely enough.

By: Toddles

Toddles — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 22:06:26 -0800

It is beyond bizarre to me that I am on the same side of anything as Jimmy Kimmel. This is truly the weirdest timeline.

By: oneirodynia

oneirodynia — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 22:06:51 -0800

This is why monopolies and fascism go hand in hand. If there were numerous independent media outlets it would be much harder for the government to make everyone behave the way they want them to. Extreme concentration of economic power helps facilitate the concentration of political power.

By: They sucked his brains out!

They sucked his brains out! — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 22:27:25 -0800

In what can't be a coincidence, it looks like Jon Stewart's picking up some extra hours this week by hosting The Daily Show for an additional night this evening. Jon Stewart platformed fascists for laughs so it kind of makes sense to throw him some work right about now.

By: bcd

bcd — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 22:29:09 -0800

I don't believe it is generally available this early, but tonight's The Daily Show is already live on YouTube. Jon is in fine form.

By: TWinbrook8

TWinbrook8 — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 22:32:43 -0800

And in one hour, already over 6500 views

By: mumimor

mumimor — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 23:08:12 -0800

Kevin Roberts, the HF president said: Modern Hungary is not just a model for conservative statecraft, but the model. And that's where we, a country of 350+ million, 75+ million of which indicated didn't want this (7x+ the population of Hungary), say that much like the rest of conservative ideas, their ideas do not scale. It's not so much that they don't scale, it's that they don't work for the general populace in Hungary either. They work for Orban and his ilk. But for everyone else, nope. Hungary was on track to become the most succesful of the former east block nations, with peace dividends for all, before Orban caught the authoritarian bug. (He was a liberal hero before that). In the light of current events in the US, I'm wondering if Hungary was Putin's first experiment with corrupting a liberal democracy outside of the former Soviet Union.

By: porpoise

porpoise — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 23:33:32 -0800

I just watched the Jon Stewart thing and it is fucking weak sauce. I used to celebrate him. I used to celebrate Colbert before he went anodyne. The chilling effect is real.

By: They sucked his brains out!

They sucked his brains out! — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 23:52:14 -0800

They should dress up in Evel Knievel outfits again, worked out well for American democracy.

By: Kadin2048

Kadin2048 — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 00:01:04 -0800

Well, I watched Jon Stewart on The Daily Show earlier tonight, and then Colbert (who had Jake Tapper on, flogging his latest book, naturally). It was interesting how the two shows handled it. Neither, I thought, really went for the jugular; Colbert came closer, and Stewart was only moved out of weak-sauce territory by virtue of having Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa as his guest, apparently to say the things he can't say with a straight face. It's tempting to think "surely this will be the line!" but after too many years of Charlie-with-the-football, I've all but given up on believing that there is A Line that the public will rise up in anger at the crossing of. And the Senate Democrats... ffs, guys. I know there are some good, noteworthy exceptions, but jesus wept: it's like they're just too tired to do anything. Just going through the motions, going through the votes, sending out the fundraising emails, just phoning it the fuck in. Is there anything Trump could do that would get Schumer actually fired up and willing to be (gasp) impolite? The slavish preservation of normalcy, of decorum, of tradition, helps the Trumpists: it helps them boil the frog of the body politic slowly, reassuring the public that nothing really bad has happened yet. Doubly true of efforts to create a "soft landing" for constituents, to shield them from the madness. It's just doing Team Trump's PR for them. (I suspect we'll see the floppy Senatorial backbones on display when it comes time to pass Trump's budget or shut down the Government.) At this point, I'm concerned there are basically two outcomes: one is that the Supreme Court, or a few key fascism-curious members of it, aren't entirely onboard with a future under God-Emperor Trump, and decide to pump the brakes. It's not like Trump doesn't give them ample opportunities. Maybe vanity will succeed where legal arguments haven't, or a reluctance to entirely diminish their own personal power by becoming a rubber stamp. Stranger things have happened. But Charlie probably thought that every time he took a run at the football, too. And the other outcome, of course, is where neither of the other branches do anything, and things continue to get materially worse for the average person, and we start to see real violence—which, in the past, has eventually been how fascist governments end, but often with a really horrifying period in the middle. I'm hoping we don't go there. But I'm sure not liking the direction we're headed.

By: rochrobbb

rochrobbb — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 05:02:26 -0800

It's tempting to think "surely this will be the line!" but after too many years of Charlie-with-the-football, I've all but given up on believing that there is A Line that the public will rise up in anger at the crossing of. I was recently watching A Face in the Crowd, a 1957 film about a television demagogue who was ultimately toppled by a single hot mike — and thinking it would take impossibly more to achieve the same effect today (that wasn't really him, that was an AI fake).

By: deeker

deeker — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 05:15:31 -0800

rochrobbb: "I was recently watching A Face in the Crowd, a 1957 film about a television demagogue who was ultimately toppled by a single hot mike — and thinking it would take impossibly more to achieve the same effect today (that wasn't really him, that was an AI fake)." Wasn't one of the very first "surely this" moments Trump's hot mic on Access Hollywood? From memory, that was ineffective... A hot mic disaster implies shame and/or a voting base that cares about whatever heinous shit you say on the mic.

By: gimonca

gimonca — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 06:02:11 -0800

I was recently watching A Face in the Crowd Me, too, several months ago. I remember seeing the ending and thinking: this was all almost a documentary up to this point, but in real life, Lonesome Rhodes would have ridden his cornpone fan base all the way to the grave.

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 07:52:04 -0800

I was recently watching A Face in the Crowd, a 1957 film about a television demagogue who was ultimately toppled by a single hot mike — and thinking it would take impossibly more to achieve the same effect today (that wasn't really him, that was an AI fake). I'm reminded of the end of The Dead Zone and even THAT probably wouldn't kill any Republican's career now. If other people don't get to posting them before I do, I'll try to find all the relevant video from last night in between work stuff. Here's The Colbert Report. Disney's Message To Employees: Shut Your Trap Old Stephen Colbert returns. We Are All Jimmy Kimmel | The Easy Way Or The Hard Way | Trump Urges NBC To Cancel Fallon And Meyers Brendan Carr's Threat To ABC Seemed Like Something Out Of "Goodfellas" - David Remnick Jake Tapper On The Dangers Of Corporate Consolidation Among Media Companies If We Do Not Have The Ability To Criticize Our Leaders, We Are No Longer The U.S.A. - Jake Tapper

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:13:27 -0800

Former Meteorologist Dan Slatterfield posted an action to take that is getting circulated widely... and it's pretty good: 1. See if you have a Sinclair or Nexstar station in your area. 2. Watch the local newscast sometime this week. 3. Note the companies that bought ads during the airtime of the newscast. 4. Call those companies and let them know you'll boycott them until they quit supporting that media company. If you want to check on whatever station those might be: Nexstar stations Sinclair Stations

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:26:01 -0800

Seth Meyers: Trump Returns from U.K. Visit and the White House Cracks Down on Free Speech: A Closer Look Blame it on AI. Jimmy Fallon: Jimmy Reacts to Kimmel's Suspension After FCC Pressure; Trump Wraps Up U.K. Visit | The Tonight Show

By: sotonohito

sotonohito — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:39:21 -0800

Just a reminder that Kimmel didn't even say anything about Charles [1] Kirk. Kimmel was sarcastic and cutting about Trump's apparent indifference to the killing of Kirk, a man Trump described as a good friend. Kimmel mocked Trump, not Kirk, by observing that Trump kept pivoting from Kirk to talking about his inane White House ballroom idea on two occasions when Trump was being interviewed and the question of Kirk and Kirk's murder came up. THAT is the dire sin Kimmel committed: he mocked Trump. He didn't mock Kirk. He didn't even talk about Kirk. He talked about how Trump was acting when asked about Kirk. The fact that so many media outlets are uncritically accepting the framing that Kimmel was "indefinitely suspended following his comments about Charles Kirk" rather than the honest framing that "Kimmel was indefinitely suspended following his honest and savage criticisms of Trump" is horrifying. [1] Charles Kirk spent much of his professional life trying to prevent trans people from using their name of choice, so I'll be damned I call him anything but the name on his own birth certificate.

By: dances_with_sneetches

dances_with_sneetches — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:48:54 -0800

I just wanted to say that Stephen Colbert returning to his old character and "The Word" is fantastic and cathartic.

By: pwnguin

pwnguin — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 09:59:43 -0800

Stewart was only moved out of weak-sauce territory by virtue of having Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa I haven't had cable in over a decade, so I only get the occasional Daily Show monologue on Youtube. So apologies if this was covered there, but: Trump clearly wants the Nobel Peace Prize, believing it to be the ultimate popularity contest. There's basically a month left until this year's winners are announced and it would be just incredible if the Daily Show decided to land as many winners as guests as possible. Part of me wants to see Barack Obama just before the announcement just to rub it in, but it's probably better not to highlight one of the better pieces of evidence for the popularity contest thesis.

By: Glinn

Glinn — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:36:56 -0800

Jimmy Kimmel's show has been cancelled | The New Disney | LUBACH [YT 1:51] [not work appropriate]

By: johnabbe

johnabbe — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:45:55 -0800

Leave or arm yourself. There are at least 198 other options. Also de-arresting is a thing. (Weapons not recommended.) Tad Stoermer talked today about the role of violence in resistance.

By: WatTylerJr

WatTylerJr — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:54:37 -0800

The spinelessness of most of the democratic leadership is just astounding. They will vote yes on getting sent to the gulags. 95 freaking democratic quislings voted yes on a resolution deifying St. Charles of the Hatred of Anyone Not White Evangelical Male. Every time I think these Vichy cowards cannot get any lower, they dive right into the sewer. At this point it's pretty clear that they are NEVER going to fight. So they need to be replaced or the Democratic Party needs to go the way of the Whigs.

By: aintnolobos

aintnolobos — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 11:25:40 -0800

The spinelessness of most of the democratic leadership is just astounding. The unbearable 2018-era teenage self-identified tankies with names like @smarter_than_the_average_beria1312 were and still are 100% correct

By: Surfurrus

Surfurrus — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 13:01:13 -0800

There IS a Dictators' Playbook" Nobel Prize journalist, Maria Ressa on the Daily Show tells Jon Stewart about watching the US with feelings of 'deja vu' and PTSD. "I told you so." Previously

By: lord_wolf

lord_wolf — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 13:31:56 -0800

I don't know if this has been mentioned already with regard to October 14th and "National Charlie Kirk Day," but, in one of those moments that makes one question the nature of reality, I just learned that Charlie Kirk and George Floyd were both born on that day, 20 years apart. I had been thinking that just like white supremacists like to detract from MLK Day by proclaiming it to be Confederate Heroes Day, foes of Trump and Kirk with the power to do so should declare October 14 to be "Civil Rights Activists Memorial Day," honoring MLK, Medgar Evers, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, among others. But now I plan to drown out any noise about Charlie Kirk on October 14th by memorializing both Floyd and the slain civil rights activists.

By: kokaku

kokaku — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 13:37:57 -0800

fuck them for putting National Fascism Day on my late veteran dad's bday

By: tummy_rub

tummy_rub — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 13:39:29 -0800

"we'll be right back with Jake Tapper" is an incredible punchline

By: Ursula Hitler

Ursula Hitler — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 14:56:29 -0800

I just learned that Charlie Kirk and George Floyd were both born on that day, 20 years apart. Oh man, I sure hope somebody is already organizing George Floyd Remembrance Day rallies for October 14th.

By: jedicus

jedicus — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 14:56:30 -0800

Ted Cruz playing the proverbial broken clock

By: Your Childhood Pet Rock

Your Childhood Pet Rock — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:11:32 -0800

I'm fucking livid. My rep (Lori Trahan) voted for the fucking HR honoring Kirk. Where I am is D+17 or some insane shit. I feel like primarying her just because of this. Campaign ads write themselves. Just a video clip of Kirk saying his vile and racist shit and "Lori Trahan voted to honor this" a few times. She didn't need to celebrate it but she sure as fuck doesn't need to vote in favor of a resolution honoring a white supremacist fascist piece of shit. They're limited to performative bullshit and they can't even get that fucking right. When they're so fucking worried about optics but then they jump at the chance to go on record honoring a piece of shit like him.

By: Your Childhood Pet Rock

Your Childhood Pet Rock — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:18:18 -0800

Ted Cruz playing the proverbial broken clock He's only worried because Trump is a fucking idiot and is overreaching while he hasn't fully consolidated power yet. Senate Republicans are getting braver but they're not all in yet. Plus Trump is old, barely clinging on to this mortal realm. If the MAGA coalition fractures because everyone else has the charisma of a bag of dicks they're going to have to appeal to some sense of normalcy to continue on with typical GOP Diet Evil™. If new precedents are set but some miracle the next president is a D and is someone who is actually willing to go General Sherman on GOP fascists it could be a hell of a problem for them.

By: warriorqueen

warriorqueen — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:26:18 -0800

Protesters rally in support of Jimmy Kimmel (USA Today) Canadian actor Tatiana Maslany joins calls to boycott Disney amid Jimmy Kimmel fallout (CBC; yes we always get the Canadian-personage-angle on things)

By: aintnolobos

aintnolobos — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:27:24 -0800

58 House democrats (27% of the Democratic caucus) vote against honoring the life and career of Charlie Kirk

By: Pseudonymous Cognomen

Pseudonymous Cognomen — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 16:23:28 -0800

58 House democrats (27% of the Democratic caucus) vote against honoring the life and career of Charlie Kirk The other 73% should all be primaried and hopefully driven out of office, but the way things are going they may wind up in a camp before we have another election, once Trump declares that Democrats = "Antifa".

By: ZenMasterThis

ZenMasterThis — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 17:05:21 -0800

A hot mic disaster implies shame and/or a voting base that cares about whatever heinous shit you say on the mic. His base cares about EXACTLY ONE THING: He hates the same people they hate. Nothing else matters to them.

By: Slackermagee

Slackermagee — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 17:25:03 -0800

The difference between these threads and these threads in 2016 is that I had more hair then

By: symbioid

symbioid — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 17:26:09 -0800

Oh that Senate Resolution (S.R. 403) calling Oct 14 "Charlie Kirk" day that was "unanimous" I went to the vote records to find out if true, and they get away with calling it unanimous cuz it's "voice vote" so there's no record. Just Rick Scott's say so. I guess he's daring any dems who did oppose to speak out and make the claim. Easier to isolate your opposition. I can't believe there wasn't ONE senator who opposed this.

By: aintnolobos

aintnolobos — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 17:51:49 -0800

13.4% of the House did not want to honor the career of Charlie Kirk. Based on polling you'd be hard-pressed to find 40% of Americans who would give a single solitary shit about the death of Kirk if they'd even heard of him at all. So there's our representative democracy. I'm comfortable calling Democrats twice as conservative as the average American. You can't argue with the facts and logic. Prove me wrong.

By: BungaDunga

BungaDunga — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 18:02:51 -0800

By: BungaDunga

BungaDunga — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 18:05:30 -0800

13.4% of the House did not want to honor the career of Charlie Kirk. If you count the non-votes and "present" votes (which seems fair, they didn't vote to honor Kirk) it's 28%, which is still paltry

By: ishmael

ishmael — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 18:14:03 -0800

Kimmel mocked Trump, not Kirk, by observing that Trump kept pivoting from Kirk to talking about his inane White House ballroom idea on two occasions when Trump was being interviewed and the question of Kirk and Kirk's murder came up. Heard a theory on a podcast that Trump is jealous of the attention that Kirk is getting. That he keeps pivoting to ballroom babbling because he feels that he's being upstaged. Because of course he's a petty baby.

By: freethefeet

freethefeet — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 01:56:11 -0800

Hundreds of confused Americans send angry feedback to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (also the ABC)

By: flabdablet

flabdablet — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 03:33:28 -0800

Hopefully those will swamp the angry feedback allegedly soon to be sent via official channels.

By: edithkeeler

edithkeeler — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 16:12:32 -0800

As Churchill said, Americans can be trusted to do the right thing after they've exhausted all other options.

By: Nerd of the North

Nerd of the North — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 16:27:40 -0800

As Churchill said, Americans can be trusted to do the right thing after they've exhausted all other options.

I used to find that mildly (but justifiably) cynical. Now I find it irresponsibly optimistic.

By: aintnolobos

aintnolobos — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 17:44:15 -0800

As Churchill said, Americans can be trusted to do the right thing after they've exhausted all other options. Truly the words of a guy who engineered a bunch of famines and massacres.

By: Pouteria

Pouteria — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 19:16:24 -0800

"truth is you can be terrifying and stupid at the same time. And the MAGA minions, competing to one-up each other in loyalty to their dear leader, have unnecessarily emboldened formidable foes." Elliot Kurschener weighing in. posted by subdee But the thing is, the right keeps pushing and pushing and pushing, they're rapidly making life intolerable for a lot of people. If these lunatics could slow their roll a little they could probably get away with more, but they're literally disappearing your neighbors and dismantling the government services many Americans count on and even canceling TV shows because the host said something that hurt Dear Leader's feelings. posted by Ursula Hitler And the thing is, whatever the reasons for this (which we may never know), it's the kind of thing that's true until it's not. The Trump team is blundering and over-ideological. They are making mistakes typical of that combination of traits. posted by Smedly, Butlerian jihadi Just 8 months in and they are already in the overreach phase, which is usually when it all starts unravelling and gets really scary, and which rarely ends well. –––––––– From where I'm sitting, I see more purges of independent voices, crackdowns, corporate bootlicking, and worse. I see these chuckleheads coasting for years. As long as they don't starve too many normies at the same time, or start any big infights, they'll just keep right on going. posted by KHAAAN! They are absolutely going to just keep right on fashing even harder and faster until they are stopped by external forces.

By: infini

infini — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 18:57:09 -0800

These dumbfucks will not learn until something truly hideous happens to them, personally. In 2018 and 2019, the first Trump administration paid billions to farmers who were hurt by trade wars the president had started. It was "hush money to keep them sedated," said Chris Gibbs, an Ohio farmer who previously was the Shelby County Republican chairman and voted for Trump in 2016, but has switched parties and is now the county Democratic chairman. "This is not your ordinary farm crisis. We call it 'farmageddon,' "It's going to mean that there's going to be farmers that are so far at the end of their rope, not able to meet their financial obligations," said Kentucky soybean farmer and American Soybean Association President Caleb Ragland, who has voted for Trump in every presidential election since 2016. The BBC reports surveys showing more than half of rural respondents (54 percent) still supported Trump in September. "We think the tariffs eventually will make us great again," Iowa dairy farmer and cheese producer John Maxwell told BBC

By: Didymus

Didymus — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 20:14:40 -0800

EMAGA

By: sotonohito

sotonohito — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 06:34:59 -0800

Thoughts and prayers! Or, less sarcastically: fuck 'em. I hope they go bankrupt, have to move to a city they hate, and get a job in the service industry. No sympathy at all, not one tiny shred, for any farmer who voted for Trump. The farmers who didn't, I've got sympathy for. But not the MAGA farmers, I wish ill on them and hope they are economically ruined by the policies they voted for.

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:16:18 -0800

John Oliver. Around 19 min in, he mentions that Paramount Skydance is going to buy Warner Brothers Discovery. "SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! FUCKING SHIT! It was fun while it lasted, guys!"

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:25:39 -0800

The View finally "addresses" Kimmel. Video here.

By: MisantropicPainforest

MisantropicPainforest — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:43:50 -0800

Kimmel's back. Very Samrt leadership ABC.

By: Epixonti

Epixonti — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:50:40 -0800

I hope he says "the Maga Gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it" all over again.

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 13:00:11 -0800

Kimmel's back. Verified!

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 13:07:23 -0800

And if Kimmel does some kind of joke using the phrase "as I was saying before I was interrupted" in his opening monologue, I will respect him tremendously.

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:29:59 -0800

So Kimmel's return has an asterisk: Sinclair has announced that even though Kimmel is back, they will still be pre-empting his show with local news in their stations. Which is the perfect opportunity for a really effective protest: If you tune into one of those stations this evening and get news, keep track of who has bought ad time during that broadcast, and then call those businesses and tell them you'll boycott for supporting Sinclair.

By: Soliloquy

Soliloquy — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 08:53:46 -0800

They should call his bluff and go dark for a few days. Nothing will get through to MAGA faster than "Trump took my teevee away."

By: ob1quixote

ob1quixote — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 09:04:44 -0800

"The Kimmel Suspension Shows How Fake Authoritarianism Becomes Real," Parker Molloy, The Present Age, 23 September 2025

By: sotonohito

sotonohito — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 09:08:33 -0800

One thing has become abundantly clear: There must be purge of traitors, quislings, wimps, cowards, and collaborators from the Democratic Party the likes of which has never been seen before. I don't say this out of "purity politics" or because they're too right wing for my taste, or because they disagree abiout policy X, or anything else along those lines. I say this because out of 215 elected Democrats in the House only 58 voted no on the Worship Charles Kirk Act of 2025. That's barely more than a quarter. 3/4 of the elected Democrats voted to enshrine a hero of the right, to declare that a bully and Fascist like Kirk was a good man we should emulate and adore. if we're locked in a fight for our liberty, or democracy, and the survival of our nation, then we simply cannot afford the luxury of keeping those back stabbing Republicans in disguise in office. You can't fight for survival when you can't trust 3/4 of the people theoretically on your side not to betray you and join the enemy. Voting no on the Worship Charles Kirk act was the simplest, easiest, purely symbolic, show of opposition to the Trump regime that is possible, and 3/4 of our elected Democrats failed that test. That's why we're not winning. That's why we're not even seeing opposition. To say the Democrats failed to stop Trump is wrong because that implies that they tried.

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 09:44:10 -0800

Nexstar has announced they're also going to block Kimmel on their stations too.

By: rhymedirective

rhymedirective — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:24:14 -0800

The View finally "addresses" Kimmel. Video here. Not the point at all but as a sidenote I find it astonishing that network tv is down to 35-36 minutes of programming for an hour-long slot. I knew from watching sitcoms that they are down to 19-20 minutes but hour-long shows seem to have suffered even more! How much longer is first-run big-budget broadcast television even going to be a going concern at this rate?

By: JoeXIII007

JoeXIII007 — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 20:41:19 -0800

And if Kimmel does some kind of joke using the phrase "as I was saying before I was interrupted" in his opening monologue, I will respect him tremendously. He did it!

By: flabdablet

flabdablet — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 00:47:18 -0800

Not only did he do that, the whole monologue was an absolute banger. No talent my fat arse.

By: WaterAndPixels

WaterAndPixels — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 05:35:08 -0800

How happy do you think DeNiro is about having been given the opportunity to go on air to do that joke about the Epstein jet & Trump's fat ass? He'll be glowing for weeks I think.

By: deeker

deeker — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 06:33:13 -0800

Just a wee note for history buffs: the first use of that line is generally attributed to William "Bill" Connor, the legendary Daily Mirror writer, who began his first post-war Cassandra column with the phrase, "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted..." Others have "borrowed" it, too. Ken Livingstone, leader of the GLC before Thatcher abolished it, was the first elected Mayor of London under the Blair regime. He, too, used the full (and to my mind, better!) phrase, "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted..." (Do note that it seems The Independent was also unaware of the line's provenance! I doubt Livingstone was.) I'm not sure, under the circumstances, whether it would necessarily have been wise for Kimmel to include the bit about rudeness, though.

By: ob1quixote

ob1quixote — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 10:49:30 -0800

"Now That We Saved Jimmy Kimmel, Let's Save the Rest of Us," W. Kamau Bell, Who's With Me, 25 September 2025

By: unearthed

unearthed — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:33:59 -0800

Thanks ob1quixote I'm not into comedy but Kamau Bell is an amazing thinker and writer, I didn't really see before that comedians are very serious people, much in the way novelists can write something un-sayable and safely elide trouble with 'it's just fiction', also much in the way that my profession formerly started in the gardens of the wealthy either political side of William of Orange.

By: adrienneleigh

adrienneleigh — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 21:23:18 -0800

Disney investors are threatening to sue. (NBC News)

The demand seeks to probe potential wrongdoing, mismanagement and fiduciary breaches by the Disney board and its leadership, according to the letter. "There is a credible basis to suspect that the board and executives may have breached their fiduciary duties of loyalty, care, and good faith by placing improper political or affiliate considerations above" Disney and its shareholders' best interests, the letter said.

By: pwnguin

pwnguin — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 01:26:15 -0800

Not gonna lie, I assumed this was some fascist who bought some shares of Disney explicitly so they could sue for not capitulating harder and faster when it turned out they let him back on. Not exactly so:

In a letter to the company, lawyers for the American Federation of Teachers, U.S. labor federation AFL-CIO, and Reporters Without Borders requested Disney to turn over records related to Kimmel's suspension.