Sept. 21, 2025
Jimmy Kimmel - Boycotting ABC and Disney: The Implications - No NFL Red Zone For You!
In this Sunday bonus episode, Johnny Mac addresses the ongoing controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which is receiving numerous complaints about pulling Kimmel's show.
Mac points out the implications of boycotting ABC-owned properties, such as Disney, Hulu, ESPN, and more. He explores Jimmy Kimmel's unique path from radio to late-night TV, compares him to other late-night hosts, and discusses the political entanglements of late-night comedy. The episode concludes with Bill Carter's analysis of ABC's challenging position in standing by Kimmel amidst threats from the Trump administration and Sinclair Broadcasting's refusal to air Kimmel's show.
00:19 Complaints Against Aussie ABC Over Jimmy Kimmel
01:07 Boycotting ABC and Disney: The Implications
02:14 Jimmy Kimmel's Career Path and Alternatives
02:54 The Charlie Kirk Special and ABC's Programming Decisions
03:35 Late Night Show Controversies and Political Implications
05:15 The History and Evolution of The Tonight Show
05:55 ABC's Dilemma with Jimmy Kimmel and Government Pressure
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac--4522158/support.
Become a premium subscriber! (no ads). For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app which says UNINTERRUPTED LISTENING and the bonus “DCN8” show.
You also get 25+ other series (it’s only $4.99 a month with a free-trial month)
Contact John at john@thesharkdeck dot com
Media Thoughts is mcdpod.substack.com
dailycomedynews.substack.com
DCN on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@dailycomedynews
https://linktr.ee/dailycomedynews
www.buymeacoffee.com/dailycomedynews
WEBVTT
1
00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:12.720
Callaroga Shark Media. This is the Sunday Jimmy Kimmel bonus episode.
2
00:00:12.759 --> 00:00:15.439
The normal episode went out earlier this morning. Hello, I'm
3
00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:19.399
Johnny Mack and the ABC would like it to stop complaining. No,
4
00:00:19.640 --> 00:00:25.559
not that ABC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. They say they're
5
00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:28.640
getting complaints about this Jimmy Kimmel thing. It's not them.
6
00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:31.320
Some of the complaints that have gone to the Australian
7
00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:34.520
Broadcasting Corporation include one person writing, what you did to
8
00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:37.039
Jimmy Kimmel is against the constitution and I will be
9
00:00:37.079 --> 00:00:39.560
boycotting ABC. When you bend your niece to the president.
10
00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:42.799
You've gone too far. America is not happy with ABC.
11
00:00:43.240 --> 00:00:46.320
That's nice. I will contact and boycott all business that
12
00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:50.520
sponsor ABC's shows. That's nice. Would you like a vegemite sandwich?
13
00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:54.119
I will never watch ABC again. Free speech is gone.
14
00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:57.920
Go Jimmy Kimmel. That's nice. Put another shrimp on the barbie,
15
00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:00.880
will you. The vast majority of compla sent to the
16
00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:05.480
Australian Broadcasting Corporation had expressions of dismay that Jimmy Kimmel
17
00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:08.719
show had been pulled off air. Now I know a
18
00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:12.159
lot of you are boycotting ABC over this, and I'm
19
00:01:12.159 --> 00:01:14.480
on team Kimmel in case that isn't coming out loud
20
00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:17.560
and clear here, But just explain to you the problem
21
00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:20.439
with your boycott. Okay, you're boycotting ABC, right, So you're
22
00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:24.519
boycotting Disney. So you're not gonna go to the theme parks. Okay, fine,
23
00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:28.040
You're not gonna watch Hulu right because Disney owns Hulu.
24
00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:32.400
So delete your Hulu, delete your Disney Plus all that's good. Okay.
25
00:01:32.599 --> 00:01:37.040
No more Star Wars okay, no more Marvel okay, but
26
00:01:37.079 --> 00:01:40.280
here's where I'm gonna get you. No more Monday Night football, guys.
27
00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:42.719
ESPN is owned by Disney, so don't think you're watching
28
00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:48.079
Joe Buck tomorrow night. And part of this whole thing ESPN,
29
00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:51.959
which is Disney, which is ABC, they're trying to acquire
30
00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:53.920
Red Zone to do a deal with the NFL. So
31
00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:56.760
I don't want you watching Red Zone today. Now, I
32
00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:59.040
as a hypocrite, I'm gonna watch Red Zone because I
33
00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:01.120
like my football and I'm Scott back in the football
34
00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:02.799
pool and the forty nine ers playing the Cardinals at
35
00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:05.159
four o'clock, so I'm gonna have Red Zone on. I'm
36
00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:08.840
a shill. I'm the worst, but you no Marvel, no Disney,
37
00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:12.759
no Star Wars, no Hulu, no ESPN, no Red Zone.
38
00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:15.680
Stay strong. I saw somebody bring up on social media.
39
00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:18.439
I forget where I'm stealing this idea from. But if
40
00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:21.719
Kimmel doesn't host a late night show, whereas somebody like
41
00:02:21.800 --> 00:02:25.919
Fallon or Colbert, they were comedians, Jimmy is a radio
42
00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:29.360
guy who learned the art of the monologue, but he
43
00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:33.080
took a different path to the TV chair. So could
44
00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:37.159
he just translate his skills into something maybe the same
45
00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:39.599
way you know, Jimmy Fallon could just go out on tour,
46
00:02:39.639 --> 00:02:41.560
whether or not you find him funny. We'll get to
47
00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:43.319
that in a second, But I just thought that was
48
00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:46.080
an interesting observation that if Jimmy Kimmel's not a late
49
00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:48.960
night talk show host, what does he do? Does he
50
00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:52.639
tour as a comedian? I don't know. Friday Night, remember
51
00:02:52.680 --> 00:02:56.080
this whole thing, in part, was that some of the
52
00:02:56.120 --> 00:02:59.319
stations were going to air a tribute to Charlie Kirk
53
00:02:59.479 --> 00:03:04.240
instead of Jimmy Kimmel's Friday night show. That never happened. Well,
54
00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:08.680
psych they didn't air the tribute. Sinclair put out an
55
00:03:08.759 --> 00:03:11.879
update on Twitter, saying Tonight Friday night, sint Clair will
56
00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:14.680
continue to air ABC Network programming as scheduled in the
57
00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:17.680
late night time period. The Charlie Kirk special instead be
58
00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:21.400
available on the National News Desk's YouTube channel during Viewers
59
00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:24.879
can continue to enjoy ABC programming while also providing full
60
00:03:24.919 --> 00:03:27.759
access to the special online. What are we doing? I thought,
61
00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:30.319
what are we even fighting over? Now you're not even
62
00:03:30.360 --> 00:03:35.000
airing it. ABC aired celebrity Family Feud reruns in case
63
00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:37.520
you care this morning on Sunday morning at ten to
64
00:03:37.879 --> 00:03:41.759
five Eastern time. I typed the phrase Joe Rogan Kimmel
65
00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:45.919
into Google. Nothing new came up in The New York Times.
66
00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:47.840
A friend of the show, Jason Zenneman, who I have
67
00:03:47.960 --> 00:03:51.240
reached out to. I think he's on vacation, but I'm
68
00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:53.560
hoping to see if he's not, if I can get
69
00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:55.439
him on here, because I want to talk to him
70
00:03:55.479 --> 00:03:59.520
about all this. He also called out Jimmy Fallon. Zenneman
71
00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:01.759
quoted Fallon from the monologue the other night when Falan said,
72
00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:03.159
to be honest with you, I don't know what's going on.
73
00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:07.120
No one does, Zennimann wrote, Really, anyone paying attention should
74
00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:09.080
have some idea what's going on, but the temptation to
75
00:04:09.080 --> 00:04:12.159
play dumb is surely real. To be fair, Fallen does
76
00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:14.199
not portray himself as the kind of man who broods
77
00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:17.519
over the responsibilities of the artist in an age of authoritarianism.
78
00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:20.319
He's never seemed especially interested in politics, but that hasn't
79
00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:23.480
stopped him from becoming entangled in it. He was blamed
80
00:04:23.480 --> 00:04:25.759
for helping to usher in the first Trump presidency because
81
00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:28.279
he infamously ruffled his hair on The Tonight Show in
82
00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.879
twenty sixteen. That always struck me as unfair. Trump and
83
00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:33.600
here jokes had been a hallmark of popular culture for decades.
84
00:04:33.639 --> 00:04:36.240
Fallen was just falling the crowd. But there have lately
85
00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:37.920
been signs that Fallon's trying to get out of it
86
00:04:37.959 --> 00:04:40.360
to avoid attacks on the administration by playing nice and
87
00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:43.560
downplaying political comedy, working both sides of the aisle. A
88
00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:47.519
recent Tonight Show guest was Greg Guttfeld skipping ahead, Jason writes,
89
00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:50.399
as I watched comedians navigate this thorny moment, I've been
90
00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:53.000
thinking about parallels from the recent past. That hasn't led
91
00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:55.279
me to any American late night controversies, but it did
92
00:04:55.319 --> 00:04:58.319
immediately bring to mind a trip to Moscow for one
93
00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:00.879
of the first articles I Jason sidim Road for The Times.
94
00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:02.839
It was a two thousand and three feature about a
95
00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:05.800
spate of Russian artists introducing American musicals to their country
96
00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:07.920
for the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union.
97
00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:11.759
And then Jason has a whole section there about what's
98
00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:14.519
going on over there and encourage you to check out
99
00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:17.519
Jason In The New York Times, The Guardian walked through
100
00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:20.240
the history of the Tonight Show. They point out Steve
101
00:05:20.279 --> 00:05:24.160
Allen regularly poked fund at political figures in his opening monologues,
102
00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:26.439
but in a measured, self deprecating style that was typical
103
00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:28.920
of the era. It wasn't until Carson took over in
104
00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:31.800
sixty two that The Tonight Show transformed into a cultural
105
00:05:31.800 --> 00:05:36.120
institution where politics was mined for nightly material. Carson resorted
106
00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:40.800
to impersonations and satire to highlight the human inconsistencies within politics,
107
00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:44.160
and borrowed from Aban Costello's Who's On First to parody
108
00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:47.279
Reagan's hetorical double speech. It wasn't until the nineties, when
109
00:05:47.319 --> 00:05:49.839
Carson was heading for retirement and the competition for his
110
00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:52.279
crown and ratings was growing more intense that he began
111
00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:56.759
to see presidential hopefuls pursuing late night appearances. On Late
112
00:05:56.839 --> 00:06:00.000
Nighter Bill, Carter points out that ABC has an import
113
00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:03.480
possible choice. He writes, Jimmy Kimmel does work for ABC
114
00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:05.839
and has for two decades. He has been literally the
115
00:06:05.879 --> 00:06:08.360
face of that network for some time now as host
116
00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:10.759
of the Oscars and other ABC properties like Millionaire. By
117
00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:13.240
the way, I had in my notes Mark Maron was
118
00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:15.199
supposed to be on Millionaire this week. I mean, it's
119
00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:18.639
already in the can. Is that going to air? Curter right,
120
00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:22.040
Surely ABC would value this vital talent, But now what
121
00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:25.560
ABC of course, realizes that Trump in FCC chairperson car
122
00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:28.120
will make good on the threat, which Carr stated openly
123
00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:30.639
and without any regret about his unabashed abusive power in
124
00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:33.800
undermining the Bill of Rights, using terms Tony Soprano would
125
00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:35.560
have loved. We could do this the easy way or
126
00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:38.800
the hard way, rights Bill Carter. If ABC decides to
127
00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:42.120
stand by Kimmel, the hard way may be financially excruciating.
128
00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:45.480
Carter points out Sinclaire Broadcasting, but out of statement that
129
00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:47.439
they're not going to carry Kimmel shown no matter what.
130
00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:50.639
Even if ABC brings back Carter rights that would seem
131
00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:53.519
to leave ABC a little leverage to stave off canceling Kimmel,
132
00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:55.800
though that would widely be seen as the most craven
133
00:06:55.920 --> 00:07:00.720
capitulation yet to an unjustifiable act of government intimidation. ABC
134
00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:04.560
Disney is in a brutal situation. The administration can inflict
135
00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:07.879
enormous damage to its bottom line. If the company defies,
136
00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:09.720
it will have to weigh that against the value in
137
00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:12.720
defending the principle that the American government has no business
138
00:07:12.759 --> 00:07:16.040
dictating who gets to talk on television late night or
139
00:07:16.040 --> 00:07:19.439
an incredible resource during these times. You should absolutely check
140
00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:21.920
that out, and that is your bonus episode on a
141
00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:25.439
Sunday morning. Back tomorrow morning with the normal episode, and
142
00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:27.319
I've got a lot to say at the beginning of
143
00:07:27.319 --> 00:07:29.920
tomorrow's episodes to make sure you check that out. See
144
00:07:29.959 --> 00:07:30.120
then
1
00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:12.720
2
00:00:12.759 --> 00:00:15.439
3
00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:19.399
4
00:00:19.640 --> 00:00:25.559
5
00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:28.640
6
00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:31.320
7
00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:34.520
8
00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:37.039
9
00:00:37.079 --> 00:00:39.560
10
00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:42.799
11
00:00:43.240 --> 00:00:46.320
12
00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:50.520
13
00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:54.119
14
00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:57.920
15
00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:00.880
16
00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:05.480
17
00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:08.719
18
00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:12.159
19
00:01:12.159 --> 00:01:14.480
20
00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:17.560
21
00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:20.439
22
00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:24.519
23
00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:28.040
24
00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:32.400
25
00:01:32.599 --> 00:01:37.040
26
00:01:37.079 --> 00:01:40.280
27
00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:42.719
28
00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:48.079
29
00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:51.959
30
00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:53.920
31
00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:56.760
32
00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:59.040
33
00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:01.120
34
00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:02.799
35
00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:05.159
36
00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:08.840
37
00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:12.759
38
00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:15.680
39
00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:18.439
40
00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:21.719
41
00:02:21.800 --> 00:02:25.919
42
00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:29.360
43
00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:33.080
44
00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:37.159
45
00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:39.599
46
00:02:39.639 --> 00:02:41.560
47
00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:43.319
48
00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:46.080
49
00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:48.960
50
00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:52.639
51
00:02:52.680 --> 00:02:56.080
52
00:02:56.120 --> 00:02:59.319
53
00:02:59.479 --> 00:03:04.240
54
00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:08.680
55
00:03:08.759 --> 00:03:11.879
56
00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:14.680
57
00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:17.680
58
00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:21.400
59
00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:24.879
60
00:03:24.919 --> 00:03:27.759
61
00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:30.319
62
00:03:30.360 --> 00:03:35.000
63
00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:37.520
64
00:03:37.879 --> 00:03:41.759
65
00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:45.919
66
00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:47.840
67
00:03:47.960 --> 00:03:51.240
68
00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:53.560
69
00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:55.439
70
00:03:55.479 --> 00:03:59.520
71
00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:01.759
72
00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:03.159
73
00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:07.120
74
00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:09.080
75
00:04:09.080 --> 00:04:12.159
76
00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:14.199
77
00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:17.519
78
00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:20.319
79
00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:23.480
80
00:04:23.480 --> 00:04:25.759
81
00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:28.279
82
00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.879
83
00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:33.600
84
00:04:33.639 --> 00:04:36.240
85
00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:37.920
86
00:04:37.959 --> 00:04:40.360
87
00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:43.560
88
00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:47.519
89
00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:50.399
90
00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:53.000
91
00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:55.279
92
00:04:55.319 --> 00:04:58.319
93
00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:00.879
94
00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:02.839
95
00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:05.800
96
00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:07.920
97
00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:11.759
98
00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:14.519
99
00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:17.519
100
00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:20.240
101
00:05:20.279 --> 00:05:24.160
102
00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:26.439
103
00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:28.920
104
00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:31.800
105
00:05:31.800 --> 00:05:36.120
106
00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:40.800
107
00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:44.160
108
00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:47.279
109
00:05:47.319 --> 00:05:49.839
110
00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:52.279
111
00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:56.759
112
00:05:56.839 --> 00:06:00.000
113
00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:03.480
114
00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:05.839
115
00:06:05.879 --> 00:06:08.360
116
00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:10.759
117
00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:13.240
118
00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:15.199
119
00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:18.639
120
00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:22.040
121
00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:25.560
122
00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:28.120
123
00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:30.639
124
00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:33.800
125
00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:35.560
126
00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:38.800
127
00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:42.120
128
00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:45.480
129
00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:47.439
130
00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:50.639
131
00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:53.519
132
00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:55.800
133
00:06:55.920 --> 00:07:00.720
134
00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:04.560
135
00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:07.879
136
00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:09.720
137
00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:12.720
138
00:07:12.759 --> 00:07:16.040
139
00:07:16.040 --> 00:07:19.439
140
00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:21.920
141
00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:25.439
142
00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:27.319
143
00:07:27.319 --> 00:07:29.920
144
00:07:29.959 --> 00:07:30.120