RFK Jr. Critiques Jimmy Kimmel’s Role in Comedy
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recently taken shots at late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, voicing his belief that Kimmel is a significant factor in the “destruction of liberal comedy.”
Kennedy expressed his thoughts on social media, referring to a satirical commentary that, in his view, brilliantly analyzes the decline of liberal humor.
He remarked, “This is the best explanation for how we got to Nader.” He quoted Kimmel, pointing out the irony in his statement: “It’s not my job to be funny.” Kennedy suggested that Kimmel, who was hired to entertain, has instead positioned himself more like a priest than a comedian.
In response, Kimmel opted to critique the spelling in Kennedy’s message rather than address the main argument. He sarcastically commented, “This is a dummy for ‘bottom’. Now let’s go back to the polio epidemic,” sidestepping the larger conversation.
This isn’t Kennedy’s first foray into criticizing late-night hosts. As part of his 2023 presidential campaign, he has also targeted comedians like Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, accusing them of promoting coronavirus vaccines without skepticism.
During a discussion on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” he said, “I saw comedians who were supposed to be questioning everything, including Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, kind of canceling people who asked questions.” He expressed disappointment that these comedians, who were once known for mocking authority, seem to have stopped doing so.
Kimmel has previously shown his own disdain, suggesting in 2021 that hospitals shouldn’t treat those who took ivermectin, declaring, “The choice doesn’t seem that hard to me. A vaccinated person has a heart attack? Yes, come right now. We’ll treat you. An unvaccinated person chomped on horse goo? Rest in peace, wheezy.”
Recently, Kimmel faced backlash for referring to Melania Trump as a “pregnant widow” during a skit, especially in light of a recent assassination attempt on her husband, Donald Trump. This comment even prompted Melania to respond publicly.
She stated, “Kimmel’s hateful and violent statements are aimed at dividing our country. His monologue about my family is not comedy. His words are corrosive and deepen the political ills in America.” She called him a “coward” and urged ABC to take responsibility for his remarks, questioning how long they would enable this behavior.
In another instance of his so-called “comedy,” Kimmel encouraged supporters of illegal immigration to “fight” with Immigration and Customs Enforcement using rubber sex toys. He recounted an event called Operation Dildo Blitz in Minneapolis, suggesting that sometimes, “you have to fight dildos with dildos.” This statement adds another layer to the ongoing controversy surrounding his remarks.
