Mocking Donald Trump over POTUS’ take on the NFL and TikTok as well, Kimmel offered his blunt assessment of the aftermath of Kirk’s death in his opening monologue on his September 15 show : “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,” the host said
They linked a video and I was expecting more - anything about Kirk directly - but nope. Just that and he mocks Trump's response to reporter and Fox morning show hosts about Kirk's death which was...
They linked a video and I was expecting more - anything about Kirk directly - but nope. Just that and he mocks Trump's response to reporter and Fox morning show hosts about Kirk's death which was to basically ignore the question and talk about a ballroom they're building.
They're literally embedding party censors in media companies, so yeah. That's one of the parts of the new TikTok deal (besides a handout to Oracle): a government appointed member of the board....
They're literally embedding party censors in media companies, so yeah. That's one of the parts of the new TikTok deal (besides a handout to Oracle): a government appointed member of the board.
The U.S. entity will have an American-dominated board, the Wall Street Journal reported, with one member designated by the U.S. government.
[...]
The basics of the new deal, also similar to April, include that ByteDance will keep the single largest ownership stake at 19.9%, just under a 20% threshold, two of the sources said. The consortium that would hold 80% includes ByteDance's current shareholders Susquehanna International Group (SIG), General Atlantic, and KKR <KKR.N>, as well as new investors such as Andreessen Horowitz. Oracle <ORCL.N> is also likely to take a stake, and the Wall Street Journal reported that Silver Lake would invest as well.
CBS was inflicted with "government oversight" in a similar fashion. (Notably, the son of Oracle CEO, who is now the richest person in the world, is also involved in the Paramount/CBS deal.)
ABC doesn't have one yet, but it's cells result of the government throwing their weight around here.
This is feeling genuinely scary in a "first they came for" sort of way. I believe Robert Reich framed this as escalation from Phase 1 of Trump harassing his enemies and focusing on high profile...
This is feeling genuinely scary in a "first they came for" sort of way. I believe Robert Reich framed this as escalation from Phase 1 of Trump harassing his enemies and focusing on high profile universities with DEI and pressing immigrant communities to pivoting to Phase 2 now to control of/coercion over the press, education more broadly, and targeting citizens' rights explicitly.
He certainly said it more eloquently than me and I'm probably fumbling it. But what comes next? When will enough be enough?
More enemies, more targets, more distractions so that the Epstein ship doesn't sail. I hate to say it, but look at Israel and Russia. These are countries with two leaders in desperate need of an...
More enemies, more targets, more distractions so that the Epstein ship doesn't sail.
I hate to say it, but look at Israel and Russia.
These are countries with two leaders in desperate need of an offramp, because without one they'll keep doubling down.
Absolutely. Wishing that any and all Americans having brave conversations keep their digital footprints limited and their personal information off the internet. It's scary stuff.
Absolutely. Wishing that any and all Americans having brave conversations keep their digital footprints limited and their personal information off the internet. It's scary stuff.
This means the only late night shows with any future are The Tonight Show and Late Night, if we’re keeping track. This is a guy that Disney had relied on for decades to promote their films, their...
This means the only late night shows with any future are The Tonight Show and Late Night, if we’re keeping track.
This is a guy that Disney had relied on for decades to promote their films, their tv shows. They had him host the Oscar’s twice, they had his show cover the Oscar’s. And they just threw him like that.
Makes me wonder if these CEOs/corporations are really just that scared of the Trump regime, or if the regime has something compromising on them. It's looking more and more like the first option,...
Makes me wonder if these CEOs/corporations are really just that scared of the Trump regime, or if the regime has something compromising on them. It's looking more and more like the first option, which seems the more terrifying of the two...
Edit: I'm seeing now that the Trump regime was threatening to take their FCC broadcasting license if they didn't fire Kimmel. This is definitely terrifying.
Almost certainly true, but I would've thought Kimmel was pulling in enough money for them to not care about that. I guess billionaires are the only ones with real class consciousness.
Almost certainly true, but I would've thought Kimmel was pulling in enough money for them to not care about that. I guess billionaires are the only ones with real class consciousness.
It mostly comes down to self-preservation. Orangina has openly talked about shutting down media organizations (or at the very least, making it effectively impossible for them to operate). It...
It mostly comes down to self-preservation. Orangina has openly talked about shutting down media organizations (or at the very least, making it effectively impossible for them to operate). It wouldn’t surprise me if he has dirt on the companies (and he could get some pretty easily). And a lot of American political journalism is access-based, almost to the point of being gossip for nerds. Piss off your source too much, you don’t get more info. This is all on top of the greatest upheaval to media since the invention of the printing press: the internet.
I don't think it is really even that they have dirt. The administration has shown they are happy to just make stuff up and take action unilaterally, then wait for that to catch up to them later on...
I don't think it is really even that they have dirt. The administration has shown they are happy to just make stuff up and take action unilaterally, then wait for that to catch up to them later on months or years later after long drawn out fights. By which time the damage is already done.
Yeah frankly it seems like a convenient excuse to end an unprofitable show while mitigating a ton of political risk from the administration at the same time. Not an unexpected choice from a...
Yeah frankly it seems like a convenient excuse to end an unprofitable show while mitigating a ton of political risk from the administration at the same time.
Not an unexpected choice from a corporation, but the fact that this administration's crackdowns on free speech are being priced into the business strategies of some of our largest companies is terrifying.
This is the chilling and self-reinforcing effect of fascism straight up. The corporations believe the administration has the power to police speech, so now by demonstration and matter of corporate risk tolerance they do.
The charitable case could be made that late night broadcast isn’t worth it in the age of evergreen streaming and short form. You could make that case with Colbert because the economics weren’t...
The charitable case could be made that late night broadcast isn’t worth it in the age of evergreen streaming and short form. You could make that case with Colbert because the economics weren’t there, but yeah, this is pretty brutal.
Tbh I wouldn't care if all the late night shows bar LWT were axed, because I find them extremely cringeworthy and avenues for celebrities to grift movies and products. I also find Kimmel himself...
Tbh I wouldn't care if all the late night shows bar LWT were axed, because I find them extremely cringeworthy and avenues for celebrities to grift movies and products. I also find Kimmel himself quite hard to like as a host. But the reasoning here is such obvious BS.
Yeah it's not about the virtue of late night shows or Kimmel himself, it's the federal government restricting speech, the pressure on media companies and the rolling over and giving up by said...
Yeah it's not about the virtue of late night shows or Kimmel himself, it's the federal government restricting speech, the pressure on media companies and the rolling over and giving up by said companies.
It’s odd that this belly showing is happening now when during his term we got a whole lot of “Democracy Dies in Darkness” stuff. Kimmel himself was promoted as an anti-Trump figurehead. But now...
It’s odd that this belly showing is happening now when during his term we got a whole lot of “Democracy Dies in Darkness” stuff. Kimmel himself was promoted as an anti-Trump figurehead. But now during the second term, which is by all accounts much worse, we don’t get any of that
It's the escalation - it's got to be illegal to pull someone's FCC license over this. It's also how long of harassment, lawsuits, death threats, etc. so instead you give in I guess. It is in fact...
It's the escalation - it's got to be illegal to pull someone's FCC license over this. It's also how long of harassment, lawsuits, death threats, etc. so instead you give in I guess.
In his first term, Trump was a joke candidate who unexpectedly won and didn't know what to do with it. This time around he's very clearly been given support, an agenda (Project 2025) with steps to...
In his first term, Trump was a joke candidate who unexpectedly won and didn't know what to do with it. This time around he's very clearly been given support, an agenda (Project 2025) with steps to carry out, and subordinates who are ideologically motivated and relatively unified (different grops being unified in one of two or three mutually contradictory directions).
capitalism will always favor the status quo. Rather thank rock the boat, they're just gonna push for whatever allows them to keep making money. There no principles at work here.
capitalism will always favor the status quo. Rather thank rock the boat, they're just gonna push for whatever allows them to keep making money. There no principles at work here.
Although he's part of that crew (Strike Force Five ⚡️), I think Oliver is in a different category PR-wise. HBO isn't broadcast, even though that matters far less in the streaming age.
Although he's part of that crew (Strike Force Five ⚡️), I think Oliver is in a different category PR-wise. HBO isn't broadcast, even though that matters far less in the streaming age.
Keeping this strictly focused on the entertainment aspect, you gotta feel bad for Kimmel, who campaigned for Colbert's Emmy, only to have the same thing happen a few days later.
Keeping this strictly focused on the entertainment aspect, you gotta feel bad for Kimmel, who campaigned for Colbert's Emmy, only to have the same thing happen a few days later.
I hope this makes the reality of the situation plain for some of the more 'centrist' or 'I'm not into politics' Americans. I think this is point 4 on Umberto Eco's Ur-Fascism essay. I think many...
I hope this makes the reality of the situation plain for some of the more 'centrist' or 'I'm not into politics' Americans.
I think this is point 4 on Umberto Eco's Ur-Fascism essay.
I think many thought that, because a Goebbels-like figure hadn't stepped in to nationalise the media, that the media landscape in the US was completely different to 1930s Germany.
Having studied the period extensively at a postgraduate level, these are the exact tactics that were used. Frighten businesses into compliance, until they are expressing the party line because not doing so carries frightening penalties.
The Sinclair special is a particularly obvious and callous attempt at point 11.
Sinclair owns a bunch of local ABC affiliate stations (they were the ones responsible for mandating that creepy "This is extremely dangerous to our democracy" script on dozens of local news channels).
That was it? Wow.
They linked a video and I was expecting more - anything about Kirk directly - but nope. Just that and he mocks Trump's response to reporter and Fox morning show hosts about Kirk's death which was to basically ignore the question and talk about a ballroom they're building.
They're literally embedding party censors in media companies, so yeah. That's one of the parts of the new TikTok deal (besides a handout to Oracle): a government appointed member of the board.
[...]
CBS was inflicted with "government oversight" in a similar fashion. (Notably, the son of Oracle CEO, who is now the richest person in the world, is also involved in the Paramount/CBS deal.)
ABC doesn't have one yet, but it's cells result of the government throwing their weight around here.
This is feeling genuinely scary in a "first they came for" sort of way. I believe Robert Reich framed this as escalation from Phase 1 of Trump harassing his enemies and focusing on high profile universities with DEI and pressing immigrant communities to pivoting to Phase 2 now to control of/coercion over the press, education more broadly, and targeting citizens' rights explicitly.
He certainly said it more eloquently than me and I'm probably fumbling it. But what comes next? When will enough be enough?
More enemies, more targets, more distractions so that the Epstein ship doesn't sail.
I hate to say it, but look at Israel and Russia.
These are countries with two leaders in desperate need of an offramp, because without one they'll keep doubling down.
It doesn't feel like just "more distractions" but "more control" and in a very dangerous way.
Absolutely. Wishing that any and all Americans having brave conversations keep their digital footprints limited and their personal information off the internet. It's scary stuff.
This means the only late night shows with any future are The Tonight Show and Late Night, if we’re keeping track.
This is a guy that Disney had relied on for decades to promote their films, their tv shows. They had him host the Oscar’s twice, they had his show cover the Oscar’s. And they just threw him like that.
Makes me wonder if these CEOs/corporations are really just that scared of the Trump regime, or if the regime has something compromising on them. It's looking more and more like the first option, which seems the more terrifying of the two...
Edit: I'm seeing now that the Trump regime was threatening to take their FCC broadcasting license if they didn't fire Kimmel. This is definitely terrifying.
They might also be somewhat aligned with Trump. Billionaires looking out for billionaires.
Almost certainly true, but I would've thought Kimmel was pulling in enough money for them to not care about that. I guess billionaires are the only ones with real class consciousness.
It mostly comes down to self-preservation. Orangina has openly talked about shutting down media organizations (or at the very least, making it effectively impossible for them to operate). It wouldn’t surprise me if he has dirt on the companies (and he could get some pretty easily). And a lot of American political journalism is access-based, almost to the point of being gossip for nerds. Piss off your source too much, you don’t get more info. This is all on top of the greatest upheaval to media since the invention of the printing press: the internet.
I don't think it is really even that they have dirt. The administration has shown they are happy to just make stuff up and take action unilaterally, then wait for that to catch up to them later on months or years later after long drawn out fights. By which time the damage is already done.
Just yesterday Trump threatened to go after ABC after a reporter asked him about Bondi's recent comments about prosecuting hate speech.
Yeah frankly it seems like a convenient excuse to end an unprofitable show while mitigating a ton of political risk from the administration at the same time.
Not an unexpected choice from a corporation, but the fact that this administration's crackdowns on free speech are being priced into the business strategies of some of our largest companies is terrifying.
This is the chilling and self-reinforcing effect of fascism straight up. The corporations believe the administration has the power to police speech, so now by demonstration and matter of corporate risk tolerance they do.
The charitable case could be made that late night broadcast isn’t worth it in the age of evergreen streaming and short form. You could make that case with Colbert because the economics weren’t there, but yeah, this is pretty brutal.
Tbh I wouldn't care if all the late night shows bar LWT were axed, because I find them extremely cringeworthy and avenues for celebrities to grift movies and products. I also find Kimmel himself quite hard to like as a host. But the reasoning here is such obvious BS.
Yeah it's not about the virtue of late night shows or Kimmel himself, it's the federal government restricting speech, the pressure on media companies and the rolling over and giving up by said companies.
It’s odd that this belly showing is happening now when during his term we got a whole lot of “Democracy Dies in Darkness” stuff. Kimmel himself was promoted as an anti-Trump figurehead. But now during the second term, which is by all accounts much worse, we don’t get any of that
It's the escalation - it's got to be illegal to pull someone's FCC license over this. It's also how long of harassment, lawsuits, death threats, etc. so instead you give in I guess.
It is in fact darkness now it feels
In his first term, Trump was a joke candidate who unexpectedly won and didn't know what to do with it. This time around he's very clearly been given support, an agenda (Project 2025) with steps to carry out, and subordinates who are ideologically motivated and relatively unified (different grops being unified in one of two or three mutually contradictory directions).
capitalism will always favor the status quo. Rather thank rock the boat, they're just gonna push for whatever allows them to keep making money. There no principles at work here.
How about Last Week Tonight? HBO really lets John Oliver go for it.
This was brought up on a different thread. But it’s really not the same. Different format, lack of interviews, and only once a week.
Although he's part of that crew (Strike Force Five ⚡️), I think Oliver is in a different category PR-wise. HBO isn't broadcast, even though that matters far less in the streaming age.
Rough year for James "Baby Doll" Dixon
It really shows the risk involved for those on Trump and this movement's bad side.
And it's only September of year one. (Sorry for the reminder)
Keeping this strictly focused on the entertainment aspect, you gotta feel bad for Kimmel, who campaigned for Colbert's Emmy, only to have the same thing happen a few days later.
The Kimmel timeslot is going to be filled by a Sinclair special about Kirk
I hope this makes the reality of the situation plain for some of the more 'centrist' or 'I'm not into politics' Americans.
I think this is point 4 on Umberto Eco's Ur-Fascism essay.
I think many thought that, because a Goebbels-like figure hadn't stepped in to nationalise the media, that the media landscape in the US was completely different to 1930s Germany.
Having studied the period extensively at a postgraduate level, these are the exact tactics that were used. Frighten businesses into compliance, until they are expressing the party line because not doing so carries frightening penalties.
The Sinclair special is a particularly obvious and callous attempt at point 11.
What's Sinclair's relationship with Disney and ABC?
Sinclair owns a bunch of local ABC affiliate stations (they were the ones responsible for mandating that creepy "This is extremely dangerous to our democracy" script on dozens of local news channels).