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Jimmy Kimmel just phoned me to clarify he was being self-effacing and sarcastic when emails came flooding in to me that he made the comment he doesn't need writers as host of last night's American Music Awards (see my Say What?). First, here are Kimmel's comments in context, as transcribed by an alert DHD reader:
KIMMEL: This is going to be a little bit loose tonight. I’m a member of the writers guild. We’re on strike. It may not look like it, but I’m striking right now in my heart. So I was not allowed to write the jokes for tonight’s event, which is good for those of you in the front area, but bad for the rest of the world who has to sit through made-up crap. So what I’m going to do, instead of entertaining you with my comedy, I’m going to entertain you with my little-seen dancing ability tonight.
JIMMY THEN DANCES LIKE A WHITE GUY.
KIMMEL: See, we don’t need writers.
Just now, Kimmel, a WGA member, asked me to write:
"First of all, I read your column all the time and everyone I know does. And that's why I was particularly upset to be taken out of context. Anyone who saw the broadcast would understand that I was being sarcastic after doing a ridiculous and sloppy bit at the start of the show -- and then jokingly saying, 'See, I don't need writers.'
"I had hundred of jokes written before the strike started for this in preparation. And, just to avoid even the appearance of not being supportive of the Guild, I threw them all out. And for anyone to take my comments out of context was unfair and misleading. I still love you, but I just wanted to clear the air on this matter."
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Nikki, you officially have the ear of everyone in the world at this point. You could probably get Osama to come out of hiding by posting an unsubstantiated rumor that he’s using scabs to write his next Death to America video.
thanks for explaining. now help me understand why you’re on television in the first place.
still don’t like him — and don’t like how he bashed Rosie O’Donnell a while back
perhaps people didn’t realize kimmel was joking on the AMA’s because this guy is simply not funny in any way
david letterman’s funny self-mocking refrain is “hey folks, they don’t give these talk shows to chimps” — apparently, they do — else, explain kimmel
Wow mmmgood. That’s a bit uncalled for, saying a hurtful comment to someone who has just said he reads this blog. Please understand there are people with different tastes than your own.
Thank you
oh, and I should say something in regards to the post as well I guess. I didn’t see the broadcast, but hearing of him through a mutual acquaintance I believe he’s sincere in his support of the strike.
N,
Gotta agree with Jimmy on this. I find it hard to believe that a savvy person like yourself didn’t pick up on the context of his joke. I know you didn’t see it first hand, but I gotta say calling him out had an uncomfortable McCarthy-esque vibe. Maybe it’s time we all took a deep breath.
Jimmy (and Sarah) are loyal to the WGA… His explanation is totally reasonable and acceptable.
Now let’s see him on the picket line.
Nikki, if you were watching, he was obviously joking. Not funny, but joking. It’s pot calling the kettle black time for taking his remark out of context. I’m an on strike writer who supports you but you owe Jimmy Kimmel a big apology.
well, his jokes may not be missed much but it’s a great example of 21st century crisis communication – just pick up the phone and clear the air. a pr agency would have fumbled the ball here.
to Jerad/mutually acquainted to Kimmel -
when you choose to become a public figure/celebrity, you must take the criticisms along with the benefits
in this case, criticism of kimmel as a performer are justified
Of course he’s in support of the strike. I don’t think you need a “mutual acquaintance” to know that.
Being an Arizona State alum myself, like Jimmy Kimmel, I believe him…or I’m just hoping he reads my comment, gives me a job, and/or tells people to buy my book, because I went to ASU.
Also, I’m glad he bashed Rosie, and he is funny. Mmmgood, actually, can you first explain to me why you are not on TV? I mean, that comment was hilarious. Your style of humor is so original. How do you do it!? Hey-oh!
Jimmy is one of the good guys.
“I’m striking right now in my heart”? Yeah? I just got back from four hours on the sidewalk outside Sony. Tell him to try striking with his feet. It’s harder.
Jimmy rules.
He didn’t mean everything.
He’s an Umphrey’s McGee fan, a hippy, aside from living in LA over New York he mostly makes good decisions.
i’m glad that as a member of the wga he specifically went on tv and stood there like a monkey because he wasnt going to do written jokes. i like the idea of using the very ad revenue generating airtime the media congloms value so much to advertise for and show support for the writer’s strike. i think as many actors, actresses and writers as possible should get on live tv and go “hi. this is where the funny skit goes. oh, and over here is where the well researched political criticism goes. and over here is where the cool new show everyone’s been talking about airs. oh wait, we dont have any actual content. so i’ll just stand here and stare into the camera until i can hire a writer to make me funny and/or interesting.”
You guys are on such a search and destroy mission it is kind of pathetic.
You want all the below the line people to be understanding and yet you cant take a second and figure out all the facts on your own.
IT WAS FUNNY and an obvious show of support to the WGA and now you all want to go to his house with air horns.
IMO, Jimmy’s intention was clear, and I understood the joke he was making.
He was funny on Regis and Kelly, he should do that instead.
so kimmel/asu alum can dish it out and distort and bash others’ (Rosie) opinions, but he can’t take it
From,
Harvard alum (like Conan, who IS funny)
Jimmy Kimmel also sent a gigantic truck full of truly good Mexican food (including horchata!) to the Warner Brothers picket line back during week one. It’s almost enough to make one forgive him for keeping Sarah Silverman to himself. He’s good people.
to the ASU guy -
mmgood wasn’t claiming to be funny, or a performer
but good luck to you with your razor wit
That didn’t take long for you guys to start turning on each other. Maybe Ellen should send a truck of mexican food to a picket line somewhere and you’d give her a free pass like you’re giving Jimmy.
Jimmy is DEFINITELY one of the good guys in this. He did the WGA a service by going out there with nothing, even though he could have gone with pre-written jokes that his staff came up with long before the strike hit.
Good going, Jimmy.
execgroup:
Criticism is fine, I just didn’t see any in the comment.
oh, bemused…
Typical Harvard alum, you have to inject the fact that you went to Harvard into any/every conversation. You guys should just tattoo it on your foreheads, so the rest of us plebes can bow down to you whenever we are in your presence.
Jimmy’s a good guy. And funny. Now it’s time for Harvard Girls Jumping On Trampolines…
Jimmy brought food to our gate the very first day of the strike when others hadn’t even thought of the gesture. He spoke to us quite a bit. He’s a loyal WGA member and hardcore supporter of the issues and this strike. Very serious and passionate. Not a joke in there about this. So I take him at his word.
I’m sorry, but he was clearly kidding. And like the others said, he’s one of the good guys.
This is just like kicking a puppy and frankly reeks of something I would read on Perez Hilton. You’re better than that.
Wow, you’d think a bunch of writers would understand when someone is being sarcastic. No wonder so many Hollywood comedies suck… (hey, I support the WGA all the way, but let’s not be ridiculous here)
Are Nikki & Jimmy kidding us? Look at the credits of that show: “Script Supervisor: Kevin Sanchez”… “Script Coordinators: Shannon Smith, Sandy Lovelace”… “Teleprompter: Computer Prompting Services” If there are no writers, then what are the Script Coordinators coordinating? And what’s the Teleprompter operator doing? No writers my ass.
He should not have hosted the AMAs. He chose to promote himself in primetime than support strikers.
As for his humor, I’ll take Rosie’s any day. It’s about issues, not frat boy ideals.
But let’s turn out attention to Ellen. Why oh why is she getting a free pass here? She’s a SCAB. Lowest of the low.
I watched the awards and have to admit that I cringed when he said that line. I missed the facetious intent and thought it was instead one of those ‘ooops, I wish I hadn’t said that’ moments of improv gone awry. So I was really pleased to see his response on this site today. Good for him for addressing the issue directly, explaining his position, and re-asserting his support. And I actually thought the Soulja Boy dance bit was kinda funny, so maybe that’s why I ultimately missed the joke. Oh well. 20 hours a week walking in the blazing sun must have fried my brain a little.
Jimmy is totally my late-night guy. His show is actually one of the best-written late-nights out there and I miss it a lot. The frat-boy stereotype is completely out-of-date..and like the earlier poster, you gotta appreciate that he doesn’t use a publicist as a scrim. See ya on the picket line, I hope, you big handsome lug!
>>Are Nikki & Jimmy kidding us? Look at the credits of that show: “Script Supervisor: Kevin Sanchez”… “Script Coordinators: Shannon Smith, Sandy Lovelace”… “Teleprompter: Computer Prompting Services” If there are no writers, then what are the Script Coordinators coordinating? And what’s the Teleprompter operator doing? No writers my ass.<<
No, Nikki and Jimmy aren’t kidding anyone and either you’re incredibly obtuse or you’ve just chosen a very weak point without worrying about the facts required to back it up. The “script” on the AMAs would be the introductions of the presenters and the winners. Jimmy himself wrote no script. He’s the guy that was hired to keep the show running, keep it funny and be topical. He threw that out and went up there with the intention of winging it. The presenters had their three lines of scripted intro and that was that. Even if they literally walked up there, opened the envelope and said “and the winner is…” it would be on a prompter. And where there is a show that has to run and stay on time there is an outline and a person in charge of that outline. Stop trying to find conspiracy and lies where there are none.
Maybe Jimmy “danced like a white man” and didn’t say anything funny, because he was mocking Ellen, who, with 8 writers doesn’t say anything funny and dances like a white man.
I’m not particularly surprised at some of the shots people are taking at Kimmel. He’s not my personal favorite when it comes to comedy. But he did what he could, and you have to respect him for trying.
Oddly enough, it was no better and no worse than the scripted materials we’ve seen in the past.
Reading the snide comments from anonymous posters though makes me laugh. Hiding behind names without context, being unwilling to stand up for what you’ve written is at best cowardly. You want to lash out, but not ruin any possible chance for future employment. Wow – what’s next? Scrawling Jimmi’s home number on a bathroom stall?
If you’re a person with talent and with something valuable to add to the discussion, stand up and be counted. Talent wins out in the end.
David Desjardins
“Not a writer or producer, just a hard working fan who wishes that writers got their fair share.”
Really, this is not the place for insecure comedians and writers to start with the juvenile name calling. I think Jimmy is funny because of a genre that he probably helped create, along with Adam, Norm McDonald, Sarah S. and a few others. It’s the ‘normal schmo next door’ type of thing, where he comes off not as an entertainer, but as a funny guy from down the block. The Man Show is still one of the most hilarious concoctions I have ever seen. He and Corolla are like the two guys always having to stay after school because of some God awful foolish prank. And why is anyone watching the 427th different version of a music awards show anyway? Music died when rap was born.
AT least ASU writers actually have to be able to write to get work in Hollywood. Harvard guys don’t even have to pay their dues. We all know how much fun and interesting Harvard students are. ASU may be the single greatest 4 year experienced one can find in this life. One can find life experience to write their.
JIMMY IS WAY FUNNIER TO CONAN AND HIS HACK HARVARD CREW> It take smore than good grades to be a writer. Grades are memory. Writing is talent and creativity. Most talented people are too busy writing to get into Harvard.