The Projection Erection
I’m not even going to humor the idea that Jimmy Kimmel’s light joke about the Trumps’ age difference can somehow be connected to the actions of a deranged would-be assassin. Nor am I going to pretend that the most divisive, disgusting, heinous, social media troll of all time — a low-browbeater who, in just in the past few of weeks, has used his bullying pulpit to celebrate the death of the distinguished Robert Mueller, attack the Pope, compare himself to Jesus, and threaten to wipe out an entire civilization — could somehow be offended by a throwaway line during a late night show. The idea of anyone in this administration calling anyone else’s words offensive represents an act of projection of such magnitude it makes Artemis II look like a backyard stomp rocket. This is not a story about a joke told by a comedian, who offends the president because he’s funny, relentless in his resistance, and is known as a genuinely good and extremely well-liked person. It’s the story of a broken administration using the now-mangled levers of government to attack perceived enemies and settle personal grudges. (They just indicted former FBI Director Comey for a second time.) It’s a story about a corporation that shouldn’t have to Mickey Mouse around with this nonsense, but who we need to be able to count on not to tear down its values in the face of a manufactured controversy. But it’s also a story about the millions of us who wake up every morning to another set of depressing headlines that alienate us from our country, our fellow citizens, and our reality – but who are buoyed by our more public counterparts like Jimmy Kimmel who continue to fight the good fight, reminding us that we’re not alone, and that none of this is normal. The resistance celebrates Kimmel when he’s acting as the tip of the spear. But it’s more important that we stand by him when the most powerful people in America turn him, yet again, into a human shield. Kimmel opened his monologue last night with this: “You know how sometimes you wake up in the morning and the First Lady puts out a statement demanding you be fired from your job? We’ve all been there, right?” No, we haven’t experienced that. But we’re right there with you, Jimmy.
+ Reliable Sources: “Kimmel’s show went ahead as scheduled last night. None of the ABC affiliates preempted it. This morning, the Trump White House stepped up the pressure even more, with WH comms director Steven Cheung calling Kimmel a ‘shit human being’ and saying ‘ABC needs to fire him immediately.’ But that’s simply not going to happen. My sense from sources in and around Disney is that the company is ready for this fight. And make no mistake: It’s going to be a long fight. The FCC is preparing to take action that will be widely seen as retaliatory.” A repeat of Kimmelgate?
