Ask A Genius 1513: Jimmy Kimmel Controversy: Silence, Speculation, and Media Fallout
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Ask A Genius
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/09/21
How did influencer amplification escalate the Kimmel controversy into a full-blown media crisis?Rick Rosner reflected on the unfolding Jimmy Kimmel controversy, where silence has become the dominant strategy. Despite outreach from outlets like The Hollywood Reporter and TMZ, no one close to the situation—Kimmel, ABC, Sinclair, or Nexstar—has spoken publicly, fearing missteps in tense negotiations. Rosner himself declined to comment, wary of being singled out. He noted how right-wing influencers, including Elon Musk, amplified minor annoyance into outrage days after Kimmel’s initial remarks, forcing ABC to halt production before Kimmel could respond. The situation highlights industry precarity, amplified backlash dynamics, and Kimmel’s loyalty to staff amid AI-driven job losses.Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What happened with your day?Rick Rosner: I had a busy day doing nothing, tracking developments in the Kimmel situation. I was contacted by the Hollywood Reporter and TMZ for interviews. But here’s the deal: nobody from ABC, Kimmel, Sinclair, or Nexstar—none of the parties involved—has spoken to the press. They don’t want to harm their position or blow up negotiations, and I can take a cue from that.When the Hollywood Reporter guy called, I asked, “How many other people have you talked to?” He said, “You’re the first.” I replied, “I can’t talk unless others go on record. I don’t want to be the only one quoted. I’ll look like an idiot, and something I say could spin off in some weird direction and give somebody ammunition.” Obviously, Kimmel and the crew have been told not to say anything. That should extend to me. Carole was standing there, freaking out, interrupting, and saying, “Don’t say anything.”It would have been a terrible move. The people who did speak publicly are much bigger than me—Jason Bateman, Adam Carolela, Bill Simmons, David Letterman. They can say what they want, but I’m not in a position to do so.I did tweet in support of Kimmel: he didn’t say anything bad about Charlie Kirk. MAGA supporters are pushing hard to claim he lied. He didn’t lie. He said something that implied the shooter was MAGA at a time before any conclusive evidence existed. I think it was before any evidence at all about a trans girlfriend. He didn’t lie, and the false claim that he did will eventually dissipate.
Kimmel’s real miss was not clarifying quickly on Tuesday. His Monday night monologue was what people jumped on. On Tuesday, he could have clarified, but it hadn’t blown up much. The New York Times later reported that twelve major right-wing influencers, including Elon Musk, made it blow up about 24 hours later by ginning up outrage. Before that, there wasn’t much outrage—you couldn’t even call it outrage. One article described it as annoyance.Once the influencers amplified it, things escalated. A chart showed how reactions spiked only after Tuesday. By Wednesday, Kimmel saw people going crazy and was prepared to address it in his monologue, though not to apologize. He felt justified in what he’d said at the time and wasn’t willing to take on what he saw as an unjustified backlash.Before he could say anything, ABC got nervous. They probably reviewed his monologue—I don’t know, I wasn’t there—but they were afraid that whatever he said would make things worse. So they pulled the show. They stopped production altogether.Before Kimmel could say something that might make it harder to negotiate his return, ABC pulled the plug. Everyone’s calling ABC cowardly. Even Ted Cruz said the FCC chair, Brendan Carr, is acting like an asshole.There’s another factor. Colbert got canceled and didn’t really fight it. He made fun of it, and he continues to make fun of it, because he’s not off the air until May. He’s been on this show for at least ten years, and before that, years playing a right-wing pundit on his own show, and before that The Daily Show. He’s been doing this a long time. He may be ready for a break.Kimmel, when he first got The Late Night Show, said, “I’ll do 20 years and then I’m out.” That was 22 and a half years ago. Kimmel might—this is speculation—be willing to walk away if he feels he’s not being treated properly or if he’s asked to do things he thinks are bullshit.
One of the reasons he continues, I assume, is because he wants to keep his 120-plus employees working. It’s hard to get a job in TV in Los Angeles right now. Production is down 40% since the strike. AI is costing people jobs. Teleprompter operators and cue card workers have already been replaced. Carole knows a couple of people who lost jobs to AI. Kimmel doesn’t want to screw over his people.Last updated May 3, 2025. These terms govern all In-Sight Publishing content—past, present, and future—and supersede any prior notices. In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons BY‑NC‑ND 4.0; © In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen 2012–Present. All trademarks, performances, databases & branding are owned by their rights holders; no use without permission. Unauthorized copying, modification, framing or public communication is prohibited. External links are not endorsed. Cookies & tracking require consent, and data processing complies with PIPEDA & GDPR; no data from children < 13 (COPPA). Content meets WCAG 2.1 AA under the Accessible Canada Act & is preserved in open archival formats with backups. Excerpts & links require full credit & hyperlink; limited quoting under fair-dealing & fair-use. All content is informational; no liability for errors or omissions: Feedback welcome, and verified errors corrected promptly. For permissions or DMCA notices, email: scott.jacobsen2025@gmail.com. Site use is governed by BC laws; content is “as‑is,” liability limited, users indemnify us; moral, performers’ & database sui generis rights reserved.
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