This piece was first published by veteran journalist Rick Ellis on his excellent “Too Much TV” Substack (subscribe here: it’s free). LateNighter is republishing it with his permission.
Thursday night I heard from a staffer on Jimmy Kimmel Live! who was irate over comments they had read from Disney executives, claiming that they hoped the show will return, once Kimmel was willing to “lower the temperature” of the discussion. They asked not be identified for obvious reasons. Here is part of our conversation, lightly edited for clarity.
So why are you talking to anyone about this right now?
I read the piece you wrote Wednesday night and it really hit me. I’m in the middle of one of those moments that really defines the type of person you are.
I’m not unbiased. I love Jimmy, he’s a great person to work for and I think just about everyone on the show would say we’re lucky to be part of this. But it’s been hard for him in the past few years. Struggles personally, and once Trump became president the number of threats and attention he received from Trump supporters increased. I don’t know all the details, but I know it has been bad at times. Not just for him, but for some of the people working on the show. At least for me, the show itself has been great. But everything around it has sucked. Because it was becoming increasingly clear in recent weeks that Sir Iger and the ABC executives would cut us loose in a second if they thought something we did might hurt attendance at Disney World or cost anyone their annual bonus.
Were you shocked by the decision by ABC to pull the show?
On one hand, no. Because I had zero faith that any of the network execs had the slightest bit of stones to stand up for their employees. I mean, yeah, I was surprised it happened that specific day. But you could see it coming. Every time some MAGA asshat would spout off about the show, the knot in my stomach just got tighter.
What did you think of Jimmy’s monologue? Do you think critics had a point?
Even if I thought that, I would never say it out loud. I would feel as if I was betraying the show. But no, I don’t think they had a point. The Trump folks are like that crooked cop who wants to pull over a driver and waits until they make some slight mistake. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Black Guy, you didn’t come to a complete stop and look both ways at that last stop sign.” That’s our show. We were always a running stop away from unemployment.
Do you think…
Wait. Sorry, I don’t mean to be an ass and interrupt. But the unemployment thing is a big deal for me. There are a lot of people working on the show who can’t afford to be out of work. They have jobs that won’t pay them if they don’t work. And they likely don’t have much money saved up. If you’re in Hollywood and don’t want to say anything in support publicly…well, f*ck you. But one thing you can do is find a job for one of the staffers who need it right now. Even if it means digging into your own pocket. Spending a little of your own money is the least you can do. And honestly, it is the least you can do.
You don’t sound as if you think the show is coming back.
I want to think it will. But I can’t imagine a scenario in which that happens. Even if Jimmy was willing to publicly apologize and donate money to whatever ghoulish conservative group that is demanding it….MAGA people will never be happy. It will never be enough. And Disney will look at the situation and decide it’s cheaper to buy out the rest of his contract and replace the show with reruns of Modern Family and Judge Judy. Somehow, they’ll convince themselves the worst is behind them. Until a day or two pass and they find themselves having to defend Whoopi and the other women of The View. And no one wants to be in that position.
