Now We Have Our Own Martyr (Sort Of)

 

     Don't have much time because I'm trying to finish a novel. But I'd be remiss in my responsibilities if I didn't comment in a timely fashion about the reinstatement of comedian Jimmy Kimmel. Coincidentally, this move by Disney came the day after Charlie Kirk's memorial service in Glendale yesterday.

      Kimmel will return to ABC tomorrow night and he'll do so as a near martyr at the hands of the MAGA movement. It may be the most-watched opening monologue in the history of late night TV, which will only be a ratings bonanza for ABC (so they should get back some of the $15,000,000 they paid out to Trump in bribe money). They've probably already upped their asking price for air time from their sponsors.

     In a way, it didn't come as any surprise. Disney had been telegraphing this move ever since the day after Kimmel's show was pulled off the air. Disney's executives were desperately looking for an off ramp, especially when they realized that, as yours truly predicted, the cancellations of Disney+ subscriptions reached Biblical levels and their stock's share price plunged by 2.1% (at a time when the Dow Jones Average was up 1%).

      Disney may have saved their stock price (MAY have) but now Nextstar has the stability of the merger to contend with. Disney painted themselves into this corner. Plus, it all depends on whether Nexstar and Sinclair choose to run future episodes on their affiliates. But my guess is they'll follow Disney's lead.

      But Trump and assholes like Brendan Carr don't take defeat very well (Look at January 6, 2021). They'll still want to take out their pound of flesh by jeopardizing the Nexstar merger, which none of us should give a shit about. Expect that bald-headed rat fucker Carr to continue sabotaging the merger. Again, none of us should give a damn about whether or not it goes through. But if the merger goes off and the FCC can't or won't scuttle it, it would give me more than a twinge of satisfaction. That will make Trump's defeat permanent. It's not as if he can threaten to cut funding from Disney, Nexstar or Sinclair.

     Last night, John Oliver said on his show that "giving the bully your lunch money doesn't make him go away. He'll just come back hungrier." And he's right. Appeasement didn't work with Hitler in 1938 and it doesn't work with Trump. In fact, just hours after Disney pulled Kimmel's show, Trump went on Truth Social and began demanding the firings of Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon.

     It only goes to show that if you punch bullies hard enough, they'll recede. And if you punch corporations where it hurts the most, which is their wallets, they'll be shamed into doing the right thing, however cynical and self-interested their motives.

     So fuck them all. Fascists can't and won't be made happy. For now, we can point at Trump and laugh Curly Howard-style as Trump completely loses it over Disney and threatens to sue them like he did ABC and CBS. But, if Disney was so concerned about its bottom line, don't look for them to be shelling out protection money to Don Dumbo any time soon.