John Oliver joined fellow late-night hosts in backing Jimmy Kimmel on Sunday after ABC announced the “indefinite suspension” of Jimmy Kimmel Live! due to comments made by Kimmel regarding the right’s response to Charlie Kirk’s murder.
Oliver begins by recounting the events and condemning the methods employed by Trump-appointed FCC chair Brendan Carr, who threatened repercussions for ABC and parent company Disney over Kimmel’s remarks during a podcast shortly before the suspension.
In conclusion, Oliver addresses Disney CEO Bob Iger, encouraging him to confront bullies and “draw a line.”
“Hi Bob,” Oliver states. “We haven’t met, but you probably recognize me as America’s third favorite Zazu. Congratulations on recasting that role, by the way; it was enjoyable to learn about afterward. Anyway, one day, the narrative of our current era is going to be documented. And when it is, I’m not convinced those in this administration will be the ones to appear the worst. Don’t misunderstand me; they will appear dreadful, but history will also recall the cowards who definitely understood better but still allowed things to transpire—whether out of a desire for profit, convenience, or mere comfort.
“I realize this might be a challenging proposition, and it could be somewhat counter to what cautious business leaders typically embrace. However, I will assert this: If we have takeaway lessons from this administration’s second term to date—and I don’t believe we have—it is that surrendering your lunch money to a bully does not make him vanish; it merely causes him to return more ravenous each time. They will never desist; they have explicitly stated that. Following Kimmel’s suspension, Trump tweeted: ‘That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!’ And Carr has suggested that The View could be next. The fucking View.
“At some juncture, you will have to establish a boundary. So I propose, why not set it right here? And when they approach you with absurd, ludicrous demands, instigating conflicts that you know you could win in court, instead of capitulating, why not stand firm and utilize four essential words that they generally don’t teach in business school? Not ‘OK, you’re the boss,’ not ‘Whatever you say goes,’ but rather the only phrase that can genuinely compel a weak bully to retreat, which is: ‘Fuck you. Make me.'”