jimmy-kimmel-ben-affleckPretending to be gay is funny!

This week all the networks have been unveiling their shiny new fall schedules, which they show off to potential advertisers at upfront presentations that are designed to get the advertisers to buy up all their ad space.  Obviously, this is imperative to the survival of the networks, so it’s kind of amazing that Jimmy Kimmel, who has a show on ABC, spoke at the ABC upfronts and essentially told everyone not to buy ad space on ABC.  It was kind of awesome, actually.

In a “Jerry Maguire”-like moment of clarity, Mr. Kimmel said, “Everything you’re going to hear this week is” nonsense… “These new fall shows? We’re going to cancel about 90 percent of them. Maybe more.” [...]

To the ABC advertisers, Mr. Kimmel said, “Every year we lie to you and every year you come back for more. You don’t need an upfront. You need therapy. We completely lie to you, and then you pass those lies onto your clients.” [...]

In closing, Mr. Kimmel said, “I think all our shows are going to work this year. I really do.” He paused. “I don’t, really.”

Before departing the stage, he said: “The important thing to remember is: who cares, it’s not your money.” [NYT Arts Beat]

I admire the stones it takes to do that.  He’s basically saying “What’cha gonna do, fire me?”  Because if ABC did fire him, it would basically be an admission that Kimmel spoke the truth, make the network look humorless, and boost Kimmel’s fame and job prospects.  Man, I love it when someone sticks it to Disney.  I’d go bowling with Walt Disney’s frozen anti-Semitic head if I could.