All This Is That National Affairs Editor
I'll admit, I hardly watch TV, and especially not the late night talk shows (after all, late night is for art and sinning). But Jimmy Kimmel--whom I've never especially appreciated--took it to the next level yesterday. I've really only seen him back in the early Conan days, and a couple of times on The Man Show. Jimmy K either has a death wish, or he is channeling Jerry McGuire and Senator Jay Bullington Bulworth.
Jimmy K
Yesterday, Jimmy Kimmel let it all hang out in NYC, at something called The Up Fronts. You read about this every year--this is the big shindig, where TV networks butter up advertisers and sell them their upcoming slate of shows. A bunch of TV "stars" come in and try to convince the ad people that their show will truly be a cash cow, centering right in on their beloved demographic. As the New York Times reported: Jimmy had "A Jerry Maguire Moment." I tend to think of it as more of a Bulworth moment. Here are some quotes from his talk. Unfortunately no one seems to have recorded it. At least it's not on YouTube or any of the other usual suspect sites. He even seems to have taken a few direct shots at sacred cows like Jay Leno.
"Let's get real here. Let's get Dr. Phil-real here. These new fall shows? We're going to cancel about 90 percent of them. Maybe more."
"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."
"Next year on ‘Grey's Anatomy,' your product could kill Dr. Izzie. It just depends on how much you want to pay."
"I think all our shows are going to work this year. I really do. I don't, really."
"The important thing to remember is: who cares?, it's not your money."
Wow. Despite this, he still appears to be working. At least today. He was either very very high, or he has some kind of iron-clad no-cut contract. Or both. In either case, Excelsior! Jimmy.
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