UPDATE: Jimmy Kimmel Calls To Clear The Air
Emails came flooding in to me that Jimmy Kimmel just announced on national TV that he doesn't need writers to host the American Music Awards. But Kimmel is a member of the WGA. MONDAY AM: Here are Kimmel's comments in context, as transcribed by an alert DHD reader:
KIMMEL: This is going to be a little bit loose tonight. I’m a member of the writers guild. We’re on strike. It may not look like it, but I’m striking right now in my heart. So I was not allowed to write the jokes for tonight’s event, which is good for those of you in the front area, but bad for the rest of the world who has to sit through made-up crap. So what I’m going to do, instead of entertaining you with my comedy, I’m going to entertain you with my little-seen dancing ability tonight.
JIMMY THEN DANCES LIKE A WHITE GUY.
KIMMEL: See, we don’t need writers.
Take your burritto and shove it, Jimmy.
Comment by macy — November 19, 2007 @ 12:46 am
He didn’t mean it they way it sounded. It’s one of the risks of winging it. I happen to know that he had jokes at the ready that were written way before the strike but as a show of solidarity he threw them aside and just rode the free-form wave. All’s cool here.
Comment by pinkylee — November 19, 2007 @ 12:51 am
I’m pretty sure he was mocking the American Music Awards, not writers.
Comment by TV Fan — November 19, 2007 @ 12:54 am
Come on, the guy has had the writer’s backs since day 1 of the strike.
Lay off.
Comment by DA in LA — November 19, 2007 @ 1:26 am
He should NOT have hosted the show. Period. He’s not as bad as Ellen, who is the world’s biggest scab, but unity is unity.
Comment by Nantes — November 19, 2007 @ 2:28 am
IF you saw the opening then you would know this was obviously a joke. I am pretty sure the point he was trying to make was how important writers are after he was resigned to dancing instead of cracking scripted jokes. I actually thought he did a great job considering he was in a no win position.
Comment by SMK — November 19, 2007 @ 7:05 am
It was obviously an off-the-cuff joke that didn’t work. Total proof that he needs writers.
Comment by Connie — November 19, 2007 @ 7:14 am
The problem is some people thought it was really funny and take whatever he says as god’s truth. He also said he was supporting the Writers Guild Strike “in his heart?” They don’t need your heart, Jimmy they need your mouth and your wallet to not CROSSING THE LINE!
Comment by Not Funny — November 19, 2007 @ 8:43 am
It’s interesting how you instinctively don’t like certain performers, and then inevitably they do something that justifies your initial instinct.
Why does Kimmel work so much? He’s not at all funny, not even attractive at least. It’s baffling. Can’t ABC do better?
Comment by producers — November 19, 2007 @ 9:21 am
It was a joke, he’s a comedian, that’s his job. Lighten up.
Comment by Luke — November 19, 2007 @ 9:33 am