To get people to donate and show up at President Joe Biden’s fundraiser Saturday, June 15, in Los Angeles, host Jimmy Kimmel sent out an unusual appeal via text message:
He described himself as host of a “poorly rated” late-night TV show (“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”) that Biden’s presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump hates to watch, adding the event will feature “extra malarkey” as promised by Joe Biden.
While Kimmel has bashed former President Trump as a rambling, incoherent speaker, and also poked fun at Biden’s age on his show, the host of the mega fundraiser that also includes him interviewing former President Barack Obama and Hollywood superstars George Clooney and Julia Roberts, has evolved from a comedian performing off-color skits on TV in the 1990s and early 2000s, to a respected late-night talk show host who often talks politics.
While Kimmel’s interview topics are reported to include healthcare, jobs, the economy and threats to our country’s democracy, it’s nearly a sure thing there will be humor from the sometimes acerbic comedian. But it’s the movement of Biden’s message toward a younger voting bloc where polls show he’s weak that the campaign is banking on.
“Sometimes comedians can help make sense of a complicated issue and frame it in a certain way,” said Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, on Friday, June 14. He cited Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” as another example.
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel performs at KROQ’s Kevin and Bean’s “AprilFoolishness” to benefit Camp Laurel and Boarding for Breast Cancer at the Gibson Amphitheatre on April 3, 2010 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Many don’t remember Kimmel’s earlier work, but it’s safe to say it would not always mesh with today’s progressive message of Biden and the Democratic Party on issues of women’s rights, LGBTQ+ protections and equity issues.
Episodes of Comedy Central’s “The Man Show” from 1999-2003, starring Kimmel and Adam Carolla, featured scantily-clad women jumping on trampolines, men chugging steins of beer and sex talk about frigid women, including their own spouses. On one episode, female porn stars demonstrate how to properly fit a bed sheet while dressed in skimpy outfits.
Deemed the “Anti-Oprah” show, it used satire to take on feminism, women’s rights and the feminization of American society within the context of lampooning the male chauvinist. The delivery of the two hosts was straightforward but the outrageous and humorous pre-recorded sketches and live studio stunts were similar to “Saturday Night Live” but uncensored and raw.
Before “The Man Show,” Kimmel was a radio personality.
The young comedian — and onetime altar boy — worked various radio stints from Florida to Arizona, until finding a home at KROQ, the legendary L.A. station that featured the popular “Kevin & Bean Show”, hosted by Kevin Ryder and Gene “Bean” Baxter.
For morning listeners he was “Jimmy the Sports Guy,” a stint that had him churning out pro-sports updates. The bit offered a huge on-air platform for Kimmel’s brand — a kind of wise-cracking, stunt-making, blue-collar shtick, animated with a hint of a New-York accent.
After landing gigs on TV shows, such as “Win Ben Stein’s Money,” “Crank Yankers,” the “Sports Show with Norm Macdonald” and “The Andy Milonakis Show,” ABC turned to Kimmel to host the late-night talk show.
Guests on his show include: Trump, Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Mitt Romney. The emphasis on politics would grow.
He has defended the Affordable Care Act after his son, Billy, needed open heart surgery shortly after his birth and also when he was 7 months old. When a GOP-backed bill in Congress to repeal the ACA was floated, Kimmel told his viewers to call their representatives to tell them to vote against it.
Kimmel and HBO’s Bill Maher have continued to criticize Trump using their TV platforms.
“I don’t know who Trump hates more: Bill Maher or Jimmy Kimmel,” said Hal Dash, a principal with Cerrell Associates, a leading political consulting firm in Los Angeles, on Friday, June 14.
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel delivers a speech during the opening of the 90th Annual Academy Awards show on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
He called Kimmel “a passionate Biden supporter” that has been subject to social media attacks by Trump on numerous occasions. His interest in politics is quite evident, he said. These are some of the reason why he was chosen to interview Biden and Obama at this fundraiser, he said.
“He is a great choice. He is probably the most politically astute talk show host on network television. And he is very passionate about education and kids,” Dash said.
As for celebrities Roberts and Clooney, they join others, such as Robert DeNiro, Mark Hammill from the “Star Wars” movies, and David Geffen, film producer and record executive. These are what he calls “validators” who can spark a crowd or spread a message to get out and vote, Dash said. “Biden is looking for a nationwide network of surrogates who can go out with some amount of cachè and panache.”
Holden expects to see a lot more of Obama on the Biden campaign trail this summer. “President Obama carries a lot of caché and goodwill. Obama is well respected in a lot of different circles,” he said.
Getting a rollicking interview from Kimmel, plus hearing from A-list stars Roberts and Clooney, gives the president the opportunity to show he is vital and can have an active interplay with high-profile, creative validators, Holden said.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, said, “The only people in America who support Joe Biden’s failing campaign are elitist Hollywood celebrities,” adding that Trump “speaks for the forgotten men and women of this country.”
Trump has his own list of celebrity endorsers, which includes musicians Kid Rock and Ted Nugent, UFC CEO Dana White, media personality Caitlyn Jenner and actors Dennis Quaid and Jon Voight, as well as comedian Roseanne Barr.
The Biden campaign is selling tickets to the event from $0 to $500,000. The campaign said the event includes grassroots supporters as well as a star-studded list of entertainers. It was reported in one media source to take place in the Peacock Theater at LA Live! but that was not confirmed with the Biden campaign.
“The enthusiasm and commitment for Biden/Harris couldn’t be stronger. We all understand this is the most important election of our lifetime,” said campaign co-chair Jeffrey Katzenberg in an emailed response.
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SCNG staffer Ryan Carter and the Associated Press contributed to this article.