Rosie O’Donnell Gets the Kimmel Gig

Just when one might conclude that ABC could not identify a more offensive or less amusing host than Jimmy Kimmel, the network has proved it can. It has been announced that Rosie O’Donnell will serve as one of several rotating hosts during Kimmel’s two-month sabbatical. This decision offers further proof of the anti-Trump and anti-Republican bias evident in ABC programming. Rather than searching for a fresh comedic voice that might bridge divides and actually be funny, the network has chosen to double down on the very approach that has alienated large segments of the audience.

O’Donnell initially achieved recognition through her daytime program, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, which ran from 1996 to 2002. Viewers knew her then as the “queen of nice”. After the show ended, her image changed significantly. In 2002, she came out as a lesbian and advocated for gay rights. Nothing wrong with that, but that role expanded into broader and more strident attacks on Trump, Republicans and conservatives. She joined the Trump resistance and would be better described as the “queen of nasty”.

Her criticism of Trump eventually broadened into a deeper animosity toward the United States. O’Donnell chose to expatriate to Ireland. From that location, she has continued to attack Trump, Republicans, conservatives and at America in general from across the pond. Although she has made periodic visits to the United States, O’Donnell has become a citizen of Ireland and has repeatedly indicated that she has no plans to repatriate.

The decision to install O’Donnell cannot be credited to any improvement in her comedic abilities. Her recent appearances have featured political attacks more than humor. ABC selected her for her vocal assaults on President Trump and Republicans – not for good comedy. In today’s media climate, where late night shows favor ideological messaging over entertainment, this choice fits the network’s political preferences. ABC has demonstrated time and again that its late night franchise exists to advance left-wing political narratives rather than to provide universal entertainment.

Kimmel has himself maintained a steady drumbeat of criticism directed at Trump and Republicans throughout his tenure. His monologues have often served as platforms for partisan commentary. Kimmel has turned what was once a comedy desk into a reliable outpost of the resistance movement. The selection of O’Donnell to fill in during his absence ensures that the program’s political orientation will experience no interruption. The reasons for Kimmel’s sabbatical have not been fully disclosed. It is possible that he requires time away from the daily production of political material. It is also possible that ABC is testing other hosts who share his critical stance toward conservatives. The question of whether this arrangement will prove temporary or permanent lingers. Networks often label such changes as short-term only to render them permanent when it suits their purposes.

Late night television once offered Americans an opportunity to set aside political divisions and the torments of the day in order to enjoy shared laughter. Under networks such as ABC, that tradition has been supplanted by a steady stream of one-sided political content. Viewers who tune in hoping for a few laughs instead receive a sermon on the evils of the current administration and its supporters. The elevation of Rosie O’Donnell to the role of guest host stands as additional proof that certain media organizations have chosen to function as participants in political conflict rather than as neutral observers or entertainers. Those who prefer their comedy free of partisan lectures would do well to look elsewhere for their nightly viewing – although an alternative is not easily found.

So, there ‘tis.