Tune in to any late-night talk show these days, and it’s nothing but wall-to-wall clapter — the seal-like applause emitted by audiences in response to any variation of the phrase “orange man bad.”
As Robert Plant once queried, “Does anybody remember laughter?”
Those of us old enough to have watched Carson, Letterman, or O’Brien do.
Well, Jimmy Kimmel has news for you: He’s not here to entertain you. In fact, he’s offended you even expect it.
The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host unloaded on entitled TV viewers while chatting with former first lady Michelle Obama on the failing podcast she co-hosts.
And it was as cringe-inducing as you’d expect. Turns out, Kimmel takes it personally when critics say he should be funny.
“To say that, ‘Well, your job is this,’ it makes me — I bristle at that because, first of all, don’t tell me what my job is. I don’t tell you what your job is. My job is whatever I decide my job is, whatever my employer allows me to do. That’s what my job is.”
His job, apparently, is to speed up the decline of late-night TV, and in his defense, he’s doing a heckuva job …
French toast
First, the French found Jerry Lewis irresistible. Now, the country’s movie buffs have fallen for one of 2025’s biggest box office busts.
“Ella McCay” arrived with plenty of hype last year, from its starry cast (Jamie Lee Curtis, Albert Brooks, Woody Harrelson) to a legendary writer/director (James L. Brooks) behind the camera. The film, focusing on a flustered young woman (Emma Mackey) thrust into the political scene, earned withering reviews. The box office tally? A shockingly low $4 million domestically.
Yet the French are coming to the film’s rescue. Disney+’s French edition debuted the film after its theatrical release got benched due to that chilly U.S. reception. The French goodwill, boosted by fawning media support, built up to the point where the studio agreed to a limited theatrical release in the country.
Maybe AI can insert a digital Jerry Lewis into the Paris-set sequel …
Role reversal
Nick Offerman may be our generation’s Laurence Olivier.
The comic actor’s turn as Ron Swanson on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” remains the libertarian gold standard. His character loathed the government, hoping to shrink it to the size of Jiminy Cricket’s belt buckle.
In real life, Offerman is a raging progressive, and he can’t stop savaging both President Donald Trump and the right in general.
This week, he popped up on the far-left “Daily Show” to trash Trump’s plans for a glorious 250th birthday party for ole Uncle Sam. That includes a permanent arch to honor the historic moment.
“Can’t he play with his model replicas in the basement like a normal demented grandpa. … Can we stop with these self-aggrandizing celebrations, like you’re some Roman emperor? What’s next, gladiator fights?”
Ron Swanson might blanch at the arch as an unnecessary expenditure, but he’d forever love Trump for his DOGE-style shrinkage …
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‘Focker’ fatigue
Haven’t we suffered enough?
Some movie franchises stumble after a glorious run. Think “John Wick,” those “Fast & Furious” romps, and even the “Mission: Impossible” saga. It happens, and it’s the rare series that maintains its level of excellence.
We all agreed the 2000 comedy “Meet the Parents” was a hoot, giving stars Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller all the juicy lines they craved. But the sequel, “Meet the Fockers” was a star-studded stiff. And the less said about “Little Fockers,” the better.
But since no franchise is allowed to rest in peace, a fourth “Fockers” is coming this fall.
“Focker-in-Law” adds “Wicked” alum Ariana Grande to the saga. This time, she’s about to marry Greg and Pam’s son (Skyler Gisondo), causing tension in the Focker-verse. The trailer is hard to watch, with so many callouts from the first film and Stiller looking embarrassed to be back in the franchise.
Unlike Offerman, he’s not that good an actor.
The worst part may be De Niro, who, back in 2000, was still regarded as one of our finest actors. Now, his chronic anti-Trump rants have poisoned his box office appeal and alienated plenty of potential moviegoers.
Maybe the sequel will find his character strapped to a lie-detector machine, forced to answer if he actually believes his crazed, anti-Trump predictions.
Now that we’d pay to watch.
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