How 4 Late-Night Writers Are Feeling Post–Kimmel Suspension

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Late night comedy is facing a crisis this week, with both *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* temporarily suspended and *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert* cancelled. This is causing the already shrinking world of late-night shows to shrink even faster. It appears two major voices in the genre have been silenced, potentially due to censorship. Jimmy Kimmel faced backlash – and was pulled from the air – over a joke he didn’t even fully deliver. The issue stemmed from a brief comment linking the alleged shooter of Charlie Kirk to the MAGA movement, which Kimmel used as an introduction to a video clip. The FCC chairman publicly objected to this comment.

Vulture spoke with writers still working on late-night shows to get their perspective on the current climate. These writers, who asked to remain anonymous, discussed the challenges of creating comedy when it might draw criticism or backlash.

“It’s authoritarian bullshit.”

We’d actually finished for the day when we heard the news, so I didn’t get a read on how everyone reacted. But honestly, things felt pretty normal this morning – no one gave us any instructions to change our jokes or approach things differently. It was business as usual, really.

This is simply unacceptable and heavy-handed. I’m hoping the strong public reaction will force a change. At least the situation is out in the open, which is why so many people – even those who aren’t fans of Jimmy Kimmel – are understandably upset.

Didn’t Brian Kilmeade recently suggest that homeless people with mental illness should be executed? And despite that statement, he hasn’t faced any consequences, like losing his show.

“I don’t want someone else to take the fall because I wrote the wrong words for them.”

I haven’t really seen comedians or show hosts start censoring their own work, even after seeing what happened to others who faced backlash. What’s more upsetting is how cowardly the networks are behaving and the decisions they’re making. It’s shameful that the people with the most power and money are the first to back down.

Let me be clear: when I say we avoid self-censorship, I don’t mean we’re being deliberately hurtful or reckless. In all my previous jobs, we’ve always made an effort to ensure our humor is directed appropriately and that we’re sincere in what we say. Because I’m writing on behalf of others, I feel a strong responsibility to be careful – I wouldn’t want someone else to suffer consequences due to my poor word choice. I’m deeply concerned about the suppression of free speech, but I believe the solution is to continue speaking, not to fall silent.

“They told us they would do this.”

Honestly, everyone around me is really upset and scared by all of this, but I’m surprisingly not as shocked. I genuinely like the guys who are caught up in this – they’re good people. But it’s hard to ignore the fact that they’ve been successful in a system that historically only lifts up white men. They’ve become these leaders who are supposed to represent us, but they don’t really *get* what most of us go through. That’s not to say they aren’t hilarious, intelligent, and kind – they absolutely are. And definitely, they shouldn’t be punished for simply expressing their opinions – that’s their right. I just… I’m not surprised. When your whole career depends on getting approval from corporations and a society that favors men, it’s those same forces that can just as easily take it all away, and they clearly can.

We weren’t surprised when this happened, as we’ve seen it happen to others before. It’s likely shocking to those involved only because they didn’t think it could affect them personally. Despite this, I expect both individuals will be okay and may even find new opportunities with streaming services that offer better pay for less work – similar to what happened with Letterman and Mulaney on Netflix.

“The president is a crybaby who can’t take a joke.”

The news arrived right after we finished discussing a script about the growing issues with free speech, leaving everyone feeling uneasy. We can’t ignore what happened. I understand some of our team might be hesitant to speak up, fearing repercussions – and that’s exactly what happens when political censorship takes hold.

I’ve become much more careful about what I do online. Since the events of last week, I’ve stopped engaging with political posts on social media – it feels like anything I say could be twisted against me later. I think people should really consider leaving these platforms altogether. However, regarding the current situation, I feel strongly that it’s not our fault the president is overly sensitive and can’t handle criticism. We shouldn’t be intimidated by someone who’s lived a sheltered life.

Many of the writers on our show have experience from other late-night programs, so when the news broke, we immediately reached out to the writers on JKL‘s team to express our support and disbelief. I’m especially worried about everyone working behind the scenes – the stage crew, sound engineers, costume designers, and the hair and makeup artists.

Broadcast networks are more vulnerable to pressure from Trump’s FCC than cable channels, and that’s not comforting. Given how eager this administration is to please, I wouldn’t be surprised by anything they do. Honestly, most late-night comedy writers realize traditional TV is already dying. We’re seeing this with sports moving to streaming services. As companies like Nexstar and Sinclair gain more control, broadcast television will become like the magazine section in a supermarket: filled with celebrity gossip and repetitive stories about figures like Elvis. Instead of puzzles and health magazines, you’ll just find game shows and old, low-quality content, like Gordon Ramsay shows from years ago.

It feels like each generation believes it’s living in the best of times, and that those times are ending. While it seems like television as we know it might be fading away, it’s not because of Donald Trump. I’m inspired by Arundhati Roy’s words: “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

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2025-09-19 17:55