Joe Rogan has weighed in on ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, and his reaction may surprise some fans. Despite the two hosts having built very different careers by appealing to opposite audiences, Rogan is siding with Kimmel on this one.
ABC may have reinstated Kimmel after taking him off the air for comments made about Charlie Kirk's murder, but the damage is done. The network may have unintentionally changed the future of television and how far the government's reach can extend. If so, it's a future that Rogan wants no part of.
“I definitely don’t think that the government should be involved ever in dictating what a comedian can or cannot say in a monologue,” Rogan said on his podcast.
Some critics argued that Kimmel's suspension had nothing to do with freedom of speech or government interference. Instead, they argue Kimmel scared advertisers with his commentary or that ABC was reacting to the late-night host's poor ratings.
However, Rogan didn't buy that argument and instead kept his comments in line with late-night personalities, politicians, and others who have condemned the FCC under President Donald Trump. Rogan warned that even those cheering Kimmel’s punishment today may regret it if the precedent expands in the future. “The problem is the companies, if they are being pressured by the government, so if that’s real, and if people on the right are like ‘yeah, go get ’em,’ oh my God, you’re crazy. You’re crazy for supporting this because this will be used on you,” he warned.
While Kimmel and Rogan are rarely on the same page politically, both understand the danger of letting government officials decide which jokes are acceptable. Kimmel has spent years skewering Republicans and conservative media. Meanwhile, Rogan has long been a lightning rod for his own brand of controversial remarks, ones that could just as easily draw censorship if the political powers were reversed.
In his first monologue back on the air, Kimmel made a point to thank prominent conservative voices who defended him. Names like Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell usually pop up on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as punchlines. But on Tuesday night, they earned the comedian's respect for saying the same things we're now hearing from Rogan.
It’s worth noting that Rogan and Kimmel share an unlikely entertainment link. Rogan actually replaced Kimmel as co-host of The Man Show, a series known for pushing the envelope of what's politically correct in the name of satire. Rogan took over when Kimmel left to launch Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003. Their careers went in dramatically different directions; Kimmel into late-night TV, Rogan into stand-up, UFC commentary, and eventually one of the world’s biggest podcasts.
Now they find themselves hosting the same conversations on their respective platforms. For fans, the overlap between Rogan and Kimmel may seem unusual, but it highlights the broader concern many in entertainment are voicing: if one comedian can be punished under government pressure, every comedian is at risk.