ABC has officially and indefinitely canceled Jimmy Kimmel Live, and it was the right move. The backlash from liberal media voices is not only predictable; it is profoundly hypocritical. This decision highlights the end of an era for late-night television and raises questions about Jimmy Kimmel’s career, his dramatic reinvention, and the fading power of “woke” comedy.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Early Career on The Man Show

To understand why ABC canceled Jimmy Kimmel, it helps to look back at his origins. Before he became a late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel built his name on The Man Show with Adam Carolla, whom I once interviewed.

That Comedy Central program was unapologetically testosterone-driven. It featured segments like “Girls on Trampolines” and the Juggies Dance Squad, women in revealing outfits performing for laughs. At the time, this brash brand of male humor was mainstream. Audiences embraced it.

Howard Stern made a career on similar shock comedy, filled with double entendres and edgy antics. Well, until he became a woke shell of his former self. This was the entertainment culture before mainstream media bent itself to the demands of the far left.

How Jimmy Kimmel Transformed from Edgy Comic to Political Preacher

When ABC handed Jimmy Kimmel his own late-night show, the sharp edges disappeared. The same man who once thrived on locker-room humor rebranded himself into a moral commentator for Hollywood. He went from man-cave jokester to late-night political activist, a pivot that felt almost overnight.

Instead of lighthearted sketches, Kimmel began tearfully addressing political controversies. He even cried on air over a presidential election loss because his preferred liberal candidate failed. True democracy means accepting the voters’ decision, not publicly weeping when your side comes up short.

This dramatic shift alienated many of the viewers who had once embraced his original comedy. The Jimmy Kimmel who once embodied a “guys’ night out” brand of humor became something entirely different and his ratings reflected that change.

ABC’s Cancellation Shows “Woke” Comedy Is Over

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, the assassination of Charlie Kirk has become a grim turning point in American public discourse. For years conservatives have tolerated a culture that rewarded “woke” voices while silencing dissent. That period is ending.

You can see it in the struggles of other liberal media personalities such as Stephen Colbert, Jim Acosta, Joy Reid, Don Lemon, and Chris Cuomo. The days when you could say anything “true or false” without consequence are gone.

Some critics now shout, “This is a violation of free speech!” But that is a misunderstanding of what free speech actually means.

Why ABC Had Every Right to Cancel Jimmy Kimmel

Every American has the right to speak their mind, but Jimmy Kimmel does not own ABC’s platform. He was an employee and ABC is a business. A network survives only if its sponsors stay happy and its ratings stay strong.

Kimmel’s ratings were already weak. Instead of adapting to what viewers wanted, he relied on the cultural freedom he thought the “woke” era guaranteed. But culture shifts, and “woke” comedy is no longer a winning formula.

I know what it feels like to have professional speech curtailed. As a conservative in media, I have experienced the same pressure to stay silent. The tragic shooting of Charlie Kirk underscores that influential words can be dangerous – sometimes literally. ABC’s decision to cancel Jimmy Kimmel is not about silencing free speech; it is about business and the changing media landscape.

Johnny Carson’s Example: Comedy Without Political Lecturing

I’ve brought this up time and time again. Johnny Carson got it right! Johnny Carson ruled late-night television because he knew how to keep politics in check. He told jokes that everyone could enjoy and built a career on broad appeal. Jimmy Kimmel could have followed that blueprint. Instead, he became a political commentator disguised as a comedian, and audiences tuned out.

Sponsors follow audiences, and audiences follow authenticity. When a performer abandons the audience that built his career to chase elite approval, he eventually ends up with neither.

What’s Next for Jimmy Kimmel’s Career

True free speech is rarely found on a network where advertisers control every dollar. If Jimmy Kimmel truly believes in his own voice, he could follow Joe Rogan’s example and launch an independent platform. My guess is that he lacks the dedicated following to succeed on his own.

Television and radio have always been beholden to sponsors. That reality will never change. What has changed is the audience’s patience for one-sided political preaching.

ABC’s decision to cancel Jimmy Kimmel’s show is not censorship; it is simply the marketplace at work. If he wants to keep speaking out, nothing stops him from doing so on his own dime. That is what real free speech looks like.

Bottom line: ABC canceled Jimmy Kimmel because viewers moved on, advertisers noticed, and the era of “woke” late-night comedy has run its course. Whether Kimmel can reinvent himself yet again will determine if this is the end of his television career or just the beginning of a new chapter.