Hi everyone! Welcome to this week’s installment of Tom’s Top 3 Tuesdays, where I highlight three pieces of content (Podcasts/Shows/Songs/Articles/etc.) that I found interesting or noteworthy from the prior week.
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[YouTube] Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Jimmy Kimmel & the FCC
One of last week’s biggest stories in Hollywood, if not the country, was ABC suspending Jimmy Kimmel following public pressure from the Federal Communications Commission.
This video actually does a great job of summarizing the timeline, in a much more humorous and entertaining way. Here are the key details:
Jimmy Kimmel made a passing remark in his opening monologue, which could have been interpreted as saying Charlie Kirk’s shooter was MAGA
In response, Brendan Carr (FCC Chairman) made a rather direct threat to ABC on a podcast and encouraged TV affiliates not to air Kimmel’s show
Nexstar and Sinclair, which own many of the TV stations in the country, decided to pull Kimmel
It’s important to note, that Nexstar and Sinclair have pending mergers, which need regulatory approval from the FCC
ABC then announced it was suspending Kimmel indefinitely, sparking outrage among the Left and entertainment community
Disney, owner of ABC, found themselves in a tough spot. They could back Kimmel, risking retaliation from the Trump administration and losing revenue from TV affiliates who decide to not air Kimmel. Or, they could fully cancel Kimmel, staying in Trump’s good graces but pissing off the creative community. For a good overview of the business decision, I suggest you check out The Town’s podcast episode here.
Many believe this is an opportunity for Disney to stand up for free speech and protect the media industry from the heavy thumb of an authoritarian government. Disney has already kowtowed to Trump, paying $16M to settle a defamation suit regarding George Stephanopoulos’ comments on ABC news. If they were to give in again on this Kimmel matter, it could continue to snowball and send the country down a slippery slope.
In the end, Disney brought back Kimmel! The show is set to air today, so I am interested to see how Kimmel will address the “elephant” in the room (get it?). At least I no longer feel the need to cancel my Disney+. 🤷🏻♂️
[YouTube] Star Wars - The Mandalorian and Grogu | Official Trailer
In other Disney news…
They just released the first trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first Star Wars movie in theaters since 2019.
I can’t say this trailer really inspired much confidence, but I will reserve my judgement until we see more.
But hey, it looks like Babu Frik is returning. I know everyone was waiting with bated breath to see his next chapter on the big screen.
[YouTube] MLB - FULL PRESSER: Clayton Kershaw’s Emotional retirement announcement
I know this is something that only baseball fans will care about, but I couldn’t help myself. One of the best to ever do it is hanging up his cleats at the end of the season.
I have had the absolute pleasure of watching Kershaw leave everything on the field for the Dodgers over the last 18 years. I am sad to see him go, but hopefully the Dodgers can send him out on a high note. 🤞
Here is a quick run through of some of his career highlights:
222 Wins
2.54 Earned Run Average
3,045 Strikeouts
11x All Star
3x Cy Young
Most Valuable Player (2014)
Gold Glove (2011)
World Series Champion (2020)
No-Hitter, with no walks (June 18, 2014)
That wraps up this edition of Tom’s Top 3 Tuesdays. If you made it to this point, please drop a 1️⃣, 2️⃣, or 3️⃣ in the comments to let me know what you found most interesting/useful. And as always, please like and consider sharing with a friend who you think would enjoy! I’ll be back next week. ✌️