Jimmy Kimmel discusses ‘Mean Tweets’ origin
By Cory Buck
Jimmy Kimmel recently discussed the exhausting first season of his late night show along with the origin of one of his most popular segments.
It hardly feels like it’s been 13 years since Jimmy Kimmel offered ABC its first legitimate contender in the late night talk show game. At first, it didn’t seem like Kimmel would offer as much for the network. Now it’s a neck and neck race on a nightly basis between Kimmel and his competitors on NBC and CBS thanks to a show that grew with its host and found fame with some memorable ideas. Kimmel recently discussed those concepts at SXSW, per The Hollywood Reporter.
More from Entertainment
- 10 greatest fictional football players of all time
- Stephen A. Smith learned quickly not to mess with Rihanna
- Everything to know about Taylor Swift’s Thursday Night Football appearance
- House of the Dragon live stream: How to watch
- From boxing to cinema, Javon Walton stars in Samaritan with Stallone
“I was burnt out, exhausted, terrified,” Kimmel said of his first season. “I wanted them to cancel it, so I didn’t have to quit.”
“There was almost nothing planned for my first show,” Kimmel added. He figured he’d simply “hold up newspaper articles and bullshit my way through my show.”
Is that a subtle dig at Jay Leno? One of Leno’s most well-known skits as host of The Tonight Show was to read old newspaper articles with wonky headlines or wording.
Kimmel, meanwhile, remains an ardent fan of David Letterman, to whom he repeatedly referred to as an irreplaceable late night legend.
“My goal was never to host a late-night talk show,” he said. “My goal was just to keep watching a late-night talk show. It never occurred to me that anyone other than David Letterman or Johnny Carson would have a late-night talk show.”
But he does have a late night show, and even better, Kimmel has a good late night show thanks to skits like Mean Tweets, which just culminated with the participation of the POTUS himself, Barack Obama. The skit has already garnered over 12 million views in less than a week.
Kimmel revealed the origin of Mean Tweets in the same interview with THR and it’s pretty much what you’d expect. Co-head writer and Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney, first came up with the idea, which has since taken off and included dozens of celebrities appearing to read some of the meanest anonymous barbs thrown their way via Twitter.
“There are still some people that won’t do it,” Kimmel said of the segment. “I think it’s more their publicists saying they won’t do it.”
More from FanSided
- Joe Burrow owes Justin Herbert a thank you note after new contract
- Chiefs gamble at wide receiver could already be biting them back
- Braves-Red Sox start time: Braves rain delay in Boston on July 25
- Yankees: Aaron Boone gives optimistic return date for Aaron Judge
- MLB Rumors: Yankees-Phillies trade showdown, Mariners swoop, India goes to Seattle