Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel made waves by pulling a surprise babysitting prank on pop star Olivia Rodrigo during her appearance on his show. But in the podcast world, the comedian is drawing a very different kind of attention. On SmartLess, actor Will Arnett shared a lighter, personal grievance, noting that "Nobody loves hitting me with my tan more than Molly" and Kimmel.
The vibe is decidedly more hostile on The Megyn Kelly Show, where the host and her guests took aim at Kimmel's political role in California. Tech commentator Mike Solana went so far as to label Kimmel a "state sock puppet" whose job is to punish anyone who challenges the status quo. Host Megyn Kelly wondered if Kimmel, as a local resident, ever addresses the genuine political frustration of his neighbors or if he chooses to "stay away from it just out of respect."
Meanwhile, other comics are keeping their distance from his late-night stage entirely. On Bad Friends, comedian Andrew Santino briefly cleared up his own history with the late-night program, telling his co-host, "No, I never did stand-up on Kimmel." As late-night TV continues to navigate a highly polarized climate, Kimmel remains a lightning rod for both friendly teasing and fierce political pushback.