I’m old enough to remember when Tipper Gore used the power of her position to launch a campaign against violent video games and music. What happened? Sales exploded. The government crackdown only made kids want it more.
The same dynamic is alive today. Trump’s FCC is threatening comedians, and Jimmy Kimmel has been pulled off the air. His jokes, apparently, are now a matter of national security (or insecurity). But when government tells you not to laugh, it makes people laugh louder.
This isn’t just censorship—it’s an opportunity. The late-night era on corporate networks was already fading. Kimmel could be the first to turn government suppression into rocket fuel for an independent media powerhouse.
I’ve built and advised rapid-response moments like this before. Here’s how I’d start if I were Jimmy Kimmel:
A 7-Day Independent Launch Plan
Day 0–1: Own the audience
One landing page: email + SMS capture. Promise: “This is where the show lives now.”
Two-minute manifesto, posted everywhere, but give BlueSky the exclusive first drop. Let trolls on X find out second-hand.
Name the project. Options: Kimmel Uncensored, After Hours with Jimmy Kimmel, or my favorite wild card: Kimmel’s Antifascist Variety Show (because we could all be Kavs).