Jimmy Kimmel deserves a raise and a better time slot. ABC's late-night host took the gloves off at ABC's upfront presentation in New York earlier this week and delivered a "withering, blistering monologue that took direct aim at ABC, its potential advertisers and his NBC late-night rival, Jay Leno," The New York Times reports.
Kimmel didn't mince words on stage. While ABC clearly wanted him to tow the line and sell, sell, sell to the advertisers assembled for the annual buy-and-sell fest, he did nothing of the sort.
"All of ABC's late-night comedy talent is assembled here on one stage," he began.
"Everything you're going to hear this week is" nonsense, he said. "Let's get real here. Let's get Dr. Phil-real here. These new fall shows? We're going to cancel about 90 percent of them. Maybe more."
ABC potential coffers got hit with some serious shrapnel as well.
"Every year we lie to you and every year you come back for more," Kimmel said. "You don't need an upfront. You need therapy. We completely lie to you, and then you pass those lies onto your clients."
In true Kimmel fashion, he left the audience with a parting shot that's sure to reverberate in advertisers' ears for some time to come: "The important thing to remember is: who cares, it's not your money."
