Why Was Jimmy Kimmel Reported To Capitol Police?
If celebrity Twitter wars ever become part of the American history curriculum, one of the social media battles we'd likely see in the textbooks is the one between Jimmy Kimmel and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The late-night host and the Georgia congresswoman are currently in the midst of a heated feud related to an Oscars incident and the Supreme Court.
On April 4, 2022, Greene tweeted her reaction to the news that three Republican senators would be voting to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to sit on the US Supreme Court. Referencing Jackson's sentencing record on sex offenders, Greene wrote, "[Lisa] Murkowski, [Susan] Collins, and {Mitt] Romney are pro-pedophile. They just voted for #KBJ." The next evening, Kimmel mentioned the tweet in his "Jimmy Kimmel Live" opening monologue, adding, "Wow — where's Will Smith when you need him?"
Greene was horrified at the alleged implication that she deserved to be slapped the way Smith slapped Chris Rock and feared that Kimmel fans might take the joke to heart. Taking to Twitter again, she posted a message to Kimmel's network, writing, "@ABC, this threat of violence against me by @jimmykimmel has been filed with the @CapitolPolice."
Seeing the absurdity of it all, Kimmel tweeted back, "Officer? I would like to report a joke." However, he didn't stop there.
Jimmy Kimmel pointed out the hypocrisy of Marjorie Taylor Greene
Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene insisted that she felt threatened by Jimmy Kimmel's quip suggesting that Will Smith should slap her. She responded with another tweet on April 7, 2022, accusing the comedian of misogyny and racism. "This was a dog whistle to the violent left to assault me or worse, and your already inspiring fantasies of violence against me," she claimed.
Rising to the challenge, Jimmy Kimmel commented on Greene's police report in one of his "Jimmy Kimmel Live" monologues. "I have the weirdest life, I really do," the late-night host joked (via Twitter). He summarized the previous day's events, adding, "Not only did she call the police, she called the same police she voted against giving a Congressional Gold Medal to, for defending our Capitol against the insurrection she helped incite on January 6 ... It's amazing how quickly you go from 'These liberals — you can't say anything anymore' to 'What did you say? I'm calling the cops!' Must be that cancel culture they're always talking about."
After clarifying that he does not condone aggression or threats of harm, Kimmel then pointed out that Greene herself ran campaign ads in which she wielded a huge assault rifle. He added that Greene has also supported social media posts calling for top Democrats to be executed (via The New York Times), so it seemed hypocritical of her to "[whine] about fantasies of violence."
Jimmy Kimmel may get help from a famous crimefighter
Continuing his opening monologue on April 7, 2022, Jimmy Kimmel decided to rise to the challenge of Marjorie Taylor Greene, whom he called a "snowciopath" — a blend of a snowflake and a sociopath. "If she's going to report me to the police — if that's how she's going to play it — I'll report you right back," he declared. "And I won't go to the police; I'll go to the Justice League."
On the spot, Kimmel called for a desk and some writing materials and composed a letter to Gotham City's most famous defender: Batman. "I'm writing you about a woman who may be a supervillain," he explained, adding that Greene is petite, like the Penguin, and fancies herself funny like the Joker. and, like the Riddler, "thinks the world is full of coded messages." Kimmel dispatched his sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, to get the letter into the right hands.
And so it did. As Kimmel's monologue came to a close, a distinctive beep rang out in the studio. "Oh, what's that — we're getting a..." the host began, and the camera quickly cut to the 1960s "Batman" logo. Suddenly, a split-screen revealed two iconic "Batman" film stars, Michael Keaton and George Clooney. The Caped Crusaders said in unison, "We got your letter. We'll take care of it." Laughing, Kimmel said, "Oh my God, the Bat-Signal works!"
The congresswoman hasn't yet responded to this latest chapter in the Kimmel-Greene conflict. Perhaps she's checking to see if any of the Avengers are available.