Getting Off The Couch

For the 1st Amendment

Yesterday. My Monday Morning.

After unplugging from Disney+ on Sunday, yesterday morning I wrote snail mail to Bob Iger, Dana Walden and the CEOs of Nexstar, Sinclar and Brendan Carr (FCC).

I also went to KTLA (Nexstar affiliate) website looked to see who was advertising and saw it was T-Mobile. I wrote to the CEO in Bellevue Washington. I used part of my friend Jessica Craven’s note to Iger about how it is not too late to do the right thing and that collaborators are always remembered.

I then hopped on the La Brea bus to get to a protest I heard was happening on Hollywood Blvd across the street from the El Capitan, where Jimmy shoots his show. It turned out to be a press conference with Laura Friedman, Ted Lieu, other congress peeps along with union reps and with super local electeds like Hugo (City Council) and County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath (great speech).

It was hotter than hell.

At one point a media helicopter was above us making all kinds of noise and that’s when Brad Sherman said to the reporters that it was a Fox News Helicopter using the freedom of the 1st amendment. Then within seconds…kid you not, the helicopter flew off. I guess Fox didn’t like getting called out.

An hour later I was in the Roosevelt Bar across the street having lunch with fellow activists (who I just met) when we saw the announcement that Kimmel is coming back. I am happy for everyone at Kimmel. I am also happy for our country that Disney heard their brand crashing. All that stock being sold and people unplugging perhaps got to them. Perhaps.

Sinclair has said they will not carry Kimmel and Nexstar said they are still talking to Disney. I do not think we need a hideous large merger of channels. But we’ll see what that all looks like going forward.

Also, this one felt personal, because I was a writer in late night tv both Letterman and Leno. I was the first woman staff writer in the history of the Tonight Show. I said to a reporter yesterday, “When I was working on those shows we did Clinton and Bush jokes all the time. They never tried to cancel us. In fact in 1997 I remember my future mother in law was surprised when I said I was a Democrat, she thought I was a Republican.” Late night writers are often jaundiced about politics since we write jokes about whoever is in power. I guess I read GOP.

Anyway, I have my fears we could be back to a 1st amendment fight again but in the meantime, thank god enough of us got off the couch.

I ended with a foot massage and Sunset Foot Spa. Because you know, this shit is hard work.