‘The View’ Ducks the Kimmel Controversy, Amplifies Detested Harris Instead

The crew at ‘The View’ recurrently declined to comment regarding the controversial suspension of their ABC colleague Jimmy Kimmel. The issue happened two days ago and they’ve maintained an unbroken silence ever since. Their Friday’s shows, usually recorded on prior Thursdays, were not an exception. This week, their performance exhibited a similar pattern where they chose to disregard the Kimmel situation, leaving viewers and fans in a state of unending anticipation.

Furthermore, Fridays at ‘The View’ are marked by the absence of Whoopi Goldberg, their prestigious moderator. The panel, therefore, lacks the usual flare it carries with Goldberg’s presence during the rest of the week. This, however, does not seem to curtail the hosts’ pseudo-political discussions that run short on depth.

Surprisingly, a large fraction of the conversation revolved around the startling admissions from the previous Vice President, Kamala Harris’ fresh-off-the-press book. Harris, whose tenure has been marred by doubt and criticism, with her book, was pathetically attempting to paint a positive or even mediocre light of her capacity to handle the office.

The hosts didn’t bring up the Kimmel affair, even as Joy Behar initiated her tonally inappropriate ‘Comedy Corner’ segment. A feeble attempt to divert attention, Joy started off with her jibe, ‘I don’t know about you, but I’ve never needed a laugh more than I have in these last few months.’, clearly sidestepping the elephant in the room.

During this ‘Comedy Corner’, they presented Andy Huggins, an aged humorist with over forty years of experience in the field. Presumably, the hosts believed that comedic diversion could help diminish audience curiosity regarding the Kimmel catastrophe. The scapegoat for this awkward situation was Huggins, who still did remain rightful to his comedic reputation despite the blatant misuse.

The silence on Kimmel was more perplexing considering his suspension was due to some inappropriately politicized comments following the tragic incidence of Charlie Kirk’s demise. Kimmel implied the MAGA’s followers were trying to falsely paint a picture of a killer as alien, to distance themselves from the calamity while also seizing it to gain political mileage. He thus became a casualty of his loose cannon comedy approach and received a suspension as his ‘participation prize.’

But the narrative around Kirk had its complications. Despite his cruel end, it was known that Kirk held a rather controversial stand on free speech. His belief that free speech granted one the liberty to spew hate without any real consequence was a perspective that drew criticism. His social media feeds were often a testament to his overtly aggressive and offensive rhetoric.

In a social media post back in 2024, he stated ‘There’s ugly speech. There’s gross speech. There’s evil speech. And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment.’ A stance held by him, it overlooks the fine balance between freedom to speak and freedom from harm that the First Amendment is supposed to support.

A closer study of the situation reveals an undeniable paradox that both the network and the hosts of ‘The View’ found themselves in. On one hand, they had Kimmel’s controversial commentary on the one hand, and silence imposed on ‘The View’ as a reaction to public sentiment on the other.

Despite being fully aware of the continuous probe into the matter, the hosts refrained from revealing any vested interests or affiliations to the viewers. Their focus on the already criticized Kamala Harris and her revelations, supported their inclination towards a particular narrative, which begs the question, whose viewpoint are ‘The View’ hosts truly representing?

Contrary to public expectation, the entire Kimmel incident got sidelined amidst the poorly veiled political endorsements made by the hosts. This selective approach to storytelling demonstrates the evident bias in the narrative formed by ‘The View’.

Ultimately, Kimmel’s incident casts a cloud of suspicion over celebrity behavior and the extent of their influence in an age heralded by expressions of free speech and information democracy. While it is necessary to question Kimmel’s murky remarks, it is equally important to question the purposeful avoidance of the topic by fellow hosts at a popular show like ‘The View’.

The ‘View’ panel this week failed to perform their duty of informing viewers about all aspects of the situation, instead showing clear bias by centering the discussion around the unpopular Kamala Harris and purposely avoiding discussing Kimmel. The protectionist stance is not reflective of the transparency and freedom we believe is the media’s responsibility in today’s age.

By putting a comedic spin on their Friday episode, ‘The View’ hosts left their audience, seeking clarity on Kimmel, in the dark. This careful filtering of topics in an effort to propagate a particular narrative paints a dismal picture of the state of free speech and non-partisan broadcasting in today’s media landscape.