Jimmy Kimmel made a political impact by avoiding the “smarty-pants” approach of other talk show hosts

Vulture

Other talk show hosts frequently tackle politics. But as Matt Zoller Seitz, points out, “none have had the impact of Kimmel, an anti-hipster whose aesthetic is more Steve Allen than John Oliver, and who talks like a peppier Eeyore.” Seitz adds that “it’s those four factors in combination — his self-deprecating attitude, his informed-amateur status, his past avoidance of political opinions, and his wrenching personal story — that make him so effective. That, and his natural gift for communication.” Seitz says other late-night hosts, and even the “American left,” should study Kimmel’s methods. “Kimmel,” Seitz says, “parried every blow that came his way, from politicians, Fox News personalities, and anonymous tweeters. Much of the time, he employed a sort of Will Rogers approach, staring into the camera and firing off perfectly calibrated one-liners in a faintly exasperated tone that was miles removed from the smarty-pants verbal volleys of Colbert, Bee, Oliver, Noah, and Meyers. The latter wear their center-left credentials like armor and lead with puffed-out chests. As a result, even when their material is clever and their delivery brisk, they end up preaching to the converted. None of them have Kimmel’s organic defensive shield of beer-and-barbecue averageness, which conservative icons from Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly to Kid Rock and the Duck Dynasty crew — one percenters all — treat as their own ideological Batman capes.”

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