Tune in Saturday September 20th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
Phone #: 844-686-5863
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Friday, 19 September 2025
Thursday, 18 September 2025
Re-Jimmy Kimmel
So long Bob. You just don't get it. Which is mind-blowing, you're a smart guy.
I'm a long time listener and subscriber.
You are so far left of where the country is. It's sad.
YOU are just as bad as Kimmel. Every bit as hateful.
I've read all of your political commentary for far too long. One sided.
Your side is hemorrhaging because of its disrespect for the will of the people.
How do you not see this ??
Too much Californication I suppose.
Gregg Quinn
__________________________________
RFK, Jr.in charge of the CDC is truly scary. I was working in a nursing home during covid and we lost 53 residents, lost a lot on the floors I worked. The vaccine was the major reason more did not die. We had lots of vaccine skeptics at work and of course they got all their info from the internet. I was incredulous that we saw all those people die and staff would say oh it was probably something else they died from!!
I use to mention the eradication of polio due to vaccines but they weren't interested in the facts. They did their research and everyone was wrong except them.
Because I worked at a nursing home I got my flu vaccine every year to protect myself but more importantly the residents, same reason I got the covid vaccine.
Doug Gillis
__________________________________
Very well said, Bob. I'm Brazilian, and here we had Bolsonaro, a "prototype" of Trump — a moron who attacked science, mixed religion with politics, advocated for arming the population, was corrupt, and simply allowed 400,000 Brazilians to die from COVID due to a lack of vaccines (and he even campaigned against vaccination and promoted the use of medications with no scientific proof). Bolsonaro also tried to stage a coup, but fortunately, he failed and is now in prison. I hope he stays there for a long time, because we've already had a dictatorship in this country, and despite the persecution and torture back then, there are still many people defending that kind of thing (of course, because they assume they won't be the ones being persecuted).
It's very sad to see everything that's happening in the US. I have a sister and friends who live there, and I'm well aware of all the absurd things that this lunatic is doing. From the outside, smart people can see that the fate of your country — if it keeps going down this path — is the worst possible: skyrocketing inflation, unpayable foreign debt, rising poverty, political persecution, attacks on science... in other words, a regression of about 100 years. I hope you're able to stop this in time, otherwise you'll soon find yourselves back in the Middle Ages.
Good luck!
Flavio Marchesin
__________________________________
Where was outrage when ABC canceled Roseanne from the show she created and helped earn the network millions upon millions? Where was the outrage when Fox News kicked Tucker Carlson to the curb over his Dominion remarks while he was riding the top of the cable news ratings?
Kimmel wasn't canceled for making a political joke. He incensed ABC affiliates by stating the Kirk shooter was actually a MAGA gun loving Republican - which is patently FALSE. Robinson was a radicalized leftist who made his politics known to friends, family and the online world who hated conservatives like Kirk. Robinson was in a relationship and living with a transgender who was transitioning.
This isn't about a comedian making a political joke. This is about someone with Kimmel's platform making an outrageously false statement that millions of people would likely believe because they trust in what their TV tells them.
Patrick McOwen in Philadelphia
(Note: This is a false equivalency, Roseanne offended/touched the third rail of race whilst offending religion at the same time. Referring to Valerie Jarrett he said: "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.")
__________________________________
Are you guys against cancel culture now?
Thank you,
Diane Baca
__________________________________
"even the Cato Institute said Republicans commit more political violence than Democrats."
—um as did DOJ:
"DOJ deletes report on far-right violence after Kirk assassination":
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/truth-or-fake/20250917-us-justice-dept-quietly-deletes-own-study-that-found-far-right-extremism-as-top-terror-threat
sofu_gan
__________________________________
Delusional
Eric Beck
__________________________________
Jimmy Kimmel is a commercial entity
He can say whatever he wants. If those that support his art or creativity want to make a business decision they're allowed to do that too.
Jacob R. Strumwasser
__________________________________
Just GRASPING at those straws.
Wow, the anger is strong in you, it's never as good as you think and it's never as bad,
Don't worry be happy.
Julien Jorgensen
__________________________________
This is BULLSH*T!
What's next, musicians change lyrics so as not to offend and lose a huge percent of venue potential because the president is squeezing the balls of the corporate man?
The extent this continues is chilling indeed.
Free speech my ass!
Marc Mcdonald in Boston
__________________________________
Since you ask How about me Bob.. I merely ignore your hate speech because you still have merit and purpose for your insights in music and the important industry that supports it. Why you keep trying to become a political pundit is unfortunate.
jb
__________________________________
My stand is that this piece is riddled with "Bob's bollocks". So full of inaccuracies and divisive exaggerations and fabrications. To be ignored.
Adam Howell
__________________________________
Apparently there was a very small group of people out protesting his suspension. If only he had said something negative about Palestine- then there would have been a much larger crowd! It's one of the many disappointments I have in the left - they can't mobilize against authoritarianism in our own country, where we can actually do something, but have no problem drawing crowds against Israel.
Best,
Michael Cantor
__________________________________
Mr. Lefsetz, it would appear that Mr. Kimmel picked the wrong hill to make his last stand on and his employers obliged him.
Jerry Redmond.
__________________________________
We've had political disputes for more than 200 years. Today is different.
Since 1980, the broad 60% middle-class has had HALF their real wealth redistributed into the top 10%, and mostly the top 1%. By policy design. When you continually take from the broad middle and give to a few at the top, it destroys hope. Greater and greater levels of debt, stress, working hours, and increasingly lower quality of life is not a result of "free market economics." This was designed by and for the benefit of very top class.
Those without hope act out in increasingly punitive ways. As America falls deeper and deeper into socioeconomic class-non-linearity, expect social polarization to increase. And at some point, the disaffected masses will realize that their fight against their neighbors was misplaced. The fight, they will realize, is with those who stole from them.
John La Grou
Millennia Media
__________________________________
Roseanne Barr got canceled and her career demolished for twitter comments with no apologies accepted.
Cancel culture is not a new thing.
Alex Jones got sued out of business for his hurting lies.
We have always had limited free speech,
And you are right - I had never heard of Charlie Kirk before and never watched Kimmel or any of the late night shows.
Regards,
Dave Machanick
__________________________________
I, like you, am a 72-year oldster although I have yet to fall down in my front yard (I wish you a speedy 100% recovery). It's too hot here in Phoenix to spend much time out front. I absolutely love the music industry knowledge you share with your loyal readers and look forward to each and every email.
However, your defense of the indefensible like Colbert and The Man Show Jimmy is almost laughable. These spineless waifs couldn't stand up to a real debate on the issues so they just throw off-the-cuff crap out on the airwaves for impressionable blokes like yourself so you'll have something to believe in and fight the mighty fight. You're probably trapsing around your home office today wearing double black armbands to commemorate the unjust treatment of Steve and Jim. The more your put down the Donald, the more power you allow him to have, and this is coming from a person who has greatly disliked Trump since he caused the USFL to fold in the mid-80s.
Oh, and your stance to allow men transformed to women to play in women's sports reveals that you know nothing about sports and certainly never played in a sport, probably not even Little League.
Still, I can happily overlook our differences of opinion and very much look forward to your new insightful music related newsletter. Please take care of yourself; you have unique knowledge and an uncanny ability to share it with your readers.
Mark St. Cyr
__________________________________
I'm in agreement with you but your point will be lost on too many because you didn't acknowledge that what Mr. Kimmel said was insensitive and disrespectful to Mr. Kirk and his family and just a dumb ass thing to say to get a laugh.
Kimmel - who's voice carries little weight - should've been told to apologize and then move on.
But this is the country we live in…. a land where common sense is but a ghost.
Rob Joseph
Columbus OH
__________________________________
I get what you're saying but others might say that MSNBC is a training ground for the far left. So where does it stop? We should be encouraging people to find common ground not promoting more tribalism.
Kind regards,
Mikael Johnston
Mephisto Odyssey
__________________________________
Stick to outing the entertainment industry pedos Bob.
The left only have themselves to blame.
Hasta luego.
John-Paul Greenock
__________________________________
You must live in the same bubble as Kimmel. Your stats are garbage.
John Warden
__________________________________
Let me start by saying that I am not going to unsubscribe from your newsletter just because I might not agree with all your posts, etc...
It is no surprise that this is where we are at with Jimmy Kimmel, but the question that we should be asking ourselves is how we got here and how people like you and -I will use the blanket term- media on the left allowed this to happen. Under the Biden administration censorship was alive and well. Anyone who dared to speak out against the standard narrative vis a vis covid origins or the dangers of the MRNA vax was immediately cancelled. Or look at Canada and the truckers protest. . In fact right now there is a case against the administration Biden versus Berenson and not a single mainstream outlet has reported on it-but I digress. During covid times, I would get into heated discussions and my POV was that it was not ok to silence and go after dissenting points of view. My belief has always been is that the first amendment is the foundation of our democracy, of our country-hence why it is the first amendment. My argument went like this- once we start censoring we go down a slippery slope because when the administration or the politics change the censorships that we disliked under one administration would now shift under a different administration. And voila, look at where we are today. Whether I like or dislike what Kimmel said is irrelevant-you are correct short of shouting fire in a movie theatre he has the right to speak what is on his mind. I have the option to listen, ignore, or counter it. During covid times, polls were conducted and the polls showed that Democrats mostly were ok with limitations on free speech. Now look where we are today-those tables are turned and its the other side censoring. I would like to think that this issue is important enough to transcend bipartisan politics and worth fighting for. I for one know that I will continue to fight for these freedoms even if the battle becomes a lonely one.
Alix Gucovsky
__________________________________
I knew we were in trouble when Idiocracy was re-classified as a documentary instead of a comedy.
People who blame Trump, Harris, Biden, Vance, whoever are missing the point. The problem is that a representative democracy without informed citizens is like running a car without oil. It appears to work for a while, then breaks down.
Of course people voted for Trump. Who wouldn't want lower prices, a golden American age, a revitalized manufacturing sector, reduced inflation, and criminals taken off the streets? Sounds great, until you looked past the façade. With even the most basic knowledge of history and economics, people would realize that targeted, strategic tariffs can be beneficial but anything implemented on a wide scale has, historically and invariably, been disastrous. And history shows what happens when the government messes with the central bank - Turkey, Argentia, Lebanon, Greece, and yes, the US in the early 20th century (which is what led to creating the Fed in the first place). History does repeat itself.
Blue people drag out the Weimar republic's collapse from inflation, only to get hit with "jeez, all you blue people do is bring up Hitler." Well, don't bring up Germany. Bring up Hungary, Zimbabwe, Yugoslavia, Greece, Venezuela, Argentina - the list goes on, and inflation led to everything from a monetary collapse to civil war. So no, you don't want the Fed to lower interest rates to goose the housing market and reduce the amount paid on the national debt, because history shows unambiguously what happens when you do that.
The only way out is an actively engaged citizenry, but the definition of "actively engaged" is not scrolling through social media. That's people disengaging while they con themselves into believing they're engaged.
So, we're cooked. Sorry. I don't know whether what's next is waiting in line for our ration of beans and chicken, or pitchforks and riots, but history implies it'll be one or the other. I recommend you write, ski, enjoy Fe, read, watch cool shows, and listen to music. You can't change people, blue or red, who don't want to change. As for me, I'll be dead in a few years anyway, so this is all of academic interest. Meanwhile, my kid's learning Korean, and it's not as a hobby.
Craig Anderton
__________________________________
I guess nobody remembers Rosanne getting ousted from her own show. Tucker Carlson getting booted from the station he lifted into the zeitgeist Fox News, and I could go on and on. Why is it when it happens to the opposite side (regardless of where it starts) they cry "foul ball"! Government was inherently imbued with the passion and foresight of a snail and painfully behind to make no big moves suddenly BUT now government is like playing ping pong going left and right and right and left and requiring faster and stronger neck muscles to keep up. All fine and dandy but what happens in ping pong when you take down the net? Chaos!!
Peter Sallis
(Not: It has been well-documented that Rupert Murdoch fired Tucker Carlson because he believed he was too big for his britches/uncontrollable...it had nothing to do with any criticism by Democrats.)
__________________________________
If Kimmel had spoken the truth and not lied on national television he probably would still be on. Even ABC said whoa, this guy's lying and pulled the plug. If they felt he was at all telling the truth they would've kept him on regardless of the sale. Even the left wing MSM knows a lie when they see one.
This has nothing to do with free speech other than he was free to say what he did, lies and all, and ABC which owns the platform was free to take him off. There's nothing to see here Bob.
Chip H. Boston, MA
__________________________________
There are actually multiple exceptions to the First Amendment: incitement, fraud, true threats, defamation, CSAM, speech integral to criminal conduct, etc. There are also a handful of stupid exceptions that shouldn't be in place, namely obscenity and fighting words.
And guess what: NONE of what Kimmel said fell into any of these exceptions.
Principled First Amendment activists actually took issue with the Biden admin pressuring social media during COVID - that's a practice called "jawboning," and today, Trump's totalitarian FCC did a far more brazen version of it.
The government should NOT be putting pressure on private actors to censor speech it doesn't like. I know a lot of my conservative friends have been taking issue with their side being called "fascist," but with all due respect to them, it's hard to refute that label when your President is doing everything in his power to prove it right.
Some may think that this is divisive rhetoric that led to Kirk's horrific killing, but I would rebut that by saying that saying mean things about someone you like isn't incitement, but free speech.
Happy Constitution Day, Bob.
Garrett Gravley
__________________________________
Your an absolute clown… go back and watch the Kimmel clip when he commented on tucker Carlson being fired from fox -
Your a trust baby and we all know it
Paul Erikkson
__________________________________
I just canceled my Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ subscriptions. The only way to combat Corporate-aided fascism, and make no mistake, that's what this is, is with your wallet. It's the only language they listen to.
Jordan Berliant
__________________________________
Doing my part.
Tonight I've canceled:
Disney
DisneyPlus
Hulu
paramount plus
And will no longer watch any:
@CBS or @abc
F*ck around with viewers and you find out you're not getting our money.
Robert Pisaneschi
__________________________________
Bob, in order for the masses (me) to take a stand, we need leaders. So far the leaders are organizing weekend protests. Fine, I've gone to a few and I'll show up again at No King's Day in October. But weekend protests aren't going to overthrow a dictator. If you look at countries where real change happened (or in some cases was squashed or petered out but...) you'll see that people took the streets in ways that disrupted the economy. But look at what's happened to people who dare to speak out against Kirk and Trump on their private social media... FIRED! (Remember the woman on the bike who flipped off Trump's limo in his first term and was fired? Seems long ago and almost quaint compared to where we are now.) I don't see Americans at the point yet, or even close to it, where they are going to take to the streets and risk their livelihood. Maybe because the economy isn't bad enough. Maybe because Americans don't have it in them. Certainly because corporate America actually doesn't give a rat's ass about anything other than their bottom line. But this is really, really, really bad, where we are and where we are heading.
Over the weekend I did something weird... I pulled up Peter, Paul, and Mary on Qobuz and listened to them for awhile. That was another era. We had the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War to protest about, but there was also a strong current of idealism. I don't think there is much idealism today, more cynicism and a feeling that the future doesn't hold much promise. I feel sorry for my 20-something kids.
Tom Moore
Fairfax, VA
__________________________________
Disney made the call on Kimmel. They don't want to deal with the political blowback of him saying things like "The shooter was probably MAGA"?? That doesn't even make sense. Kirk was MAGA lol.
As for censorship & "cancel culture", that became a thing with the far left Woke crowd long before all of this started. The problem with Woke was/is, it's authoritarian. Authoritarian & liberal can't mutually co-exist. It's a toxic, co-dependent relationship.
As a Gen X'er, when we were growing up liberal meant freedom of speech, expression & choice. Now it's all those things (AS LONG AS THE WOKE CROWD APPROVES)??
The world has inverted. The stuffy conservatives who wanted to cram morals & ethics down our throats back then are now the Woke bullies on the left. And let's face it, no one likes a bully. That's why woke failed.
But don't believe me. Just ask yourself, where's their Charlie Kirk? Oh that's right, they don't have one. Why is that? I think we all know, but that'd be a bitter "red pill" of objective reality to swallow.
Most people would rather take their daily blue pill of subjective reality. It's way more comforting. And as the wokesters would say, it gives them the "feel-good feels".
-Rick Marino
__________________________________
This is not a free speech issue and as a lawyer you must know that. The first amendment prevents the government from restricting expression. It does not protect anyone from getting fired for saying things at work that piss off their boss. Enough people have been fired for saying the wrong thing to show that.
Jimmy Kimmel was free to say what he did and he is free to say it again. But when you are a highly paid star on a show with a committed but paltry audience you do have to tread a bit carefully with your comments inside and out of your place of work.
From Andrew Harting
__________________________________
Jesus, Bob!
Are we living in the same Universe?
Jim Edmonston
__________________________________
Stephen Miller is quite possibly the worst person who has ever held a position of political power in this country. He is a monster and a sociopath, and he deserves to go to prison for the rest of his life.
JD Vance and Mango Mussolini-- yes I am referring to POTUS, but I refuse to write or speak that asshat's name-- are both a close second. They are terrible, terrible, evil people who care only for themselves and their pursuit of money and power.
USE MY NAME!!!!!!
Beth Hardy McLennan
__________________________________
I appreciate today's Jimmy Kimmel post and defending what's happening. While I don't agree with everything you've written, hell I was a republican as recently as 10 months ago (but refused to vote for Trump), what's happened since January - the chilling effect you highlight - scares the hell out of me.
And I can't imagine voting for a single republican again after what they've done in 8 months.
Alex Armbruster
__________________________________
It pains me greatly to have to defend Jimmy Kimmel of all people. The most unfunny, sanctimonious person around. Free speech is protected from the government. Corporations have to determine on a daily basis whether this juice is worth the squeeze. Business decisions are not protected in the same fashion. AOC, Chuck Schumer and Jimmy himself have reminded us of this over the years.
AOC telles Jen Psaki that broadcast TV is subject to federal regulation and can and should pull people off the air that say inciting things:
https://x.com/mazemoore/status/1968490974449176840
Chuck Schumer says Rupert Murdoch needs to take Tucker Carlson off the air for the things he says:
https://x.com/WesternLensman/status/1968519104022577264
Jimmy Kimmel celebrates Tucker's firing from Fox (a true Chef's Kiss):
https://x.com/ellen83378675/status/1968517971325714759
Disney fired Gina Carano for her personal social media posts - and herein lies the distinction. She sued and Disney settled, primarily because Disney conflated her personal opinions with her work responsibilities. And ABC cancelled 'Roseanne" after tweets about Valarie Jarrett. I'm sure you were up in arms about that incident as well.
Kimmel chose to use Disney's platform for his personal opinions, specifically highlighting that the shooter was a MAGA disciple. As AOC stated, broadcast TV is subject to federal regulation. If Kimmel really has a case, he can sue Disney like Carano did. And if we are being honest, Kimmel's 1.5mm viewers weren't paying the bills. Disney likely saw this termination as a way to look oppressed while getting rid of a non performing asset - a win-win.
Lastly, to try and compare outcomes from Kirk and Kimmel is disingenuous at best. One got assassinated by a guy who had sex with furries and the other got fired. Kimmel is not enough of a threat to anyone. If he were, he could hang out his own shingle and attract a significant following. Kirk, on the other hand, went out with a microphone and encouraged any and all to debate him. Agree with him or not, at least he had the balls to do it in the public square against what the elite would call the up and coming best and brightest - our university-schooled populus. Kimmel operated in an echo chamber. He had the bullhorn of network media and couldn't outdraw anyone of consequence. His reach would be even less on his own.
Tim Schuler
__________________________________
I sit here in Las Vegas, visiting my American relatives, Fox News on all day long.
They're good people, really they are, they've been incredibly generous with us, but it breaks my heart they can't see the world with logic and reasoning.
They can't see that the precedent being set will visit them negatively sooner than later.
They rail at the tv, cussing when they see Obama make reasoned logical comments about the situation.
They say Kimmel deserves it, but isn't this whole issue about free speech. Isn't that what Kirk said he was fighting for, free speech.
Isn't Kimmel entitled to that same free speech? Kirk, his supporters would say, died for free speech. Kimmel's (and Kirk's) right for free speech. Not just Kirk's, not just Trump's, not just my free speech.
Eventually an opposing politician will be elected POTUS and eventually that new POTUS may well use all the new 'normal' and new 'norms' in a way that may make Trump look tame in comparison.
It isn't all about today. It is all about tomorrow.
What do these people expect?
I'm intentionally optimistic, but I look to the USA at times with, almost, tears in my eyes.
That shining city on the hill doesn't look so shiny anymore…
Steve F.
__________________________________
But this line has me laughing...
To the point where if anybody e-mails me something anti-Trump they say not to use their name.
Do you know how many people have had to keep quiet about being pro-Trump in the world? Because they're worried about their contemporaries or whatever. I have friends on both sides. I'm not pro anybody. I call out sh*t when I see it. I think most of this stuff is a joke And I think you know that it is, the giant annoying one. But you always lean one side Bob and I get that but you have to see the irony in that statement right now. I know you pay attention enough to see it And now all of a sudden the script gets flipped, and that's suddenly a problem?
I love this world and the ridiculousness that ensues. It will never change. Cuz we are human. I appreciate you very much for when we see eye to eye and especially when we don't. Cuz you make me think
All the best
Joe Kramer
__________________________________
I don't see conservative radio getting rid of their people who spew far more dangerous rhetoric than anything Kimmel said.
Loren Parkins
__________________________________
100%
Even if Kimmel has a small viewership on TV, he has to have bigger numbers on YouTube where people go to watch his monologue.
This is a very scary and chilling time in this country. On a lot of fronts.
Alison Auerbach
__________________________________
You nailed it. The soybean farmers are going broke. Small businesses are getting killed with customs and brokerage charges for small international orders (under $800 used to be cleared for no additional fees, until Trump changed that a few weeks ago). Free speech is under threat every single day.
Toby Mamis
__________________________________
In fact, I'm boycotting all Disney products, and I also refuse to accept or buy any product with any Disney character on it until I can see that that little mouse has some balls ~
As far as I'm concerned, Jimmy Kimmel is my Charlie Kirk ~
RS
__________________________________
Jimmy brought it on himself. He is obviously surrounded by clueless people who live in a vacuum. He exercised his right of free speech—no law against being an ass-hole or being a liar.. But there are consequences. I hope it was worth it. Jimmy has given ABC a gift. His show is bombing like Colbert's.. Now that ABC has a late-night slot open to find something better, they can try a few things out. It's as Winston Church Hill said. "Never Let a Good Crisis go to Waste," and later, Rahm Emanuel.
David May
__________________________________
Whether or not Kimmel should've been fired is between him, ABC and the networks that syndicate his show. I stopped watching him years ago when he became inflicted with severe Trump derangement syndrome. I used to watch him every night, but his stupidity and hyper partisanship got to be unbearable. As for what he said about Kirk's shooter being one of the right's own, it was somewhat shocking to hear him say that, because all of the evidence and basic common sense said otherwise. I think he unfortunately got caught up in the left-wing propaganda campaign that tried to paint the killer as a right winger to deflect attention away from the left, as the left had been hammered pretty hard by Republicans after the shooting. But nobody with common sense bought that propaganda, except for loyal followers of the left. Kimmel probably should've just kept his mouth shut, but I don't think he can help himself. He's had a sick obsession with Trump and Republicans for years and takes every opportunity he can to disparage them. As a former fan, it was sad to see him go from running an entertaining nightly talk show, to basically a political hack. I'm not sure what's next for him, but hopefully he'll take a lesson away from the fact that he lost likely half his audience in the last 10 years because of his partisanship.
tonycor1
__________________________________
"At what point does the public stand up and say NO MAS!"
They don't. The time to stand up was when the left started down this road.
How does it feel to now be on the other side of it?
Brendon Wood
__________________________________
Protest in the street? It'll be one and done. Stop watching football on Saturday and Sunday? Now that's going to hurt ABC and CBS.
Drew Robertson
__________________________________
Glad to see Kimmel go. His comments were out of line.
Joe Zalescik
__________________________________
What kind of stand are you taking Bob? For a liar and against a murder victim? Ok. I'll still read your stuff and hope you stay focused on the business you know well and not this kind of bullsh*t.
Michael Weintraub
__________________________________
We are no longer waiting for authoritarianism we are in the thick of it. To play to Trump's fragile ego King Charles threw him a parade. Smart. Make him feel like a king while the world laughs at him. Flattery will get you everywhere with this endlessly needy, miserable lout. Here? Just a bunch of cowardly collaborators in shutting down dissent: Bezos, Cook, Zuckerberg, Disney, ABC, Paramount, CBS, MSNBC, Columbia, Wash Po, Paul Weiss, etc. He'll see you're weak and just come down on you harder and you'll rue the day. That's what bullies do. Everything he touches dies, how do you not know that by now? The cruelest and stupidest are in charge. Pathetic. Show some f*cking spine before it all disappears. Sh*ttiest time to be an American in my lifetime.
Mitch Tenzer
__________________________________
I don't stand with you and I feel you are out of touch with many things! Some you are in touch with! I used to be a democrat and I switched to republican and I have watched the democrats stir up and agitate people like no time in my life! All they do is speak of violence and canceling people! Now that Kirk is dead they are celebrating ad nauseam and are getting cancelled and they do t like it! It's about time! There are plenty people I don't like or can't stand nor do I wish for their death! The left for the most part are unhinged!
All the best to you! We all need to govern ourselves accordingly!
Regards,
Jack Berman
__________________________________
I agree 100% . How can Kilmeade still be on FOX after hr suggested that a solution would be killing all the homeless by lethal injections but Kimmel gets cancelled? We are officially living in an authoritarian regime. FCC chair Brendan Carr sounded mob like in his comments "We can do it this easy way or the hard way….Kimmel must go."
I am actually scared .. I know a lot of incredible people in the TV community that have just been given notice. ( Colbert staff) and others that were at work today on Kimmel as they heard the news there would be no show tonight or in the future. What can we do? The midterms seem so far away. #StandWithKimmel. #RemoveTrump. Xxx Gigi Shapiro
Jack Berman I see your point Bob, but Kimmel could've waited a little while before saying what he said. Or he could've expressed more sympathy and condolences and then added in his piece in a more compassionate manner. People are already pissed off, and they've been pissed off for a long time now. This is not about the economy but society and culture. So why didn't Jimmy try to help? Anyone who knows Kimmel knows what his point of view is. He knew he'd cause trouble by antagonizing. But I'm sure he thought it was something he had to do... Let's see how that works out...
//Agostino Scafidi
__________________________________
The roots of this go back perhaps even further, to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, signed, ironically by President Bill Clinton.
Before the bill, companies could own no more than 12 television stations or 20 AM and 20 FM, though I'm not sure who'd want to buy an AM these days.
Nexstar Media Group owns or partners with more than 200
stations in 116 U.S. markets, reaching 220 million people. Nexstar is the largest local television broadcasting group in the United States. In August, Nexstar announced its intent to acquire the media company Tegna.
If that $6.2 billion acquisition is completed, Nexstar would own a combined total of 265 stations, serving 80% of U.S. TV households. Heaven forbid a late night comic with a small, but loyal following get in the way of said merger.
It's the law of unintended consequences.
Now, my son is urging me to cancel my Disney+ subscription.
What a dilemma. Hulu, ESPN.
I might just have to buck up and send ABC/Disney a message. Where's Bob Iger in all this?
-Steve Leventhal
Jack Berman Some clarification:
"That was the criticism of the Biden administration, it stifled free speech.". More accurately, it was one criticism, and it didn't stifle free speech ,it violated the first amendment. Twitter files.
"We can debate the right choice in the future, but this was a unique situation, Covid...none of the populace had experienced a pandemic, and isn't the first obligation of the federal government to protect its citizens?" That we agree...unfortunately instead they protected their corrupt corporate campaign supports, BigHarma.
"Well, if you follow the RFK, Jr. b.s... Sure, RFK, Jr. is entitled to spew his anti-vaccine crap, as long as he doesn't inflict this garbage upon the public at large." Well perhaps you can do a better job than Suzanne did at yesterday's Senate hearing to explain the rationale for giving ALL newborns a Hepatitis jab?
"Most of the older generations had never even heard of the guy! As for college students..." Correct, I may have heard his name, but never heard his opinions.
"Generation Lab polled 1,030 students, and found out 94% had heard of Kirk. As for their opinion of his views... 70% said they "strongly disagree" or "somewhat disagree," while only; 30% said they agreed. (This info is from Puck, the article is behind a paywall...)". You may have missed this poll, 88% of students feel compelled to adopt a progressive facade. Our so-called best and brightest, the vast majority of college students in our nation's top universities, willingly give up their values to conform. Sad. There will be far fewer Rosa Parks, Oskar Schindler, MLK Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Maximilian Kolbe, Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, in our future. Rather we are raising a great number of legacy media journalists, cable news anchors, corporate lobbyists, captured scientists, corrupt intelligence agents, amoral corporate leaders and untrustworthy politicians (but I repeat myself).
https://washingtonstand.com/article/the-cost-of-conformity-study-reveals-88-of-students-feel-compelled-to-adopt-progressive-facade?fbclid=IwY2xjawM5EAJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHjHcuO7sqvuNrrCTBxqCVon-GOgOTS8M54X9i0_dkxnogE7BaMOjwS3shAgM_aem_Vj3405QsDQplmZMrBuba9Q
"If I have to listen to his crap, how come Jimmy Kimmel can't blow back?" Of course he can...but there are consequences for your speech. Those that celebrate murder and call for other targets should be shunned. Jimmy's problem is that he hasn't been funny for years, take it from someone that refused to be jabbed and heard about his degrading comments of those refusing a mandated experimental medical treatment even for those with natural immunity and those with little or no risk. Sorry Wheezie...
"The tariffs are killing our economy." There are plenty of issues killing our economy, tariffs is not one of them...stick to your expertise, the music industry.
"As for Kimmel, he's now become a martyr.". That illustrates the sad state of one wing of the uniparty.
I don't agree with your political views, but there are few political views on either side I agree with. However, I enjoy reading them, as I enjoy reading the NYT, WaPo and especially the comments from their readers, as it provides a view of the positions for those on one each side of the political spectrum.
Keep trucking.
Ed Kelly
__________________________________
It's a delicate line for those of us who are not citizens (just Green Card holders)
- Anonymous!
__________________________________
It's clear the liberal woke mind-virus has taken full control of your brain. A little at first, here and there — and then all at once. It's a total takeover. A complete cave-in. A consumption so complete there is little doubt as to what has happened to you and your so-called letter. Which apparently is dwindling subscribers with every new missive as you seemingly attempt to dig out of a hole so deep the bottom is now closer than the top. You are clearly back on your heels, always scoffing and complaining about sour grapes. The position of the left has become pretty much indefensible on most issues and anything having to do with good policy. Toxic empathy. Out of control rabid "humanitarianism" without regard to downstream consequences. Blind handouts. Why work for it when we will give it away?
No, Bob, I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of unsubscribing. It's too delicious, too predictable. Too entertaining, just perhaps not the way you want it to be. Your voice gets weaker and weaker, your message less compelling, logic less integral. Reduced to a state of a high pitched whine. You've successfully curated an audience of acolytes and robots. And you've done yourself no favors. I would be willing to guess your current subscribers are half of what they were at the peak before you became a sage political analyst. How is that working out for ya? Pontificating to a bunch of yes-men and women who agree with everything you write. Wow, what an important and incisive hard hitting cultural service you provide.
Kimmel is a toxic a-hole who has become so unlikeable and unfunny over the years it's an astonishing downfall. The real reason he's off the air has nothing to do with his callous off-putting and misguided remarks about Kirk. The real reason is that he is performing in a vacuum. He's irrelevant and his ratings SUCK. And the TV brass know this. Just one more self-important unfunny and irrelevant insufferable boring late night jackass pretending he's cutting edge and the voice of our times. NOT. The level of tone-deaf self-delusion is truly astonishing.
Anyway I'll stick it out. I won't abandon ship. I'll suck it up and keep this masachostic dance in motion.
Seth is next.
andy lavalle
__________________________________
The thing is Bob, while you may be known for your pithy insights into the music business and it's parallel universes that include cinema and even a good chunk of the art world, in my view, your political commentary is unique and very interesting; you observations stand out in a sea of other, and sometimes very learned, opinions.
I for one hope you carry on with the social and political commentary. Let's face it, the music business is over. The halcyon days of 50s& 60s Jazz is in the record books and now Rock is in the rearview mirror, and god knows what this is that we're listening to on the radio — well perhaps not a table radio made of bakelite, but you know what I mean.
I responded to a well known promoter of a beloved festival, when he asked me what I thought about his upcoming annual event, that it reminded me of a civil war reenactment; they're wearing my old clothes, they're playing my old instruments, they're singing all of my old songs. We didn't speak for months.
Anyway, thank you for your commentary and yes, having Kimmel swept out the door was surprising but in a way totally expected because of the way ownerships and ownership vectors overlap one another. Late stage capitalism reaching its unavoidable conclusion. We are so f*cked.
Thx
Dave Dalzell
__________________________________
The right has been the victim of cancer culture for years and now the tables have turned. It's really that simple.
Thanks,
Ernie Canadeo
__________________________________
And you just lost one more subscriber, good riddance.
Funktion808
__________________________________
Colbert. Kimmel.
You're next. And that's not exaggeration.
Jeffrey Oster
I'm a long time listener and subscriber.
You are so far left of where the country is. It's sad.
YOU are just as bad as Kimmel. Every bit as hateful.
I've read all of your political commentary for far too long. One sided.
Your side is hemorrhaging because of its disrespect for the will of the people.
How do you not see this ??
Too much Californication I suppose.
Gregg Quinn
__________________________________
RFK, Jr.in charge of the CDC is truly scary. I was working in a nursing home during covid and we lost 53 residents, lost a lot on the floors I worked. The vaccine was the major reason more did not die. We had lots of vaccine skeptics at work and of course they got all their info from the internet. I was incredulous that we saw all those people die and staff would say oh it was probably something else they died from!!
I use to mention the eradication of polio due to vaccines but they weren't interested in the facts. They did their research and everyone was wrong except them.
Because I worked at a nursing home I got my flu vaccine every year to protect myself but more importantly the residents, same reason I got the covid vaccine.
Doug Gillis
__________________________________
Very well said, Bob. I'm Brazilian, and here we had Bolsonaro, a "prototype" of Trump — a moron who attacked science, mixed religion with politics, advocated for arming the population, was corrupt, and simply allowed 400,000 Brazilians to die from COVID due to a lack of vaccines (and he even campaigned against vaccination and promoted the use of medications with no scientific proof). Bolsonaro also tried to stage a coup, but fortunately, he failed and is now in prison. I hope he stays there for a long time, because we've already had a dictatorship in this country, and despite the persecution and torture back then, there are still many people defending that kind of thing (of course, because they assume they won't be the ones being persecuted).
It's very sad to see everything that's happening in the US. I have a sister and friends who live there, and I'm well aware of all the absurd things that this lunatic is doing. From the outside, smart people can see that the fate of your country — if it keeps going down this path — is the worst possible: skyrocketing inflation, unpayable foreign debt, rising poverty, political persecution, attacks on science... in other words, a regression of about 100 years. I hope you're able to stop this in time, otherwise you'll soon find yourselves back in the Middle Ages.
Good luck!
Flavio Marchesin
__________________________________
Where was outrage when ABC canceled Roseanne from the show she created and helped earn the network millions upon millions? Where was the outrage when Fox News kicked Tucker Carlson to the curb over his Dominion remarks while he was riding the top of the cable news ratings?
Kimmel wasn't canceled for making a political joke. He incensed ABC affiliates by stating the Kirk shooter was actually a MAGA gun loving Republican - which is patently FALSE. Robinson was a radicalized leftist who made his politics known to friends, family and the online world who hated conservatives like Kirk. Robinson was in a relationship and living with a transgender who was transitioning.
This isn't about a comedian making a political joke. This is about someone with Kimmel's platform making an outrageously false statement that millions of people would likely believe because they trust in what their TV tells them.
Patrick McOwen in Philadelphia
(Note: This is a false equivalency, Roseanne offended/touched the third rail of race whilst offending religion at the same time. Referring to Valerie Jarrett he said: "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.")
__________________________________
Are you guys against cancel culture now?
Thank you,
Diane Baca
__________________________________
"even the Cato Institute said Republicans commit more political violence than Democrats."
—um as did DOJ:
"DOJ deletes report on far-right violence after Kirk assassination":
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/truth-or-fake/20250917-us-justice-dept-quietly-deletes-own-study-that-found-far-right-extremism-as-top-terror-threat
sofu_gan
__________________________________
Delusional
Eric Beck
__________________________________
Jimmy Kimmel is a commercial entity
He can say whatever he wants. If those that support his art or creativity want to make a business decision they're allowed to do that too.
Jacob R. Strumwasser
__________________________________
Just GRASPING at those straws.
Wow, the anger is strong in you, it's never as good as you think and it's never as bad,
Don't worry be happy.
Julien Jorgensen
__________________________________
This is BULLSH*T!
What's next, musicians change lyrics so as not to offend and lose a huge percent of venue potential because the president is squeezing the balls of the corporate man?
The extent this continues is chilling indeed.
Free speech my ass!
Marc Mcdonald in Boston
__________________________________
Since you ask How about me Bob.. I merely ignore your hate speech because you still have merit and purpose for your insights in music and the important industry that supports it. Why you keep trying to become a political pundit is unfortunate.
jb
__________________________________
My stand is that this piece is riddled with "Bob's bollocks". So full of inaccuracies and divisive exaggerations and fabrications. To be ignored.
Adam Howell
__________________________________
Apparently there was a very small group of people out protesting his suspension. If only he had said something negative about Palestine- then there would have been a much larger crowd! It's one of the many disappointments I have in the left - they can't mobilize against authoritarianism in our own country, where we can actually do something, but have no problem drawing crowds against Israel.
Best,
Michael Cantor
__________________________________
Mr. Lefsetz, it would appear that Mr. Kimmel picked the wrong hill to make his last stand on and his employers obliged him.
Jerry Redmond.
__________________________________
We've had political disputes for more than 200 years. Today is different.
Since 1980, the broad 60% middle-class has had HALF their real wealth redistributed into the top 10%, and mostly the top 1%. By policy design. When you continually take from the broad middle and give to a few at the top, it destroys hope. Greater and greater levels of debt, stress, working hours, and increasingly lower quality of life is not a result of "free market economics." This was designed by and for the benefit of very top class.
Those without hope act out in increasingly punitive ways. As America falls deeper and deeper into socioeconomic class-non-linearity, expect social polarization to increase. And at some point, the disaffected masses will realize that their fight against their neighbors was misplaced. The fight, they will realize, is with those who stole from them.
John La Grou
Millennia Media
__________________________________
Roseanne Barr got canceled and her career demolished for twitter comments with no apologies accepted.
Cancel culture is not a new thing.
Alex Jones got sued out of business for his hurting lies.
We have always had limited free speech,
And you are right - I had never heard of Charlie Kirk before and never watched Kimmel or any of the late night shows.
Regards,
Dave Machanick
__________________________________
I, like you, am a 72-year oldster although I have yet to fall down in my front yard (I wish you a speedy 100% recovery). It's too hot here in Phoenix to spend much time out front. I absolutely love the music industry knowledge you share with your loyal readers and look forward to each and every email.
However, your defense of the indefensible like Colbert and The Man Show Jimmy is almost laughable. These spineless waifs couldn't stand up to a real debate on the issues so they just throw off-the-cuff crap out on the airwaves for impressionable blokes like yourself so you'll have something to believe in and fight the mighty fight. You're probably trapsing around your home office today wearing double black armbands to commemorate the unjust treatment of Steve and Jim. The more your put down the Donald, the more power you allow him to have, and this is coming from a person who has greatly disliked Trump since he caused the USFL to fold in the mid-80s.
Oh, and your stance to allow men transformed to women to play in women's sports reveals that you know nothing about sports and certainly never played in a sport, probably not even Little League.
Still, I can happily overlook our differences of opinion and very much look forward to your new insightful music related newsletter. Please take care of yourself; you have unique knowledge and an uncanny ability to share it with your readers.
Mark St. Cyr
__________________________________
I'm in agreement with you but your point will be lost on too many because you didn't acknowledge that what Mr. Kimmel said was insensitive and disrespectful to Mr. Kirk and his family and just a dumb ass thing to say to get a laugh.
Kimmel - who's voice carries little weight - should've been told to apologize and then move on.
But this is the country we live in…. a land where common sense is but a ghost.
Rob Joseph
Columbus OH
__________________________________
I get what you're saying but others might say that MSNBC is a training ground for the far left. So where does it stop? We should be encouraging people to find common ground not promoting more tribalism.
Kind regards,
Mikael Johnston
Mephisto Odyssey
__________________________________
Stick to outing the entertainment industry pedos Bob.
The left only have themselves to blame.
Hasta luego.
John-Paul Greenock
__________________________________
You must live in the same bubble as Kimmel. Your stats are garbage.
John Warden
__________________________________
Let me start by saying that I am not going to unsubscribe from your newsletter just because I might not agree with all your posts, etc...
It is no surprise that this is where we are at with Jimmy Kimmel, but the question that we should be asking ourselves is how we got here and how people like you and -I will use the blanket term- media on the left allowed this to happen. Under the Biden administration censorship was alive and well. Anyone who dared to speak out against the standard narrative vis a vis covid origins or the dangers of the MRNA vax was immediately cancelled. Or look at Canada and the truckers protest. . In fact right now there is a case against the administration Biden versus Berenson and not a single mainstream outlet has reported on it-but I digress. During covid times, I would get into heated discussions and my POV was that it was not ok to silence and go after dissenting points of view. My belief has always been is that the first amendment is the foundation of our democracy, of our country-hence why it is the first amendment. My argument went like this- once we start censoring we go down a slippery slope because when the administration or the politics change the censorships that we disliked under one administration would now shift under a different administration. And voila, look at where we are today. Whether I like or dislike what Kimmel said is irrelevant-you are correct short of shouting fire in a movie theatre he has the right to speak what is on his mind. I have the option to listen, ignore, or counter it. During covid times, polls were conducted and the polls showed that Democrats mostly were ok with limitations on free speech. Now look where we are today-those tables are turned and its the other side censoring. I would like to think that this issue is important enough to transcend bipartisan politics and worth fighting for. I for one know that I will continue to fight for these freedoms even if the battle becomes a lonely one.
Alix Gucovsky
__________________________________
I knew we were in trouble when Idiocracy was re-classified as a documentary instead of a comedy.
People who blame Trump, Harris, Biden, Vance, whoever are missing the point. The problem is that a representative democracy without informed citizens is like running a car without oil. It appears to work for a while, then breaks down.
Of course people voted for Trump. Who wouldn't want lower prices, a golden American age, a revitalized manufacturing sector, reduced inflation, and criminals taken off the streets? Sounds great, until you looked past the façade. With even the most basic knowledge of history and economics, people would realize that targeted, strategic tariffs can be beneficial but anything implemented on a wide scale has, historically and invariably, been disastrous. And history shows what happens when the government messes with the central bank - Turkey, Argentia, Lebanon, Greece, and yes, the US in the early 20th century (which is what led to creating the Fed in the first place). History does repeat itself.
Blue people drag out the Weimar republic's collapse from inflation, only to get hit with "jeez, all you blue people do is bring up Hitler." Well, don't bring up Germany. Bring up Hungary, Zimbabwe, Yugoslavia, Greece, Venezuela, Argentina - the list goes on, and inflation led to everything from a monetary collapse to civil war. So no, you don't want the Fed to lower interest rates to goose the housing market and reduce the amount paid on the national debt, because history shows unambiguously what happens when you do that.
The only way out is an actively engaged citizenry, but the definition of "actively engaged" is not scrolling through social media. That's people disengaging while they con themselves into believing they're engaged.
So, we're cooked. Sorry. I don't know whether what's next is waiting in line for our ration of beans and chicken, or pitchforks and riots, but history implies it'll be one or the other. I recommend you write, ski, enjoy Fe, read, watch cool shows, and listen to music. You can't change people, blue or red, who don't want to change. As for me, I'll be dead in a few years anyway, so this is all of academic interest. Meanwhile, my kid's learning Korean, and it's not as a hobby.
Craig Anderton
__________________________________
I guess nobody remembers Rosanne getting ousted from her own show. Tucker Carlson getting booted from the station he lifted into the zeitgeist Fox News, and I could go on and on. Why is it when it happens to the opposite side (regardless of where it starts) they cry "foul ball"! Government was inherently imbued with the passion and foresight of a snail and painfully behind to make no big moves suddenly BUT now government is like playing ping pong going left and right and right and left and requiring faster and stronger neck muscles to keep up. All fine and dandy but what happens in ping pong when you take down the net? Chaos!!
Peter Sallis
(Not: It has been well-documented that Rupert Murdoch fired Tucker Carlson because he believed he was too big for his britches/uncontrollable...it had nothing to do with any criticism by Democrats.)
__________________________________
If Kimmel had spoken the truth and not lied on national television he probably would still be on. Even ABC said whoa, this guy's lying and pulled the plug. If they felt he was at all telling the truth they would've kept him on regardless of the sale. Even the left wing MSM knows a lie when they see one.
This has nothing to do with free speech other than he was free to say what he did, lies and all, and ABC which owns the platform was free to take him off. There's nothing to see here Bob.
Chip H. Boston, MA
__________________________________
There are actually multiple exceptions to the First Amendment: incitement, fraud, true threats, defamation, CSAM, speech integral to criminal conduct, etc. There are also a handful of stupid exceptions that shouldn't be in place, namely obscenity and fighting words.
And guess what: NONE of what Kimmel said fell into any of these exceptions.
Principled First Amendment activists actually took issue with the Biden admin pressuring social media during COVID - that's a practice called "jawboning," and today, Trump's totalitarian FCC did a far more brazen version of it.
The government should NOT be putting pressure on private actors to censor speech it doesn't like. I know a lot of my conservative friends have been taking issue with their side being called "fascist," but with all due respect to them, it's hard to refute that label when your President is doing everything in his power to prove it right.
Some may think that this is divisive rhetoric that led to Kirk's horrific killing, but I would rebut that by saying that saying mean things about someone you like isn't incitement, but free speech.
Happy Constitution Day, Bob.
Garrett Gravley
__________________________________
Your an absolute clown… go back and watch the Kimmel clip when he commented on tucker Carlson being fired from fox -
Your a trust baby and we all know it
Paul Erikkson
__________________________________
I just canceled my Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ subscriptions. The only way to combat Corporate-aided fascism, and make no mistake, that's what this is, is with your wallet. It's the only language they listen to.
Jordan Berliant
__________________________________
Doing my part.
Tonight I've canceled:
Disney
DisneyPlus
Hulu
paramount plus
And will no longer watch any:
@CBS or @abc
F*ck around with viewers and you find out you're not getting our money.
Robert Pisaneschi
__________________________________
Bob, in order for the masses (me) to take a stand, we need leaders. So far the leaders are organizing weekend protests. Fine, I've gone to a few and I'll show up again at No King's Day in October. But weekend protests aren't going to overthrow a dictator. If you look at countries where real change happened (or in some cases was squashed or petered out but...) you'll see that people took the streets in ways that disrupted the economy. But look at what's happened to people who dare to speak out against Kirk and Trump on their private social media... FIRED! (Remember the woman on the bike who flipped off Trump's limo in his first term and was fired? Seems long ago and almost quaint compared to where we are now.) I don't see Americans at the point yet, or even close to it, where they are going to take to the streets and risk their livelihood. Maybe because the economy isn't bad enough. Maybe because Americans don't have it in them. Certainly because corporate America actually doesn't give a rat's ass about anything other than their bottom line. But this is really, really, really bad, where we are and where we are heading.
Over the weekend I did something weird... I pulled up Peter, Paul, and Mary on Qobuz and listened to them for awhile. That was another era. We had the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War to protest about, but there was also a strong current of idealism. I don't think there is much idealism today, more cynicism and a feeling that the future doesn't hold much promise. I feel sorry for my 20-something kids.
Tom Moore
Fairfax, VA
__________________________________
Disney made the call on Kimmel. They don't want to deal with the political blowback of him saying things like "The shooter was probably MAGA"?? That doesn't even make sense. Kirk was MAGA lol.
As for censorship & "cancel culture", that became a thing with the far left Woke crowd long before all of this started. The problem with Woke was/is, it's authoritarian. Authoritarian & liberal can't mutually co-exist. It's a toxic, co-dependent relationship.
As a Gen X'er, when we were growing up liberal meant freedom of speech, expression & choice. Now it's all those things (AS LONG AS THE WOKE CROWD APPROVES)??
The world has inverted. The stuffy conservatives who wanted to cram morals & ethics down our throats back then are now the Woke bullies on the left. And let's face it, no one likes a bully. That's why woke failed.
But don't believe me. Just ask yourself, where's their Charlie Kirk? Oh that's right, they don't have one. Why is that? I think we all know, but that'd be a bitter "red pill" of objective reality to swallow.
Most people would rather take their daily blue pill of subjective reality. It's way more comforting. And as the wokesters would say, it gives them the "feel-good feels".
-Rick Marino
__________________________________
This is not a free speech issue and as a lawyer you must know that. The first amendment prevents the government from restricting expression. It does not protect anyone from getting fired for saying things at work that piss off their boss. Enough people have been fired for saying the wrong thing to show that.
Jimmy Kimmel was free to say what he did and he is free to say it again. But when you are a highly paid star on a show with a committed but paltry audience you do have to tread a bit carefully with your comments inside and out of your place of work.
From Andrew Harting
__________________________________
Jesus, Bob!
Are we living in the same Universe?
Jim Edmonston
__________________________________
Stephen Miller is quite possibly the worst person who has ever held a position of political power in this country. He is a monster and a sociopath, and he deserves to go to prison for the rest of his life.
JD Vance and Mango Mussolini-- yes I am referring to POTUS, but I refuse to write or speak that asshat's name-- are both a close second. They are terrible, terrible, evil people who care only for themselves and their pursuit of money and power.
USE MY NAME!!!!!!
Beth Hardy McLennan
__________________________________
I appreciate today's Jimmy Kimmel post and defending what's happening. While I don't agree with everything you've written, hell I was a republican as recently as 10 months ago (but refused to vote for Trump), what's happened since January - the chilling effect you highlight - scares the hell out of me.
And I can't imagine voting for a single republican again after what they've done in 8 months.
Alex Armbruster
__________________________________
It pains me greatly to have to defend Jimmy Kimmel of all people. The most unfunny, sanctimonious person around. Free speech is protected from the government. Corporations have to determine on a daily basis whether this juice is worth the squeeze. Business decisions are not protected in the same fashion. AOC, Chuck Schumer and Jimmy himself have reminded us of this over the years.
AOC telles Jen Psaki that broadcast TV is subject to federal regulation and can and should pull people off the air that say inciting things:
https://x.com/mazemoore/status/1968490974449176840
Chuck Schumer says Rupert Murdoch needs to take Tucker Carlson off the air for the things he says:
https://x.com/WesternLensman/status/1968519104022577264
Jimmy Kimmel celebrates Tucker's firing from Fox (a true Chef's Kiss):
https://x.com/ellen83378675/status/1968517971325714759
Disney fired Gina Carano for her personal social media posts - and herein lies the distinction. She sued and Disney settled, primarily because Disney conflated her personal opinions with her work responsibilities. And ABC cancelled 'Roseanne" after tweets about Valarie Jarrett. I'm sure you were up in arms about that incident as well.
Kimmel chose to use Disney's platform for his personal opinions, specifically highlighting that the shooter was a MAGA disciple. As AOC stated, broadcast TV is subject to federal regulation. If Kimmel really has a case, he can sue Disney like Carano did. And if we are being honest, Kimmel's 1.5mm viewers weren't paying the bills. Disney likely saw this termination as a way to look oppressed while getting rid of a non performing asset - a win-win.
Lastly, to try and compare outcomes from Kirk and Kimmel is disingenuous at best. One got assassinated by a guy who had sex with furries and the other got fired. Kimmel is not enough of a threat to anyone. If he were, he could hang out his own shingle and attract a significant following. Kirk, on the other hand, went out with a microphone and encouraged any and all to debate him. Agree with him or not, at least he had the balls to do it in the public square against what the elite would call the up and coming best and brightest - our university-schooled populus. Kimmel operated in an echo chamber. He had the bullhorn of network media and couldn't outdraw anyone of consequence. His reach would be even less on his own.
Tim Schuler
__________________________________
I sit here in Las Vegas, visiting my American relatives, Fox News on all day long.
They're good people, really they are, they've been incredibly generous with us, but it breaks my heart they can't see the world with logic and reasoning.
They can't see that the precedent being set will visit them negatively sooner than later.
They rail at the tv, cussing when they see Obama make reasoned logical comments about the situation.
They say Kimmel deserves it, but isn't this whole issue about free speech. Isn't that what Kirk said he was fighting for, free speech.
Isn't Kimmel entitled to that same free speech? Kirk, his supporters would say, died for free speech. Kimmel's (and Kirk's) right for free speech. Not just Kirk's, not just Trump's, not just my free speech.
Eventually an opposing politician will be elected POTUS and eventually that new POTUS may well use all the new 'normal' and new 'norms' in a way that may make Trump look tame in comparison.
It isn't all about today. It is all about tomorrow.
What do these people expect?
I'm intentionally optimistic, but I look to the USA at times with, almost, tears in my eyes.
That shining city on the hill doesn't look so shiny anymore…
Steve F.
__________________________________
But this line has me laughing...
To the point where if anybody e-mails me something anti-Trump they say not to use their name.
Do you know how many people have had to keep quiet about being pro-Trump in the world? Because they're worried about their contemporaries or whatever. I have friends on both sides. I'm not pro anybody. I call out sh*t when I see it. I think most of this stuff is a joke And I think you know that it is, the giant annoying one. But you always lean one side Bob and I get that but you have to see the irony in that statement right now. I know you pay attention enough to see it And now all of a sudden the script gets flipped, and that's suddenly a problem?
I love this world and the ridiculousness that ensues. It will never change. Cuz we are human. I appreciate you very much for when we see eye to eye and especially when we don't. Cuz you make me think
All the best
Joe Kramer
__________________________________
I don't see conservative radio getting rid of their people who spew far more dangerous rhetoric than anything Kimmel said.
Loren Parkins
__________________________________
100%
Even if Kimmel has a small viewership on TV, he has to have bigger numbers on YouTube where people go to watch his monologue.
This is a very scary and chilling time in this country. On a lot of fronts.
Alison Auerbach
__________________________________
You nailed it. The soybean farmers are going broke. Small businesses are getting killed with customs and brokerage charges for small international orders (under $800 used to be cleared for no additional fees, until Trump changed that a few weeks ago). Free speech is under threat every single day.
Toby Mamis
__________________________________
In fact, I'm boycotting all Disney products, and I also refuse to accept or buy any product with any Disney character on it until I can see that that little mouse has some balls ~
As far as I'm concerned, Jimmy Kimmel is my Charlie Kirk ~
RS
__________________________________
Jimmy brought it on himself. He is obviously surrounded by clueless people who live in a vacuum. He exercised his right of free speech—no law against being an ass-hole or being a liar.. But there are consequences. I hope it was worth it. Jimmy has given ABC a gift. His show is bombing like Colbert's.. Now that ABC has a late-night slot open to find something better, they can try a few things out. It's as Winston Church Hill said. "Never Let a Good Crisis go to Waste," and later, Rahm Emanuel.
David May
__________________________________
Whether or not Kimmel should've been fired is between him, ABC and the networks that syndicate his show. I stopped watching him years ago when he became inflicted with severe Trump derangement syndrome. I used to watch him every night, but his stupidity and hyper partisanship got to be unbearable. As for what he said about Kirk's shooter being one of the right's own, it was somewhat shocking to hear him say that, because all of the evidence and basic common sense said otherwise. I think he unfortunately got caught up in the left-wing propaganda campaign that tried to paint the killer as a right winger to deflect attention away from the left, as the left had been hammered pretty hard by Republicans after the shooting. But nobody with common sense bought that propaganda, except for loyal followers of the left. Kimmel probably should've just kept his mouth shut, but I don't think he can help himself. He's had a sick obsession with Trump and Republicans for years and takes every opportunity he can to disparage them. As a former fan, it was sad to see him go from running an entertaining nightly talk show, to basically a political hack. I'm not sure what's next for him, but hopefully he'll take a lesson away from the fact that he lost likely half his audience in the last 10 years because of his partisanship.
tonycor1
__________________________________
"At what point does the public stand up and say NO MAS!"
They don't. The time to stand up was when the left started down this road.
How does it feel to now be on the other side of it?
Brendon Wood
__________________________________
Protest in the street? It'll be one and done. Stop watching football on Saturday and Sunday? Now that's going to hurt ABC and CBS.
Drew Robertson
__________________________________
Glad to see Kimmel go. His comments were out of line.
Joe Zalescik
__________________________________
What kind of stand are you taking Bob? For a liar and against a murder victim? Ok. I'll still read your stuff and hope you stay focused on the business you know well and not this kind of bullsh*t.
Michael Weintraub
__________________________________
We are no longer waiting for authoritarianism we are in the thick of it. To play to Trump's fragile ego King Charles threw him a parade. Smart. Make him feel like a king while the world laughs at him. Flattery will get you everywhere with this endlessly needy, miserable lout. Here? Just a bunch of cowardly collaborators in shutting down dissent: Bezos, Cook, Zuckerberg, Disney, ABC, Paramount, CBS, MSNBC, Columbia, Wash Po, Paul Weiss, etc. He'll see you're weak and just come down on you harder and you'll rue the day. That's what bullies do. Everything he touches dies, how do you not know that by now? The cruelest and stupidest are in charge. Pathetic. Show some f*cking spine before it all disappears. Sh*ttiest time to be an American in my lifetime.
Mitch Tenzer
__________________________________
I don't stand with you and I feel you are out of touch with many things! Some you are in touch with! I used to be a democrat and I switched to republican and I have watched the democrats stir up and agitate people like no time in my life! All they do is speak of violence and canceling people! Now that Kirk is dead they are celebrating ad nauseam and are getting cancelled and they do t like it! It's about time! There are plenty people I don't like or can't stand nor do I wish for their death! The left for the most part are unhinged!
All the best to you! We all need to govern ourselves accordingly!
Regards,
Jack Berman
__________________________________
I agree 100% . How can Kilmeade still be on FOX after hr suggested that a solution would be killing all the homeless by lethal injections but Kimmel gets cancelled? We are officially living in an authoritarian regime. FCC chair Brendan Carr sounded mob like in his comments "We can do it this easy way or the hard way….Kimmel must go."
I am actually scared .. I know a lot of incredible people in the TV community that have just been given notice. ( Colbert staff) and others that were at work today on Kimmel as they heard the news there would be no show tonight or in the future. What can we do? The midterms seem so far away. #StandWithKimmel. #RemoveTrump. Xxx Gigi Shapiro
Jack Berman I see your point Bob, but Kimmel could've waited a little while before saying what he said. Or he could've expressed more sympathy and condolences and then added in his piece in a more compassionate manner. People are already pissed off, and they've been pissed off for a long time now. This is not about the economy but society and culture. So why didn't Jimmy try to help? Anyone who knows Kimmel knows what his point of view is. He knew he'd cause trouble by antagonizing. But I'm sure he thought it was something he had to do... Let's see how that works out...
//Agostino Scafidi
__________________________________
The roots of this go back perhaps even further, to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, signed, ironically by President Bill Clinton.
Before the bill, companies could own no more than 12 television stations or 20 AM and 20 FM, though I'm not sure who'd want to buy an AM these days.
Nexstar Media Group owns or partners with more than 200
stations in 116 U.S. markets, reaching 220 million people. Nexstar is the largest local television broadcasting group in the United States. In August, Nexstar announced its intent to acquire the media company Tegna.
If that $6.2 billion acquisition is completed, Nexstar would own a combined total of 265 stations, serving 80% of U.S. TV households. Heaven forbid a late night comic with a small, but loyal following get in the way of said merger.
It's the law of unintended consequences.
Now, my son is urging me to cancel my Disney+ subscription.
What a dilemma. Hulu, ESPN.
I might just have to buck up and send ABC/Disney a message. Where's Bob Iger in all this?
-Steve Leventhal
Jack Berman Some clarification:
"That was the criticism of the Biden administration, it stifled free speech.". More accurately, it was one criticism, and it didn't stifle free speech ,it violated the first amendment. Twitter files.
"We can debate the right choice in the future, but this was a unique situation, Covid...none of the populace had experienced a pandemic, and isn't the first obligation of the federal government to protect its citizens?" That we agree...unfortunately instead they protected their corrupt corporate campaign supports, BigHarma.
"Well, if you follow the RFK, Jr. b.s... Sure, RFK, Jr. is entitled to spew his anti-vaccine crap, as long as he doesn't inflict this garbage upon the public at large." Well perhaps you can do a better job than Suzanne did at yesterday's Senate hearing to explain the rationale for giving ALL newborns a Hepatitis jab?
"Most of the older generations had never even heard of the guy! As for college students..." Correct, I may have heard his name, but never heard his opinions.
"Generation Lab polled 1,030 students, and found out 94% had heard of Kirk. As for their opinion of his views... 70% said they "strongly disagree" or "somewhat disagree," while only; 30% said they agreed. (This info is from Puck, the article is behind a paywall...)". You may have missed this poll, 88% of students feel compelled to adopt a progressive facade. Our so-called best and brightest, the vast majority of college students in our nation's top universities, willingly give up their values to conform. Sad. There will be far fewer Rosa Parks, Oskar Schindler, MLK Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Maximilian Kolbe, Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, in our future. Rather we are raising a great number of legacy media journalists, cable news anchors, corporate lobbyists, captured scientists, corrupt intelligence agents, amoral corporate leaders and untrustworthy politicians (but I repeat myself).
https://washingtonstand.com/article/the-cost-of-conformity-study-reveals-88-of-students-feel-compelled-to-adopt-progressive-facade?fbclid=IwY2xjawM5EAJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHjHcuO7sqvuNrrCTBxqCVon-GOgOTS8M54X9i0_dkxnogE7BaMOjwS3shAgM_aem_Vj3405QsDQplmZMrBuba9Q
"If I have to listen to his crap, how come Jimmy Kimmel can't blow back?" Of course he can...but there are consequences for your speech. Those that celebrate murder and call for other targets should be shunned. Jimmy's problem is that he hasn't been funny for years, take it from someone that refused to be jabbed and heard about his degrading comments of those refusing a mandated experimental medical treatment even for those with natural immunity and those with little or no risk. Sorry Wheezie...
"The tariffs are killing our economy." There are plenty of issues killing our economy, tariffs is not one of them...stick to your expertise, the music industry.
"As for Kimmel, he's now become a martyr.". That illustrates the sad state of one wing of the uniparty.
I don't agree with your political views, but there are few political views on either side I agree with. However, I enjoy reading them, as I enjoy reading the NYT, WaPo and especially the comments from their readers, as it provides a view of the positions for those on one each side of the political spectrum.
Keep trucking.
Ed Kelly
__________________________________
It's a delicate line for those of us who are not citizens (just Green Card holders)
- Anonymous!
__________________________________
It's clear the liberal woke mind-virus has taken full control of your brain. A little at first, here and there — and then all at once. It's a total takeover. A complete cave-in. A consumption so complete there is little doubt as to what has happened to you and your so-called letter. Which apparently is dwindling subscribers with every new missive as you seemingly attempt to dig out of a hole so deep the bottom is now closer than the top. You are clearly back on your heels, always scoffing and complaining about sour grapes. The position of the left has become pretty much indefensible on most issues and anything having to do with good policy. Toxic empathy. Out of control rabid "humanitarianism" without regard to downstream consequences. Blind handouts. Why work for it when we will give it away?
No, Bob, I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of unsubscribing. It's too delicious, too predictable. Too entertaining, just perhaps not the way you want it to be. Your voice gets weaker and weaker, your message less compelling, logic less integral. Reduced to a state of a high pitched whine. You've successfully curated an audience of acolytes and robots. And you've done yourself no favors. I would be willing to guess your current subscribers are half of what they were at the peak before you became a sage political analyst. How is that working out for ya? Pontificating to a bunch of yes-men and women who agree with everything you write. Wow, what an important and incisive hard hitting cultural service you provide.
Kimmel is a toxic a-hole who has become so unlikeable and unfunny over the years it's an astonishing downfall. The real reason he's off the air has nothing to do with his callous off-putting and misguided remarks about Kirk. The real reason is that he is performing in a vacuum. He's irrelevant and his ratings SUCK. And the TV brass know this. Just one more self-important unfunny and irrelevant insufferable boring late night jackass pretending he's cutting edge and the voice of our times. NOT. The level of tone-deaf self-delusion is truly astonishing.
Anyway I'll stick it out. I won't abandon ship. I'll suck it up and keep this masachostic dance in motion.
Seth is next.
andy lavalle
__________________________________
The thing is Bob, while you may be known for your pithy insights into the music business and it's parallel universes that include cinema and even a good chunk of the art world, in my view, your political commentary is unique and very interesting; you observations stand out in a sea of other, and sometimes very learned, opinions.
I for one hope you carry on with the social and political commentary. Let's face it, the music business is over. The halcyon days of 50s& 60s Jazz is in the record books and now Rock is in the rearview mirror, and god knows what this is that we're listening to on the radio — well perhaps not a table radio made of bakelite, but you know what I mean.
I responded to a well known promoter of a beloved festival, when he asked me what I thought about his upcoming annual event, that it reminded me of a civil war reenactment; they're wearing my old clothes, they're playing my old instruments, they're singing all of my old songs. We didn't speak for months.
Anyway, thank you for your commentary and yes, having Kimmel swept out the door was surprising but in a way totally expected because of the way ownerships and ownership vectors overlap one another. Late stage capitalism reaching its unavoidable conclusion. We are so f*cked.
Thx
Dave Dalzell
__________________________________
The right has been the victim of cancer culture for years and now the tables have turned. It's really that simple.
Thanks,
Ernie Canadeo
__________________________________
And you just lost one more subscriber, good riddance.
Funktion808
__________________________________
Colbert. Kimmel.
You're next. And that's not exaggeration.
Jeffrey Oster
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Henry Paul-This Week's Podcast
Of the Outlaws, the Henry Paul Band and Blackhawk.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/henry-paul/id1316200737?i=1000727328886
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2KrPpwqaxH1dM9XXydgYQg?si=oJ7xkPq1SLum2cKZUW5dqw
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/henry-paul-295220766/
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/afcfc11d-2816-4da8-a6f6-d0a7c2a6f9aa/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-henry-paul
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/henry-paul/id1316200737?i=1000727328886
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2KrPpwqaxH1dM9XXydgYQg?si=oJ7xkPq1SLum2cKZUW5dqw
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/henry-paul-295220766/
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/afcfc11d-2816-4da8-a6f6-d0a7c2a6f9aa/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-henry-paul
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Jimmy Kimmel
What happened to free speech absolutism?
The bottom line here is Nexstar wants to buy Tegna for $6.2 billion and if they want the deal to go through...
That was the criticism of the Biden administration, it stifled free speech.
But any major dude will tell you, especially an attorney, that free speech is not guaranteed on a private platform, which Facebook, et al, are. They are not public institutions owned by the government and therefore you're not entitled to spew anything you want on the services.
As for imploring social media sites to pull down Covid screeds that do not align with government policy...
We can debate the right choice in the future, but this was a unique situation, Covid...none of the populace had experienced a pandemic, and isn't the first obligation of the federal government to protect its citizens?
Well, if you follow the RFK, Jr. b.s... Sure, RFK, Jr. is entitled to spew his anti-vaccine crap, as long as he doesn't inflict this garbage upon the public at large.
As for the truth about vaccines...
The truth doesn't matter. That's the world we now live in. Where the President obfuscates and lies outright and his minions accept it. Hell, you don't want to go against the orthodoxy on Fox News, the training ground for Trump's cabinet. There is one view and one view only. Is this the democracy we thought we were living in?
What the death of Charlie Kirk has taught us is that most people get their news online. The public has detached from the mainstream media nearly completely, at least the younger generations. Most of the older generations had never even heard of the guy! As for college students...
Generation Lab polled 1,030 students, and found out 94% had heard of Kirk. As for their opinion of his views... 70% said they "strongly disagree" or "somewhat disagree," while only; 30% said they agreed. (This info is from Puck, the article is behind a paywall...)
So, we've got politicos who are not on social media telling us that Charlie Kirk was a hero to college students, and this might be true, but not the MAJORITY!
Let's be clear, Charlie Kirk did not need to die. But in the wake of his death the right has come down on the left, talking about Antifa, saying the woke mob is organized and violent when even the Cato Institute said Republicans commit more political violence than Democrats.
But screw the truth, that's irrelevant!
Meanwhile, if the President doesn't like what you're saying, he'll sue you, and do his best to extract cash and commitments to his liking. Law firms? Colleges? Newspapers? Did you see Trump tell that ABC reporter to watch out, since his company settled with him for millions?
Actions have consequences. Rust never sleeps. And neither does Trump. Nothing appeases him, nothing goes away.
And he was duly elected, but...
If I have to listen to his crap, how come Jimmy Kimmel can't blow back?
Once again, this illustrates that distribution is king. Doesn't matter what the content is if you can't see/hear it.
So did Jimmy Kimmel yell "fire" in a crowded movie theatre? Did he spew falsehoods about public personas with absolute malice? These are the only exceptions to free speech under the law, but if you don't agree with Trump, the rules don't apply.
Let me be clear here. I'm angry at this amping up of rhetoric by the right against the left, but what truly troubles me is THE CHILLING EFFECT!
To the point where if anybody e-mails me something anti-Trump they say not to use their name.
If you're a musical act and you're on stage... Better watch your words! You might be playing in a Live Nation venue, and they added Trump ally Richard Grenell to their board.
As for social media sites themselves... Did you see all the tech titans kissing the ass of Trump the other day? They're going to protect their businesses first and foremost.
How do you lose a democracy?
Very slowly and then all at once.
Meanwhile, Trump has the Democratic brass tied in knots, afraid to say anything he doesn't agree with for fear of the right wing machine.
At what point does the public stand up and say NO MAS!
Well, now there's a precedent of the military in the streets, and if you rise up...Trump ain't gonna think twice about sending troops to your burg, maybe even your house!
Bottom line is unlike cable TV, network television functions under the auspices of the FCC. So, Kimmel on ABC...
This is how far we've come, Jimmy Kimmel is a pariah, but Vladimir Putin? He's to be trusted. and when he crosses the line it must be a mistake. Yeah, right.
But the last laugh is on America. Yup, under the rubric of America First, our country is cratering. India moved into the hands of Xi and Putin and will buy energy from Russia.
Spain refused to buy American military planes.
As for the tariffs? A lot of European companies have stopped shipping here.
The tariffs are killing our economy. But we're supposed to wait and it will all work out. Exactly how does that work? After you extract your pound of flesh from your ALLIES, do you expect them to come running back into your arms?
As for the environment.... The "Financial Times" said air pollution has been determined to cause Lewy Body Dementia. But you can't trust the mainstream press, right?
You don't have to. That's your choice.
You have the right to be ignorant. And you have the right to spew your ignorance. But if someone voices a contrary opinion...
Just when I'm overwhelmed with the autocratic actions by Trump and his minions and decide to disconnect, one more piece of straw is put on the camel's back. At what point does said camel collapse?
As for all you Trumpers who are going to blow back, never mind cancel your subscriptions... I'm supposed to be afraid of you and your opinion?
But the truth here is you are not immune. Cuts in government, tariff policies, will hurt you. If you think Trump is looking out for the little guy...I wish you were smarter than that.
But you hate the libs! Hope that keeps you warm at night when you can't afford oil for heat.
As for Kimmel, he's now become a martyr. He's a rallying cry for the left. Intelligent actors would have let sleeping dogs lie. How many people even saw Kimmel utter his words?
He averages 1.772 million viewers a night, in a nation of 340 million. Mr. Beast and a ton of influencers reach more. And they should be worried about saying anything that might piss off Trump.
Kimmel's words would have been forgotten, but they had to pour gasoline on a tiny little fire that was nearly out.
This is not how you run a country.
And it's not only Nexstar, the FCC has come down on Kimmel.
But I've got to ask, if Charlie Kirk can be a national hero, why not Jimmy Kimmel? Sure, he didn't die, but the truth is if you say anti-Trump words you might need a bodyguard.
I'm taking a risk here. I lost three digits of subscribers when I wrote about Charlie Kirk and I'll probably lose more after this.
But at some point you have to take a stand.
What about you?
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
The bottom line here is Nexstar wants to buy Tegna for $6.2 billion and if they want the deal to go through...
That was the criticism of the Biden administration, it stifled free speech.
But any major dude will tell you, especially an attorney, that free speech is not guaranteed on a private platform, which Facebook, et al, are. They are not public institutions owned by the government and therefore you're not entitled to spew anything you want on the services.
As for imploring social media sites to pull down Covid screeds that do not align with government policy...
We can debate the right choice in the future, but this was a unique situation, Covid...none of the populace had experienced a pandemic, and isn't the first obligation of the federal government to protect its citizens?
Well, if you follow the RFK, Jr. b.s... Sure, RFK, Jr. is entitled to spew his anti-vaccine crap, as long as he doesn't inflict this garbage upon the public at large.
As for the truth about vaccines...
The truth doesn't matter. That's the world we now live in. Where the President obfuscates and lies outright and his minions accept it. Hell, you don't want to go against the orthodoxy on Fox News, the training ground for Trump's cabinet. There is one view and one view only. Is this the democracy we thought we were living in?
What the death of Charlie Kirk has taught us is that most people get their news online. The public has detached from the mainstream media nearly completely, at least the younger generations. Most of the older generations had never even heard of the guy! As for college students...
Generation Lab polled 1,030 students, and found out 94% had heard of Kirk. As for their opinion of his views... 70% said they "strongly disagree" or "somewhat disagree," while only; 30% said they agreed. (This info is from Puck, the article is behind a paywall...)
So, we've got politicos who are not on social media telling us that Charlie Kirk was a hero to college students, and this might be true, but not the MAJORITY!
Let's be clear, Charlie Kirk did not need to die. But in the wake of his death the right has come down on the left, talking about Antifa, saying the woke mob is organized and violent when even the Cato Institute said Republicans commit more political violence than Democrats.
But screw the truth, that's irrelevant!
Meanwhile, if the President doesn't like what you're saying, he'll sue you, and do his best to extract cash and commitments to his liking. Law firms? Colleges? Newspapers? Did you see Trump tell that ABC reporter to watch out, since his company settled with him for millions?
Actions have consequences. Rust never sleeps. And neither does Trump. Nothing appeases him, nothing goes away.
And he was duly elected, but...
If I have to listen to his crap, how come Jimmy Kimmel can't blow back?
Once again, this illustrates that distribution is king. Doesn't matter what the content is if you can't see/hear it.
So did Jimmy Kimmel yell "fire" in a crowded movie theatre? Did he spew falsehoods about public personas with absolute malice? These are the only exceptions to free speech under the law, but if you don't agree with Trump, the rules don't apply.
Let me be clear here. I'm angry at this amping up of rhetoric by the right against the left, but what truly troubles me is THE CHILLING EFFECT!
To the point where if anybody e-mails me something anti-Trump they say not to use their name.
If you're a musical act and you're on stage... Better watch your words! You might be playing in a Live Nation venue, and they added Trump ally Richard Grenell to their board.
As for social media sites themselves... Did you see all the tech titans kissing the ass of Trump the other day? They're going to protect their businesses first and foremost.
How do you lose a democracy?
Very slowly and then all at once.
Meanwhile, Trump has the Democratic brass tied in knots, afraid to say anything he doesn't agree with for fear of the right wing machine.
At what point does the public stand up and say NO MAS!
Well, now there's a precedent of the military in the streets, and if you rise up...Trump ain't gonna think twice about sending troops to your burg, maybe even your house!
Bottom line is unlike cable TV, network television functions under the auspices of the FCC. So, Kimmel on ABC...
This is how far we've come, Jimmy Kimmel is a pariah, but Vladimir Putin? He's to be trusted. and when he crosses the line it must be a mistake. Yeah, right.
But the last laugh is on America. Yup, under the rubric of America First, our country is cratering. India moved into the hands of Xi and Putin and will buy energy from Russia.
Spain refused to buy American military planes.
As for the tariffs? A lot of European companies have stopped shipping here.
The tariffs are killing our economy. But we're supposed to wait and it will all work out. Exactly how does that work? After you extract your pound of flesh from your ALLIES, do you expect them to come running back into your arms?
As for the environment.... The "Financial Times" said air pollution has been determined to cause Lewy Body Dementia. But you can't trust the mainstream press, right?
You don't have to. That's your choice.
You have the right to be ignorant. And you have the right to spew your ignorance. But if someone voices a contrary opinion...
Just when I'm overwhelmed with the autocratic actions by Trump and his minions and decide to disconnect, one more piece of straw is put on the camel's back. At what point does said camel collapse?
As for all you Trumpers who are going to blow back, never mind cancel your subscriptions... I'm supposed to be afraid of you and your opinion?
But the truth here is you are not immune. Cuts in government, tariff policies, will hurt you. If you think Trump is looking out for the little guy...I wish you were smarter than that.
But you hate the libs! Hope that keeps you warm at night when you can't afford oil for heat.
As for Kimmel, he's now become a martyr. He's a rallying cry for the left. Intelligent actors would have let sleeping dogs lie. How many people even saw Kimmel utter his words?
He averages 1.772 million viewers a night, in a nation of 340 million. Mr. Beast and a ton of influencers reach more. And they should be worried about saying anything that might piss off Trump.
Kimmel's words would have been forgotten, but they had to pour gasoline on a tiny little fire that was nearly out.
This is not how you run a country.
And it's not only Nexstar, the FCC has come down on Kimmel.
But I've got to ask, if Charlie Kirk can be a national hero, why not Jimmy Kimmel? Sure, he didn't die, but the truth is if you say anti-Trump words you might need a bodyguard.
I'm taking a risk here. I lost three digits of subscribers when I wrote about Charlie Kirk and I'll probably lose more after this.
But at some point you have to take a stand.
What about you?
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Falling
1
Did I tell you I fell?
Happened about two months ago, right in the front yard. That's where all the accidents happen, at home, because you're there all the time. Kind of like seat belts, keep them on for short drives, that's where you are the most, in your neighborhood, and you don't want to be unprotected.
So...
The driveway is short and steep. Not THAT steep, but far from flat. and the mailbox is at the bottom. And I went down to get the mail one day and...
Nothing of note really comes anymore. They talk about limiting delivery to three days a week. Actually, if you're my age, you'll remember when mail came TWICE A DAY! Yup, hard to believe. And growing up getting mail was a thrill. But now? It's just junk. Anything important comes via e-mail/the internet. And if you're still getting paper bills...don't. Because once a bill didn't come and I went into arrears and...that's another thing, you can't depend on the mail. And they used to brag that everything first class was delivered within three days, from coast to coast...good luck with that today.
Anyway, I came up the driveway to the front walk, which has a bend in it, kind of like a kidney-shaped pool, the status symbol of the sixties, why make it straight?
And I don't know if I was looking at the mail I'd gotten or just absentmindedly not paying attention, but my shoe...I stepped down with my left foot and half was on the concrete and half was in the small rocks adjacent to it.
Correcting for the turning of my ankle, falling to the left, I instinctively went to the right. And my right foot stepped on the concrete and then my left... I was bent over, but I was gonna save this. And then I didn't.
Now living in ski country, going to college in Vermont, you learn how to recover from a slip on the ice. Kind of like learning how to drive in snow (although now with antilock brakes it's so much easier). You don't go down immediately. You learn how to go with the slip, stay somewhat erect, and ultimately regain your posture. It's a skill. So today when I slip on the ice I usually recover.
But now I was on land.
So restating this, I rolled my left ankle, then thrust forward with my right foot, and then my left and...
I wasn't gonna make it. I was gonna go down. I could see it in my brain before it happened. I was going to land on my right hand and it was going to break. There was no doubt in my mind. I've been hurt before.
So my pinkie and the outside of my right hand hit the concrete, but what I was not prepared for was what came next, my body twisted the other way and my head BANGED on the concrete.
Now I wasn't so concerned about my hand.
Could this be the end, it was for Natasha Richardson, and she fell on the snow!
Needless to say I wasn't wearing a helmet. My skull cracked down hard. And...
I lay there in a daze, moaning. Wondering if I was going to expire, whether I was on a quick trip to never never land.
I wanted attention. I figured Felice would come out and be freaked and give me some TLC. But she'd gone from the kitchen to the other side of the house and didn't hear me. So...
How long was I going to lay there before I got up?
As for my hand... It hurt, but it was not broken. I know, because I've broken my hand before. But my HEAD?
At least it was daytime. You really don't want to get a head injury at night. Because you think you're okay, go to sleep and then you die.
And I'm dazed, if not completely confused, and I look in the mirror and see a nearly golf ball-sized bump at the junction of my forehead and my hair, but I know what day it is, who the president is, so I go to the freezer and get some ice, wrap it in a cloth, put it to my head and...
Sat there.
And then started to Google.
I know, I know. you can get in trouble Googling your injuries/illnesses. But I've got a system. Not only do I go to multiple sites, I'm looking for a threshold, a line that is crossed that means you need medical help. And it's usually pretty clear. They were talking about disorientation and other maladies I did not have. And I know people who've had concussions...
2
So two days later, I had to meet Harry at République. I used to love to go there when it was Campanile, and have never had a meal equaling the old restaurant at the new one, but I've got to say, the food was FANTASTIC! Which is surprising when it's such a large space, relatively speaking.
And I got there before Harry, so I decided to go to the bathroom, which is upstairs. You go about two-thirds of the way through the restaurant and the stairs are on the right and I take one step up, and then another and then...
It's happening again. It's palpable, obvious, I'm going to hit the deck once more.
Only this time it's wood.
Diners don't have a good viewpoint of the steps, but a few turned around and I got up, relatively quickly...no, I was down for a bit, positively stunned, and then I got up, checked for obvious injuries, and went up to the bathroom, where I checked myself over in more detail. I won't say I was pain free, I was beaten up a bit, but not like when I fell in the front yard. But TWICE IN A WEEK?
I couldn't believe it. I've always considered myself to be a good athlete, coordinated. How did this happen?
Well, I investigated on the way down. And it turned out the first two steps of the stairs were different sizes. So I'm attributing my fall to that. But I hadn't fallen there before, and I was wearing New Balance sneakers and I'd love to tell you I could make sense of it all, put it all in a box and wrap it up tight with a bow, but I just put it in the back of my mind as I met Harry and we sat down for our meal. I was hurting a bit, but I saw no upside in telling him. And I wasn't hurting that bad. And we hadn't seen each other in nine months...
But I was really anxious about telling Felice. Twice in three days?
I kind of soft-pedaled it when I told her, but she both expressed concern and rolled her eyes. Was this the new normal?
3
Now I was positively stunned when we went to Colorado two weeks later and my hand still hurt. Like I said, I've been hurt before, broken multiple bones, I know when you need to go to the doctor, and this did not require medical attention. But how come I wasn't fine? I mean in the old days, in a matter of days I'd be back in one piece. But this went on and on...my hand STILL hurts!
I mean it hurt typing after the injury, not so bad I couldn't do it, and it really doesn't bother me now, although when I just reached to the upper right corner of the keyboard I felt it, but when am I going to feel okay?
My mind thought back to that day at Vail, putting on my ski boot...
These Nordicas were stiff. The higher performance boots are. Getting them on when cold is impossible. But in this case, they weren't that cold. But I'd been having trouble getting them on and I decided to use a lever, insert it in the boot to keep it open, so my leg could slide in. BIG MISTAKE!
Oh, believe me I winced. But injured? I was stunned. I was just putting my boot on.
I limped for a couple of days, which stunned me (but of course I still skied), but thought I'd be fine thereafter.
But two weeks later I was in Whistler and could barely get my boot on. I needed help.
And then hiking in the mountains, my foot kind of flopped. I couldn't pull the toes on my right foot up.
That was 2019. Now it's 2025. And I've still got a problem. It has to do with the nerve in my lower leg, about halfway up, on the side. It continues to get better, but SIX YEARS?? For a long while I couldn't do anything approximating running, the foot can still be somewhat flat. Not that I need to run, but when I see other people doing it...
And then I fell again.
4
We were at Beaver Creek. Hiking from the saddle all the way across Birds of Prey and Grouse Mountain to the lake above the ski area. It was kind of cool. Especially when we stopped at the lake on the way down, after we'd hiked about fifteen minutes past it and then turned around, not knowing how far it was to the top, and we'd been going for quite a while by this point. But sitting by the small lake on the way down...
It started to hail. Which was beautiful and hilarious. Nature will surprise you. We took video. It was funny. These little ball bearings covering us.
Now we went up so far that it was too late to make it back to the saddle and take the Chondola down, so we decided to walk all the way to the bottom. Which is long, but not super-strenuous. Oh, there are rocks for a while, but after you go past the end of the Birds of Prey race course, past the Talons restaurant, you hit a road. I won't say it's smooth, after all it's high in the mountains and it has to deal with frosts and freezes and all that snow, but...
We're just strolling down. Telling tales of our lives and then...
I'm thrown forward, very quickly. I know I'm going down. Kinda face first. And I'm scared, but it is happening faster than it did in the front yard and then BAM! I employ both my hands and arms to break the fall, I don't want to risk my head...not that I thought too much about it, it was mostly instinctual, but I FELL AGAIN??
This was just too much. I couldn't believe it. This was not funny. How did this happen? I mean I was busy bullsh*tting, I can't say that I was paying a lot of attention to where I was going/stepping, but this was a PAVED ROAD!
So we decided to investigate. Turned out there was a nub of asphalt. Not that big. Maybe half the size of a golf ball, and it turned out my boot got caught on it.
HUH?
I looked around, and there were no other nubs. Just this one.
Then again, this is the leg that has trouble, the right one, where I can't lift my toes quite as high as I can with my right, but still...
I was pretty banged up.
5
So now...
My head is okay. The ice worked wonders, really took the swelling down. I was a bit out of it for two days or so, but when the internet told me it was all right to take Tylenol...the acetaminophen took the edge off.
But my right hand...I can still feel it.
How can this be?
I mean I feel fine. This was just the luck of the draw, right? I mean there was a ready explanation for each fall, right? Or was there....
And then the other day there was an entire article about oldsters falling in the Science section:
"Why Are More Older People Dying After Falls?"
Free link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/health/falls-deaths-elderly-drugs.html?unlocked_article_code=1.k08.yGhf.O62hR4KZ5nCn&smid=url-share
The question is whether it is drugs. In my case, I don't think so, but all boomers take drugs. And if you don't...the joke is on you. They keep you alive. If you're over 60 and you still think it's healthier to take no medication...
Oh, I don't want to argue with you. People are vociferous in their opinions these days. They're right, you can't convince them otherwise, and while they're at it, YOU'RE AN IDIOT!
But, Ahmet Ertegun fell backstage at a Stones show and died.
And the article says more people may be dying from falls because we're tracking them in a way we didn't used to. It's kind of like autism... Have things changed, is there more of it, or is it now just being diagnosed?
All I know is none of us is here forever. Something's going to get us.
And it could happen when everything looks okay, when you think you're doing fine, walking back from the mailbox.
But if I'm still here, why does it take so damn long to heal?
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Did I tell you I fell?
Happened about two months ago, right in the front yard. That's where all the accidents happen, at home, because you're there all the time. Kind of like seat belts, keep them on for short drives, that's where you are the most, in your neighborhood, and you don't want to be unprotected.
So...
The driveway is short and steep. Not THAT steep, but far from flat. and the mailbox is at the bottom. And I went down to get the mail one day and...
Nothing of note really comes anymore. They talk about limiting delivery to three days a week. Actually, if you're my age, you'll remember when mail came TWICE A DAY! Yup, hard to believe. And growing up getting mail was a thrill. But now? It's just junk. Anything important comes via e-mail/the internet. And if you're still getting paper bills...don't. Because once a bill didn't come and I went into arrears and...that's another thing, you can't depend on the mail. And they used to brag that everything first class was delivered within three days, from coast to coast...good luck with that today.
Anyway, I came up the driveway to the front walk, which has a bend in it, kind of like a kidney-shaped pool, the status symbol of the sixties, why make it straight?
And I don't know if I was looking at the mail I'd gotten or just absentmindedly not paying attention, but my shoe...I stepped down with my left foot and half was on the concrete and half was in the small rocks adjacent to it.
Correcting for the turning of my ankle, falling to the left, I instinctively went to the right. And my right foot stepped on the concrete and then my left... I was bent over, but I was gonna save this. And then I didn't.
Now living in ski country, going to college in Vermont, you learn how to recover from a slip on the ice. Kind of like learning how to drive in snow (although now with antilock brakes it's so much easier). You don't go down immediately. You learn how to go with the slip, stay somewhat erect, and ultimately regain your posture. It's a skill. So today when I slip on the ice I usually recover.
But now I was on land.
So restating this, I rolled my left ankle, then thrust forward with my right foot, and then my left and...
I wasn't gonna make it. I was gonna go down. I could see it in my brain before it happened. I was going to land on my right hand and it was going to break. There was no doubt in my mind. I've been hurt before.
So my pinkie and the outside of my right hand hit the concrete, but what I was not prepared for was what came next, my body twisted the other way and my head BANGED on the concrete.
Now I wasn't so concerned about my hand.
Could this be the end, it was for Natasha Richardson, and she fell on the snow!
Needless to say I wasn't wearing a helmet. My skull cracked down hard. And...
I lay there in a daze, moaning. Wondering if I was going to expire, whether I was on a quick trip to never never land.
I wanted attention. I figured Felice would come out and be freaked and give me some TLC. But she'd gone from the kitchen to the other side of the house and didn't hear me. So...
How long was I going to lay there before I got up?
As for my hand... It hurt, but it was not broken. I know, because I've broken my hand before. But my HEAD?
At least it was daytime. You really don't want to get a head injury at night. Because you think you're okay, go to sleep and then you die.
And I'm dazed, if not completely confused, and I look in the mirror and see a nearly golf ball-sized bump at the junction of my forehead and my hair, but I know what day it is, who the president is, so I go to the freezer and get some ice, wrap it in a cloth, put it to my head and...
Sat there.
And then started to Google.
I know, I know. you can get in trouble Googling your injuries/illnesses. But I've got a system. Not only do I go to multiple sites, I'm looking for a threshold, a line that is crossed that means you need medical help. And it's usually pretty clear. They were talking about disorientation and other maladies I did not have. And I know people who've had concussions...
2
So two days later, I had to meet Harry at République. I used to love to go there when it was Campanile, and have never had a meal equaling the old restaurant at the new one, but I've got to say, the food was FANTASTIC! Which is surprising when it's such a large space, relatively speaking.
And I got there before Harry, so I decided to go to the bathroom, which is upstairs. You go about two-thirds of the way through the restaurant and the stairs are on the right and I take one step up, and then another and then...
It's happening again. It's palpable, obvious, I'm going to hit the deck once more.
Only this time it's wood.
Diners don't have a good viewpoint of the steps, but a few turned around and I got up, relatively quickly...no, I was down for a bit, positively stunned, and then I got up, checked for obvious injuries, and went up to the bathroom, where I checked myself over in more detail. I won't say I was pain free, I was beaten up a bit, but not like when I fell in the front yard. But TWICE IN A WEEK?
I couldn't believe it. I've always considered myself to be a good athlete, coordinated. How did this happen?
Well, I investigated on the way down. And it turned out the first two steps of the stairs were different sizes. So I'm attributing my fall to that. But I hadn't fallen there before, and I was wearing New Balance sneakers and I'd love to tell you I could make sense of it all, put it all in a box and wrap it up tight with a bow, but I just put it in the back of my mind as I met Harry and we sat down for our meal. I was hurting a bit, but I saw no upside in telling him. And I wasn't hurting that bad. And we hadn't seen each other in nine months...
But I was really anxious about telling Felice. Twice in three days?
I kind of soft-pedaled it when I told her, but she both expressed concern and rolled her eyes. Was this the new normal?
3
Now I was positively stunned when we went to Colorado two weeks later and my hand still hurt. Like I said, I've been hurt before, broken multiple bones, I know when you need to go to the doctor, and this did not require medical attention. But how come I wasn't fine? I mean in the old days, in a matter of days I'd be back in one piece. But this went on and on...my hand STILL hurts!
I mean it hurt typing after the injury, not so bad I couldn't do it, and it really doesn't bother me now, although when I just reached to the upper right corner of the keyboard I felt it, but when am I going to feel okay?
My mind thought back to that day at Vail, putting on my ski boot...
These Nordicas were stiff. The higher performance boots are. Getting them on when cold is impossible. But in this case, they weren't that cold. But I'd been having trouble getting them on and I decided to use a lever, insert it in the boot to keep it open, so my leg could slide in. BIG MISTAKE!
Oh, believe me I winced. But injured? I was stunned. I was just putting my boot on.
I limped for a couple of days, which stunned me (but of course I still skied), but thought I'd be fine thereafter.
But two weeks later I was in Whistler and could barely get my boot on. I needed help.
And then hiking in the mountains, my foot kind of flopped. I couldn't pull the toes on my right foot up.
That was 2019. Now it's 2025. And I've still got a problem. It has to do with the nerve in my lower leg, about halfway up, on the side. It continues to get better, but SIX YEARS?? For a long while I couldn't do anything approximating running, the foot can still be somewhat flat. Not that I need to run, but when I see other people doing it...
And then I fell again.
4
We were at Beaver Creek. Hiking from the saddle all the way across Birds of Prey and Grouse Mountain to the lake above the ski area. It was kind of cool. Especially when we stopped at the lake on the way down, after we'd hiked about fifteen minutes past it and then turned around, not knowing how far it was to the top, and we'd been going for quite a while by this point. But sitting by the small lake on the way down...
It started to hail. Which was beautiful and hilarious. Nature will surprise you. We took video. It was funny. These little ball bearings covering us.
Now we went up so far that it was too late to make it back to the saddle and take the Chondola down, so we decided to walk all the way to the bottom. Which is long, but not super-strenuous. Oh, there are rocks for a while, but after you go past the end of the Birds of Prey race course, past the Talons restaurant, you hit a road. I won't say it's smooth, after all it's high in the mountains and it has to deal with frosts and freezes and all that snow, but...
We're just strolling down. Telling tales of our lives and then...
I'm thrown forward, very quickly. I know I'm going down. Kinda face first. And I'm scared, but it is happening faster than it did in the front yard and then BAM! I employ both my hands and arms to break the fall, I don't want to risk my head...not that I thought too much about it, it was mostly instinctual, but I FELL AGAIN??
This was just too much. I couldn't believe it. This was not funny. How did this happen? I mean I was busy bullsh*tting, I can't say that I was paying a lot of attention to where I was going/stepping, but this was a PAVED ROAD!
So we decided to investigate. Turned out there was a nub of asphalt. Not that big. Maybe half the size of a golf ball, and it turned out my boot got caught on it.
HUH?
I looked around, and there were no other nubs. Just this one.
Then again, this is the leg that has trouble, the right one, where I can't lift my toes quite as high as I can with my right, but still...
I was pretty banged up.
5
So now...
My head is okay. The ice worked wonders, really took the swelling down. I was a bit out of it for two days or so, but when the internet told me it was all right to take Tylenol...the acetaminophen took the edge off.
But my right hand...I can still feel it.
How can this be?
I mean I feel fine. This was just the luck of the draw, right? I mean there was a ready explanation for each fall, right? Or was there....
And then the other day there was an entire article about oldsters falling in the Science section:
"Why Are More Older People Dying After Falls?"
Free link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/health/falls-deaths-elderly-drugs.html?unlocked_article_code=1.k08.yGhf.O62hR4KZ5nCn&smid=url-share
The question is whether it is drugs. In my case, I don't think so, but all boomers take drugs. And if you don't...the joke is on you. They keep you alive. If you're over 60 and you still think it's healthier to take no medication...
Oh, I don't want to argue with you. People are vociferous in their opinions these days. They're right, you can't convince them otherwise, and while they're at it, YOU'RE AN IDIOT!
But, Ahmet Ertegun fell backstage at a Stones show and died.
And the article says more people may be dying from falls because we're tracking them in a way we didn't used to. It's kind of like autism... Have things changed, is there more of it, or is it now just being diagnosed?
All I know is none of us is here forever. Something's going to get us.
And it could happen when everything looks okay, when you think you're doing fine, walking back from the mailbox.
But if I'm still here, why does it take so damn long to heal?
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Neil Young At The Hollywood Bowl
1
"Doesn't mean that much to me
To mean that much to you"
Neil Young is beyond image. He's lived so long, played so long, that it's just him, sans trappings. As for his contemporaries...
They feel that they've got to convince the audience, overwhelm them, prove that they've still got it, are as important as they once were, still as meaningful, you should be wowed just to be in their presence.
But you're not.
It's creepy. So many have had plastic surgery. Because that's the image they want to project, of them in their heyday, youthful, meaningful. They're in stage outfits. And the production! The hi-def screens and the lasers, they've got to have the latest technology, to rationalize the ticket price if nothing else. It's a veritable assault. By time it's over you should feel worn out, like you've had the experience of a lifetime. But it's nowhere close. It's just old people playing old songs.
And then there's Neil Young.
He seemed to be having fun.
Let's be clear, he doesn't need the money. He made that Hipgnosis deal, never mind the cash he's already got. As for losing that money to his ex-wife... She died and probably left it to his children, so that kind of equalizes the equation. In any event, he's got a ton of bread.
But what are you gonna do with all that money? Do you need a plane? How many houses can you buy, never mind needing to manage them.
So at the end of the day, you're a musician.
Let's be clear, so many are not, especially of the younger generation. They're two dimensional constructs made to front the work of behind the scenes writers and producers. Did you see who's headlining Coachella? Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G? A big time concert promoter told me he was gonna retire because he was sick of presenting music he didn't like. I give Paul Tollett credit for changing with the ages, forgetting the old acts that he used to hire to headline, but these acts? The attendees are not going so much to see them as to show off, shoot selfies of their outfits. There's not much there. It's showbiz, but more pre-Beatles than anything else.
So Neil Young shows up on stage in the clothing he wears off stage. This was a thing back when he broke through in 1970. But his contemporaries, they started showing up in tuxes at awards shows, wearing dignified clothing on stage. I can't remember ever seeing Neil in a tux, he's stayed true to himself when so many have not.
2
So the Chrome Hearts are the best band Neil's played with since Crazy Horse. No one is hogging the spotlight, everybody's just doing their job, however, bass player Corey McCormick was really into it, in a way the oldsters never are. He's bouncing on stage, singing into the mic, he was in the moment, the audience was secondary, he had the music in him.
And Micah Nelson never showed off. Towards the very end he had the spotlight upon him, and he threw off a solo, but otherwise he blended in, which is the goal of a band, right?
As for drummer Anthony LoGerfo... Most drummers are demonstrating their physicality, oftentimes showing off. This guy was so relaxed it was almost like he was playing at a bar mitzvah. I mean it's the music that counts, right? It is show business, but he's not the star, he's just doing his job, simply.
And on keys Spooner Oldham. Reminded me of seeing Chris Spedding playing with Bryan Ferry. A legend as a sideman, amazing!
But that's all in support of Neil. Not that he's hogging the spotlight. He barely talks to the audience. Except when someone down front said happy birthday and he said IT'S NOT MY BIRTHDAY! This was not HELLO CLEVELAND!
The focus was on the music.
The opener was "Ambulance Blues." The last song from 1974's "On the Beach," the first record after the live album "Time Fades Away," which pushed all the soft rock fans of "Harvest" away. Neil continued to make good albums thereafter, but he wasn't truly up front and center again until 1979's "Rust Never Sleeps," with "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)." And he sang it last night, but the funny thing is rock and roll has died. Not only in terms of dominance, but in terms of pushing the art form forward.
But if I told you I could hum "Ambulance Blues" before last night I'd be lying, even though I bought "On the Beach" when it came out. "Walk On"? Certainly. But not this.
But Neil's keeping the show interesting to him. A little of this, a little of that. He's got a giant catalog. And some were hits, but once you enter this century, none of these old acts have hits. Does that mean you should ignore less familiar work if it's good? NO!
Like "Sun Green." That's why I wanted to go, to hear this track from "Greendale," which I loved. And he played "Be the Rain" from that project too. These songs I know well.
But song #2 was "Cowgirl in the Sand." I can't say I bought Neil's solo debut when it came out, but I did purchase "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere." Everybody likes "Cinnamon Girl," which is great, the outro is amazing, but the best songs on that album are the side closers, "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand." And at some shows Neil has played the former, but at this one he played the latter. You know, with the verses and then the extended solos... This show was not for the faint of heart. If you don't like loud and noisy, this was not for you. Not every song, but when the number called for it... Neil would pick out notes on his black Les Paul and it was like being in the garage, in that there was no need to get it exactly right, but more to make a glorious sound all together, to be in the moment and feel the music. And there was one additional instrumental section beyond the recorded take before a final hosanna.
And that's one thing I noticed, how different the experience was listening to these live takes as opposed to the records, which I've played ad infinitum. No matter how well they were recorded, they sound different. They're set in amber, they're encapsulated, whereas the live versions were truly alive, they breathed, you could feel the humanity within. There are no hard drives, this is all done without a net.
With no production, the music is enough.
3
"Southern Man"?
Check.
"Ohio"?
I wondered if he would change the lyrics, make them contemporary, but it was still Nixon coming.
"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" was never my favorite on "After the Gold Rush," but it was less sing-songy and more heartfelt here.
And sure, everybody loved "Like a Hurricane," which sounds like a hurricane, and "Hey Hey, My My," but some of the biggest applause came after the performance of "Big Crime."
"No more great again
No more great again
Got big crime in DC at the White House"
Neil's not afraid.
"Don't need no fascist rules
Don't want no fascist schools
Don't want soldiers walking on our streets"
In a world where everybody with something to lose, a company, a job, is kissing Trump's ass, Neil sees no need to. And isn't that the role of the artist, to speak truth to power? We need that now more than ever. And Neil's fans were on his side. Not that he cared if he pissed a Trumper off.
But the highlight was "Old Man."
4
"Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were"
The second most famous song on "Harvest," which dominated the airwaves in the winter and spring of 1972.
Sure, the hit was the mellow "Heart of Gold," but the other track that stood out was "Old Man," in an era where the music was for the young people, who believed they ruled.
This was an era where the old people didn't want to be young. I mean no one wants to die, but believe me, our parents weren't envying our lifestyles, donning our clothing and listening to our music, no way.
"Old man, look at my life
Twenty four and there's so much more"
TWENTY FOUR??? Neil is now seventy nine. And how old are you? Most of his original fans are septuagenarians. How in the hell did he write this, record so much great material at twenty four? He was wise beyond his years.
Then again, Neil said the last time he played the Hollywood Bowl was in the sixties, with Stephen and Buffalo Springfield.
So much time has passed, how did we become the old men?
And it was mostly old people in attendance, a lot of gray hair. They stuck with Neil, they were not casual fans, this was a pilgrimage.
"I've been first and last
Look at how the time goes past"
It was about winning. That was the culture of the boomers. Sure, it was kumbaya around the campfire, but you wanted to stick out, leave your mark, be a champion.
And now it's all irrelevant.
All that time has gone past. Can we have some perspective?
For a lot of people, no. They're the ones going to the show to live the days of yore, subjected to a calcified performance by people stuck in an era long past.
Last night's show definitely existed in the present.
And it really wasn't about a show, it wasn't about what you saw, but what you heard. It really wasn't that much different from the seventies.
I won't quite say Neil's stuck there as much as he never sold out, never forsook his values, he stayed true to himself when almost none of his contemporaries did. And that makes him a revelation.
Neil Young is not warm and fuzzy. What you see is what you get. At this point he's not worried about satiating you, he's not playing to the audience, hell, a lot of the time he was playing to the other band members, but he's comfortable in his skin and his work and knows enough people are interested that he doesn't have to grovel for ticket sales. This is what he does and it resonates.
So...
How much longer will he be able to do this?
Today Dave Mason retired. And Robert Redford died. The endless road does not go on forever.
And what is a life about. Think about this, Neil Young devoted his entire life to making music. That's his mark. And unlike so many he never stopped making albums, wasn't worried about commercial acceptance, he's an artist and artists produce.
So...
There were some hits and some deep cuts, you didn't feel like you were getting a set show, you knew not only that another night would feature different songs, but even the same songs would sound a little different.
The music was alive. That's the magic of the concert experience, which can never be replicated by a stream.
This was not a finale, but just another stop on an endless road. He's on his journey and so are we. Last night we connected at the Hollywood Bowl, we'll reconnect in the future, down the line. With new stories and new songs. The same but different, like life itself.
So roll another number for the road.
That's what Neil and the Chrome Hearts did before they left the stage last night.
I hope you did too.
It's all about keepin' on. With your eyes open. Never forgetting the past, but continuing to think and grow.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
"Doesn't mean that much to me
To mean that much to you"
Neil Young is beyond image. He's lived so long, played so long, that it's just him, sans trappings. As for his contemporaries...
They feel that they've got to convince the audience, overwhelm them, prove that they've still got it, are as important as they once were, still as meaningful, you should be wowed just to be in their presence.
But you're not.
It's creepy. So many have had plastic surgery. Because that's the image they want to project, of them in their heyday, youthful, meaningful. They're in stage outfits. And the production! The hi-def screens and the lasers, they've got to have the latest technology, to rationalize the ticket price if nothing else. It's a veritable assault. By time it's over you should feel worn out, like you've had the experience of a lifetime. But it's nowhere close. It's just old people playing old songs.
And then there's Neil Young.
He seemed to be having fun.
Let's be clear, he doesn't need the money. He made that Hipgnosis deal, never mind the cash he's already got. As for losing that money to his ex-wife... She died and probably left it to his children, so that kind of equalizes the equation. In any event, he's got a ton of bread.
But what are you gonna do with all that money? Do you need a plane? How many houses can you buy, never mind needing to manage them.
So at the end of the day, you're a musician.
Let's be clear, so many are not, especially of the younger generation. They're two dimensional constructs made to front the work of behind the scenes writers and producers. Did you see who's headlining Coachella? Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G? A big time concert promoter told me he was gonna retire because he was sick of presenting music he didn't like. I give Paul Tollett credit for changing with the ages, forgetting the old acts that he used to hire to headline, but these acts? The attendees are not going so much to see them as to show off, shoot selfies of their outfits. There's not much there. It's showbiz, but more pre-Beatles than anything else.
So Neil Young shows up on stage in the clothing he wears off stage. This was a thing back when he broke through in 1970. But his contemporaries, they started showing up in tuxes at awards shows, wearing dignified clothing on stage. I can't remember ever seeing Neil in a tux, he's stayed true to himself when so many have not.
2
So the Chrome Hearts are the best band Neil's played with since Crazy Horse. No one is hogging the spotlight, everybody's just doing their job, however, bass player Corey McCormick was really into it, in a way the oldsters never are. He's bouncing on stage, singing into the mic, he was in the moment, the audience was secondary, he had the music in him.
And Micah Nelson never showed off. Towards the very end he had the spotlight upon him, and he threw off a solo, but otherwise he blended in, which is the goal of a band, right?
As for drummer Anthony LoGerfo... Most drummers are demonstrating their physicality, oftentimes showing off. This guy was so relaxed it was almost like he was playing at a bar mitzvah. I mean it's the music that counts, right? It is show business, but he's not the star, he's just doing his job, simply.
And on keys Spooner Oldham. Reminded me of seeing Chris Spedding playing with Bryan Ferry. A legend as a sideman, amazing!
But that's all in support of Neil. Not that he's hogging the spotlight. He barely talks to the audience. Except when someone down front said happy birthday and he said IT'S NOT MY BIRTHDAY! This was not HELLO CLEVELAND!
The focus was on the music.
The opener was "Ambulance Blues." The last song from 1974's "On the Beach," the first record after the live album "Time Fades Away," which pushed all the soft rock fans of "Harvest" away. Neil continued to make good albums thereafter, but he wasn't truly up front and center again until 1979's "Rust Never Sleeps," with "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)." And he sang it last night, but the funny thing is rock and roll has died. Not only in terms of dominance, but in terms of pushing the art form forward.
But if I told you I could hum "Ambulance Blues" before last night I'd be lying, even though I bought "On the Beach" when it came out. "Walk On"? Certainly. But not this.
But Neil's keeping the show interesting to him. A little of this, a little of that. He's got a giant catalog. And some were hits, but once you enter this century, none of these old acts have hits. Does that mean you should ignore less familiar work if it's good? NO!
Like "Sun Green." That's why I wanted to go, to hear this track from "Greendale," which I loved. And he played "Be the Rain" from that project too. These songs I know well.
But song #2 was "Cowgirl in the Sand." I can't say I bought Neil's solo debut when it came out, but I did purchase "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere." Everybody likes "Cinnamon Girl," which is great, the outro is amazing, but the best songs on that album are the side closers, "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand." And at some shows Neil has played the former, but at this one he played the latter. You know, with the verses and then the extended solos... This show was not for the faint of heart. If you don't like loud and noisy, this was not for you. Not every song, but when the number called for it... Neil would pick out notes on his black Les Paul and it was like being in the garage, in that there was no need to get it exactly right, but more to make a glorious sound all together, to be in the moment and feel the music. And there was one additional instrumental section beyond the recorded take before a final hosanna.
And that's one thing I noticed, how different the experience was listening to these live takes as opposed to the records, which I've played ad infinitum. No matter how well they were recorded, they sound different. They're set in amber, they're encapsulated, whereas the live versions were truly alive, they breathed, you could feel the humanity within. There are no hard drives, this is all done without a net.
With no production, the music is enough.
3
"Southern Man"?
Check.
"Ohio"?
I wondered if he would change the lyrics, make them contemporary, but it was still Nixon coming.
"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" was never my favorite on "After the Gold Rush," but it was less sing-songy and more heartfelt here.
And sure, everybody loved "Like a Hurricane," which sounds like a hurricane, and "Hey Hey, My My," but some of the biggest applause came after the performance of "Big Crime."
"No more great again
No more great again
Got big crime in DC at the White House"
Neil's not afraid.
"Don't need no fascist rules
Don't want no fascist schools
Don't want soldiers walking on our streets"
In a world where everybody with something to lose, a company, a job, is kissing Trump's ass, Neil sees no need to. And isn't that the role of the artist, to speak truth to power? We need that now more than ever. And Neil's fans were on his side. Not that he cared if he pissed a Trumper off.
But the highlight was "Old Man."
4
"Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were"
The second most famous song on "Harvest," which dominated the airwaves in the winter and spring of 1972.
Sure, the hit was the mellow "Heart of Gold," but the other track that stood out was "Old Man," in an era where the music was for the young people, who believed they ruled.
This was an era where the old people didn't want to be young. I mean no one wants to die, but believe me, our parents weren't envying our lifestyles, donning our clothing and listening to our music, no way.
"Old man, look at my life
Twenty four and there's so much more"
TWENTY FOUR??? Neil is now seventy nine. And how old are you? Most of his original fans are septuagenarians. How in the hell did he write this, record so much great material at twenty four? He was wise beyond his years.
Then again, Neil said the last time he played the Hollywood Bowl was in the sixties, with Stephen and Buffalo Springfield.
So much time has passed, how did we become the old men?
And it was mostly old people in attendance, a lot of gray hair. They stuck with Neil, they were not casual fans, this was a pilgrimage.
"I've been first and last
Look at how the time goes past"
It was about winning. That was the culture of the boomers. Sure, it was kumbaya around the campfire, but you wanted to stick out, leave your mark, be a champion.
And now it's all irrelevant.
All that time has gone past. Can we have some perspective?
For a lot of people, no. They're the ones going to the show to live the days of yore, subjected to a calcified performance by people stuck in an era long past.
Last night's show definitely existed in the present.
And it really wasn't about a show, it wasn't about what you saw, but what you heard. It really wasn't that much different from the seventies.
I won't quite say Neil's stuck there as much as he never sold out, never forsook his values, he stayed true to himself when almost none of his contemporaries did. And that makes him a revelation.
Neil Young is not warm and fuzzy. What you see is what you get. At this point he's not worried about satiating you, he's not playing to the audience, hell, a lot of the time he was playing to the other band members, but he's comfortable in his skin and his work and knows enough people are interested that he doesn't have to grovel for ticket sales. This is what he does and it resonates.
So...
How much longer will he be able to do this?
Today Dave Mason retired. And Robert Redford died. The endless road does not go on forever.
And what is a life about. Think about this, Neil Young devoted his entire life to making music. That's his mark. And unlike so many he never stopped making albums, wasn't worried about commercial acceptance, he's an artist and artists produce.
So...
There were some hits and some deep cuts, you didn't feel like you were getting a set show, you knew not only that another night would feature different songs, but even the same songs would sound a little different.
The music was alive. That's the magic of the concert experience, which can never be replicated by a stream.
This was not a finale, but just another stop on an endless road. He's on his journey and so are we. Last night we connected at the Hollywood Bowl, we'll reconnect in the future, down the line. With new stories and new songs. The same but different, like life itself.
So roll another number for the road.
That's what Neil and the Chrome Hearts did before they left the stage last night.
I hope you did too.
It's all about keepin' on. With your eyes open. Never forgetting the past, but continuing to think and grow.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Monday, 15 September 2025
Mailbag
Re: Inaccessibility
Hi Bob,
For those that don't hate Pablo Cruise ... at my first meeting with the band, I was immediately taken with their incredible drummer Steve Price, and the original bass player Bud Cockrell. Man could they groove! Bud was a Southern boy and had a wonderful gritty voice that went well with guitarist David Jenkins' smoother higher voice. The vocal tradeoffs in "Whatcha Gonna Do?" show that perfectly. But right when "WGD" was flying up the charts, Bud's wife made him quit the band and start a duo with her. If the band's loss of Bud's singing, playing, and songwriting hadn't happened, I'm convinced they would have placed a much deeper stake in the ground.
Best,
Bill Schnee
________________________________
Subject: RE: The Mike Campbell Autobiography-1
Hi Bob,
I'm very glad you wrote about Mike's book. I loved it! And surprise of surprises, I bought the audiobook, with Mike reading it himself. Is he Mr. Elocution? He is not. Is he Len Cariou or one of the premier audio book specialists? He is not. But his reading has so much charm and so much heart and so much down-to-earth honesty that I couldn't wait to finish it. This is one where I highly recommend you buy the hardcover and pay a little extra to Audible.com and get the audio version as well.
My favorite parts? The story of "Boys of Summer" and his bewilderment at the way Don came up with the lyrics. The story of how he almost sold his house and at the last minute went against his business manager's advice and kept it. And, of course, his dedication to being a family man in the maelstrom that is the rock and roll life.
Not a Heartbreaker.... this book is a Heartwarmer.
Best,
John Boylan
________________________________
From: Simon Aleman
Subject: Meta is killing Venues
Bob, investigate the targeting changes made by meta this spring. Small venues can no longer do detailed targeting to get their show adds in front of people who like specific bands. All detailed targeting has been rolled up into very broad categories like "Indie Music" and "Metal Music". Unlike a jewelry store or a brand of clothing, venues need to NOT get the word out to the 500,000-1,000,000 people in their area. They need to get the add in front of the 20-40,000 people who like particular band and similar bands. I could go on for days about how this is killing us. Please look into it and make some noise.
Thanks,
Simon
Owner
The Vanguard Music Hall, Tulsa, OK
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Hi Bob,
For those that don't hate Pablo Cruise ... at my first meeting with the band, I was immediately taken with their incredible drummer Steve Price, and the original bass player Bud Cockrell. Man could they groove! Bud was a Southern boy and had a wonderful gritty voice that went well with guitarist David Jenkins' smoother higher voice. The vocal tradeoffs in "Whatcha Gonna Do?" show that perfectly. But right when "WGD" was flying up the charts, Bud's wife made him quit the band and start a duo with her. If the band's loss of Bud's singing, playing, and songwriting hadn't happened, I'm convinced they would have placed a much deeper stake in the ground.
Best,
Bill Schnee
________________________________
Subject: RE: The Mike Campbell Autobiography-1
Hi Bob,
I'm very glad you wrote about Mike's book. I loved it! And surprise of surprises, I bought the audiobook, with Mike reading it himself. Is he Mr. Elocution? He is not. Is he Len Cariou or one of the premier audio book specialists? He is not. But his reading has so much charm and so much heart and so much down-to-earth honesty that I couldn't wait to finish it. This is one where I highly recommend you buy the hardcover and pay a little extra to Audible.com and get the audio version as well.
My favorite parts? The story of "Boys of Summer" and his bewilderment at the way Don came up with the lyrics. The story of how he almost sold his house and at the last minute went against his business manager's advice and kept it. And, of course, his dedication to being a family man in the maelstrom that is the rock and roll life.
Not a Heartbreaker.... this book is a Heartwarmer.
Best,
John Boylan
________________________________
From: Simon Aleman
Subject: Meta is killing Venues
Bob, investigate the targeting changes made by meta this spring. Small venues can no longer do detailed targeting to get their show adds in front of people who like specific bands. All detailed targeting has been rolled up into very broad categories like "Indie Music" and "Metal Music". Unlike a jewelry store or a brand of clothing, venues need to NOT get the word out to the 500,000-1,000,000 people in their area. They need to get the add in front of the 20-40,000 people who like particular band and similar bands. I could go on for days about how this is killing us. Please look into it and make some noise.
Thanks,
Simon
Owner
The Vanguard Music Hall, Tulsa, OK
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Sunday, 14 September 2025
Inaccessibility
Spotify playlist: http://bit.ly/3VMQy5l
The music meant more because the people who made it were inaccessible. Now you can reach your favorite artist on social media, or they can make you a birthday greeting on Cameo...is that still a thing? Used to be broke artists scrounged up cash off the radar screen, now they trade on their fame right in front of us.
So we were cruising down the 101 and Pure Prairie League's "Amie" came on. A fantastic song that I may have heard too much, but as I let it play the lyrics came alive in a way they never had before.
"I can see why you think you belong to me
I never tried to make you think or let you see
One thing for yourself
But now you're off with someone else and I'm alone
You see I thought that I might keep you for my own"
The sixties ushered in the era of free love, as a result of the birth control pill. But so many of the social mores didn't really change until the seventies. In the sixties, you might still get married out of college. By the seventies? You probably had multiple relationships before you settled down.
Like with Amie.
But he treated her badly and she moved on. This is something controlling men frequently cannot foresee. They think everything is copacetic, but that's just because their significant other is living in a box, wherein she cannot express a contrary opinion, cannot go out without giving you notice, and will then be questioned ad infinitum. And by time the ex moves on...she's been gone in her mind for a long time, it's just a matter of making the move, and despite the protestations of the man she's never coming back. People don't come back to controlling relationships after they've gained their freedom.
Once again, controlling people usually don't realize it. They control the other person to assuage their anxiety, but life is all about anxiety, nothing is solid except the ground under your feet, and sometimes that shakes.
So who was Amie? This had to be a real story. All these songs are. Which is another reason why oldsters have a hard time writing new material, their lives are not in flux, they're not busy figuring it out, constantly in different situations, they're settled.
And as I was listening to "Amie" I realized that they don't make records like this anymore. First and foremost, because today's music requires more edge, but also the economics were different. By time we hit the seventies, if you had a deal you made your album in a multitrack studio and had enough money and time to get the sound right. Almost no one is given that money today.
So the records were listened to were professional. To the point where when the Ramones came along, it was about undercutting the perfection of the years before.
But perfection carried on.
I also heard Pablo Cruise's "Watcha Gonna Do."
Now I came to love Pablo Cruise's "A Place in the Sun" because of its sync in "An Unmarried Woman," a Jill Clayburgh film that's been lost to the sands of time. She's gone, as is the filmmaker, Paul Mazursky. They don't make this kind of story anymore, but once upon a time...
Jill finds herself suddenly single in the apartment. And then the music starts to play and her mood completely changes, she starts to dance.
"Love always promises to last forever, but sometimes it just don't work out
'Cause laughing lighthearted tunes, oh, sometimes they turn to blues"
Ain't that the truth. And you have to find your place in the sun.
And I know people hate Pablo Cruise, and I was not a fan of their hit "Love Will Find a Way," but I found a promo copy of the "A Place in the Sun" album and I'd drop the needle...
"Everybody's heart needs a holiday sometime"
Yes, but then the album segues into "Watcha Gonna Do."
"Watcha gonna do when she says goodbye
Watcha gonna do when she is gone"
What are you gonna do?
"So you're having trouble with your romance
Well, you better check it out before it goes, yeah
'Cause you might not be seeing things just the way you should
And you don't recognize what everybody knows"
Hmm... Isn't this the same message as "Amie"?
And one thing is for sure, these Pablo Cruise cuts were not made on the cheap. You spent the bucks in the hope you'd get a ton of bucks in return.
All the big recording innovations had already taken place at warp speed in the sixties and early seventies. From mono to stereo to four track to eight track to sixteen to ultimately twenty four tracks.
Then it became about software, i.e. the music.
Like in tech. From 1995-2005, maybe 2010, it was an explosion of innovation. But in music, streaming won, and now it's a matter of the software once again, the music.
And I'm thinking of the billions of streams of "Blinding Lights." That's big, but not as big as the music used to be.
You can see Abel in a bad television series and movie. There's no mystery here. Kendrick Lamar boosted his career by talking about the private life of Drake. The whole world was backstage, but in the seventies going backstage was a near impossibility, and if you got there whatever happened was off the record, there were no smartphones recording video, it was a secret society and a secret life.
We were exposed on the radio. We bought records and went to see our favorite acts live.
And it wasn't entertainment, it was a religious experience. They were right there, on stage, playing your favorite tunes!
Ironically, all these years later so many of these same people are plying the boards, living in the past, and it's kind of creepy, but...
Back then if you were a listener, you were anonymous. You couldn't hate on people online. You had no belief you were equal to the stars, no way. And there was no bigger star than a musician, the biggest of whom wrote their own material, told their story, revealed their inner life and all you could do at home was listen, the backstory was mostly hidden. And therefore the stars were higher and the hoi polloi were lower.
We're never going back to that era, we can't.
But it was different.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
The music meant more because the people who made it were inaccessible. Now you can reach your favorite artist on social media, or they can make you a birthday greeting on Cameo...is that still a thing? Used to be broke artists scrounged up cash off the radar screen, now they trade on their fame right in front of us.
So we were cruising down the 101 and Pure Prairie League's "Amie" came on. A fantastic song that I may have heard too much, but as I let it play the lyrics came alive in a way they never had before.
"I can see why you think you belong to me
I never tried to make you think or let you see
One thing for yourself
But now you're off with someone else and I'm alone
You see I thought that I might keep you for my own"
The sixties ushered in the era of free love, as a result of the birth control pill. But so many of the social mores didn't really change until the seventies. In the sixties, you might still get married out of college. By the seventies? You probably had multiple relationships before you settled down.
Like with Amie.
But he treated her badly and she moved on. This is something controlling men frequently cannot foresee. They think everything is copacetic, but that's just because their significant other is living in a box, wherein she cannot express a contrary opinion, cannot go out without giving you notice, and will then be questioned ad infinitum. And by time the ex moves on...she's been gone in her mind for a long time, it's just a matter of making the move, and despite the protestations of the man she's never coming back. People don't come back to controlling relationships after they've gained their freedom.
Once again, controlling people usually don't realize it. They control the other person to assuage their anxiety, but life is all about anxiety, nothing is solid except the ground under your feet, and sometimes that shakes.
So who was Amie? This had to be a real story. All these songs are. Which is another reason why oldsters have a hard time writing new material, their lives are not in flux, they're not busy figuring it out, constantly in different situations, they're settled.
And as I was listening to "Amie" I realized that they don't make records like this anymore. First and foremost, because today's music requires more edge, but also the economics were different. By time we hit the seventies, if you had a deal you made your album in a multitrack studio and had enough money and time to get the sound right. Almost no one is given that money today.
So the records were listened to were professional. To the point where when the Ramones came along, it was about undercutting the perfection of the years before.
But perfection carried on.
I also heard Pablo Cruise's "Watcha Gonna Do."
Now I came to love Pablo Cruise's "A Place in the Sun" because of its sync in "An Unmarried Woman," a Jill Clayburgh film that's been lost to the sands of time. She's gone, as is the filmmaker, Paul Mazursky. They don't make this kind of story anymore, but once upon a time...
Jill finds herself suddenly single in the apartment. And then the music starts to play and her mood completely changes, she starts to dance.
"Love always promises to last forever, but sometimes it just don't work out
'Cause laughing lighthearted tunes, oh, sometimes they turn to blues"
Ain't that the truth. And you have to find your place in the sun.
And I know people hate Pablo Cruise, and I was not a fan of their hit "Love Will Find a Way," but I found a promo copy of the "A Place in the Sun" album and I'd drop the needle...
"Everybody's heart needs a holiday sometime"
Yes, but then the album segues into "Watcha Gonna Do."
"Watcha gonna do when she says goodbye
Watcha gonna do when she is gone"
What are you gonna do?
"So you're having trouble with your romance
Well, you better check it out before it goes, yeah
'Cause you might not be seeing things just the way you should
And you don't recognize what everybody knows"
Hmm... Isn't this the same message as "Amie"?
And one thing is for sure, these Pablo Cruise cuts were not made on the cheap. You spent the bucks in the hope you'd get a ton of bucks in return.
All the big recording innovations had already taken place at warp speed in the sixties and early seventies. From mono to stereo to four track to eight track to sixteen to ultimately twenty four tracks.
Then it became about software, i.e. the music.
Like in tech. From 1995-2005, maybe 2010, it was an explosion of innovation. But in music, streaming won, and now it's a matter of the software once again, the music.
And I'm thinking of the billions of streams of "Blinding Lights." That's big, but not as big as the music used to be.
You can see Abel in a bad television series and movie. There's no mystery here. Kendrick Lamar boosted his career by talking about the private life of Drake. The whole world was backstage, but in the seventies going backstage was a near impossibility, and if you got there whatever happened was off the record, there were no smartphones recording video, it was a secret society and a secret life.
We were exposed on the radio. We bought records and went to see our favorite acts live.
And it wasn't entertainment, it was a religious experience. They were right there, on stage, playing your favorite tunes!
Ironically, all these years later so many of these same people are plying the boards, living in the past, and it's kind of creepy, but...
Back then if you were a listener, you were anonymous. You couldn't hate on people online. You had no belief you were equal to the stars, no way. And there was no bigger star than a musician, the biggest of whom wrote their own material, told their story, revealed their inner life and all you could do at home was listen, the backstory was mostly hidden. And therefore the stars were higher and the hoi polloi were lower.
We're never going back to that era, we can't.
But it was different.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25