That was fast.
Country singer Jelly Roll spent the week subbing for far-Left Jimmy Kimmel on late-night TV. That meant leaning on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" scribes to pen his monologue jokes.
Yeah, it went about as well as we might have expected.
Trump bad! Trump dumb! Trump fat! Trump [fill-in-the-blank].
Now, President Donald Trump is in the White House, and that means he should be the target of satirical smart bombs. Except your average Kimmel gag is neither smart nor satirical. Just angry. Loud. Mean.
Purposeful.
And naughty Democrats escape the show's wrath night after night. Week after week. That was the case with his monologues, too. Seems his killer lines mocking Hasan Piker or the Democrats who adore him got left behind.
So after Mr. Roll delivered what we all expected, he got a mite defensive. He called out Trump supporters who complained about his unfunny, obvious Trump jabs.
For those who threatened to stop listening to my music based on my comments last night, I just want to say with conviction: Go right ahead.
Sick burn! For 24 hours, that is.
Mr. Roll returned for his fourth and final "Live!" hosting gig Thursday. Suddenly, he was singing a different tune. He spent his final monologue backpedaling his anti-Trump stance.
Imagine the feedback he got from country music fans this week. Why else do a complete 180?
First, he played dumb.
I was just telling it like it is. And for some reason, that seemed to freak a lot of people out.
We're not stupid, Mr. Roll. Move on.
Next, he played the Centrist Card.
Hosting Jimmy Kimmel's show doesn't mean I have all of Jimmy Kimmel's politics. Sure, I lean left on some things, but like most folks I'm pretty down the middle.
That's why he agreed to host an angry, far-Left showcase. Did his "Gutfeld!" invite get lost in the mail?
He eventually went the Full Kimmel. He cried mid-monologue.
We may disagree. We may argue. We may vote completely. But let's try not to let the couple of things we disagree about forget the hundreds and hundreds of things we have in common ... My daddy was right about that. And he was right about something else: It is never too late to do the right thing. And I hope that tonight, while he's looking down from Heaven, I made him proud.
So, should Trump fans still avoid your music? He left that question unanswered.
The singer should have used the entire week to share that sentiment. It would have been jarring coming from this ABC showcase, but it would have been a welcome departure. Heck, it might have given the show's hard-left writers something to think about.
Instead, he let the show's anger wash over him.
One thing is clear. Whatever agent, rep or colleague suggested he guest-host "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" should get a countrified tongue lashing. This week was not a plus, let alone a win, for Mr. Roll.
