In an era of lies, Jimmy Kimmel firing back at Aaron Rodgers marks a welcome shift

Good for Jimmy Kimmel.

Isn’t it long past time for Aaron Rodgers to just shut up?

Rodgers, the New York Jets quarterback and frequent guest on “The Pat McAfee Show,” his preferred platform for spreading lunatic views (and where he has been paid more than $1 million for his appearances), made a comment about Kimmel on Tuesday, Jan. 2, that drew a harsh response from the late-night talk-show host, as well as legal threats.

About time. More people should follow Kimmel’s example. If someone is going to make baseless claims or tell lies about you, don’t just sit there and take it. Pick your battles, obviously, but there is no reason the loudest mouth should always get the last word.

What did Aaron Rodgers say about Jimmy Kimmel?

During Tuesday’s show, the topic of the names on the list of associates of Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, came up. (They cover a lot of ground on that show, obviously.) The names could be released as early as this week. Rodgers proceeded to say, “A lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, are hoping that doesn’t come out.”

Ahem.

McAfee quickly scrambled to say that Rodgers was responding to a bit in March in which Kimmel played a clip of McAfee’s show where Rodgers had brought up the Epstein list, then joked about Rodgers, saying, it might be time “to revisit the concussion protocol.”

No matter. Kimmel, who attended Arizona State University, wasn’t having it. He posted a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying, “Dear A-----e: for the record, I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any ‘list’ other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can’t seem to distinguish from reality. Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court.”

The legal threat is what makes this newsworthy. It’s the sentence before it that makes it important. Reckless words are indeed dangerous.

(An interesting aside: Both "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and "The Pat McAfee Show" are owned by Disney. There are probably not a lot of people in suits smiling about any of this. McAfee apologized, sort of, on Wednesday's show.)

'The Pat McAfee Show' is Rodgers' safe place for lunatic theories

Reminder: Words have power, and they have impact. When Rodgers goes on a popular show and makes fun of Travis Kelce for being vaccinated against COVID-19, what do Rodgers’ fans think? Granted, no one should be turning to an NFL quarterback for medical advice, but clearly some do. (And it’s not just athletes. If you’ll let Joe Rogan be your touchstone to health issues, you’ll let anyone.)

Threats and harassment, including online, are a legitimate danger. Ask Bill Gates, a Maricopa County Supervisor who isn’t seeking reelection in 2024. He was diagnosed with PTSD as a result of election-related harassment — harassment based on false allegations of fraud. Gates is just one of many officials who have had enough with the lies and attacks.

No wonder Kimmel responded the way he did. More people in his situation should, no matter who they are. Putting an American flag in your social-media profile and wearing a MAGA hat in the picture doesn’t make you a patriot. (It doesn’t prevent you from being one, either, but it’s not automatic.) Nor does spouting nonsense to like-minded people make you worth listening to. Speaking of, what’s Tucker Carlson doing these days?

This isn’t an attempt to ban speech, or impugn anyone’s First Amendment rights. Rogers can say whatever he wants, obviously. McAfee’s show is a safe space for his bizarre ramblings. But he can also face consequences for, as Kimmel put it, his reckless words. Ask Rudolph Giuliani, who was ordered to pay $148 million to the election workers in Georgia he defamed. There are limits on everything.

No one wants an extended back-and-forth between famous people sniping at each other. Life’s too short. But sometimes you have to fight back, and 2024 promises to offer plenty of opportunities.

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Reach Goodykoontz at [email protected]. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. X, formerly known as Twitter,: @goodyk.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jimmy Kimmel and Aaron Rodgers spat marks a shift in battle for truth