The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Hour 1 – "You Are a Gift"
Date: September 19, 2025
Host: Buck Sexton (solo; Clay Travis speaking to youth in Michigan)
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This hour centers on the media fallout surrounding Jimmy Kimmel’s indefinite suspension from ABC following controversial comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Buck Sexton explores the broader implications for media, free speech, and the changing landscape of late-night television, weaving in insights on double standards, corporate accountability, and the decline of mainstream comedy shows. The episode also features listener calls reflecting on the historical context of late-night comedy versus its current hyper-partisan state.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Stage: A Media Reckoning

[04:00]

• Buck introduces the episode as a solo show—Clay is in Michigan—and immediately delves into the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel’s “indefinite suspension” from ABC after inflammatory remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
• Sexton positions the Kimmel situation as indicative of broader shifts in the media industry, especially as Trump’s administration returns:

  "It’s a new world in this Trump 2.0. There’s a new sheriff in town. His name is Donald Trump." [05:30]

2. The Kimmel Suspension: Free Speech or Business Call?

[09:30]

• Sexton outlines the sequence of events leading up to the Kimmel suspension, referencing the Wall Street Journal’s reporting:
  • FCC Chair Brendan Carr criticized Kimmel's remarks.
  • Executives at ABC/Disney were pressured as affiliates and advertisers voiced concerns.
  • After internal discussions, including with Disney co-chair Dana Walden and CEO Bob Iger, the choice was made to suspend Kimmel.
• Buck’s argument: Disney’s decision is not fundamentally a First Amendment/free speech issue, but a pragmatic business move in response to consumer and affiliate backlash.

  “Jimmy Kimmel isn’t worth the headache, isn’t talented, isn’t getting good ratings, isn’t making them money.” [12:00]

3. Double Standards & Authoritarianism

[14:30]

• Buck criticizes the left for only championing free speech when convenient, noting past crackdowns on speech by tech firms allegedly pressured by Democrats.
• He points out a longstanding double standard, claiming conservatives are held to stricter speech codes, but acknowledges some workplace boundaries are legitimate.

  “The left doesn’t care about free speech at all. They’re the ultimate authoritarians.” [17:00]

4. The Decline of Late-Night Comedy

[20:00]

• Buck laments that late-night hosts like Kimmel and Colbert are “crappy political pundits who have people that also write jokes for them.”
• He recalls the era where such shows were about “lightness and laughter at the end of their day,” contrasting this with today's climate of ridicule and contempt towards half the country.
• Notable criticism:

  “They have betrayed their craft of comedy... Not interested in laughing together, but want to laugh at...” [22:30]

5. Responses from Other Hosts: Colbert & Letterman

[24:00]

• Stephen Colbert’s reaction: “We’re all Jimmy Kimmel.” Buck dismisses this, asserting only other “overpaid, snide, underperforming, left-wing jerks” feel kinship.

  “No, only you are Jimmy Kimmel in that you, Stephen Colbert, are also a... jerk." [24:35]

• David Letterman’s defense of Kimmel as a victim of “managed media” is rebutted as naive; Buck argues corporate decisions about talent and audience aren’t sinister:

  “No, you actually can, Letterman… They have every right, every right to say, see you later, sayonara.” [38:00]

6. Gratitude, Entitlement, and Media Privilege

[42:30]

• Buck contrasts Kimmel’s lack of gratitude for his lucrative position with his acknowledgment that being in media is a “gift.”

  “I come to this show every day... The fact that we get to speak to you, I view as a gift every... single day.” [26:20]

7. Listener Calls: Nostalgia for Classic Late Night

[56:00]

• Eric from Idaho reflects on watching Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, noting how their political leanings were opaque and their comedy universal. He compares Kimmel’s earlier, controversial humor with his current sanctimony, dubbing him a hypocrite.

  “When Kimmel had The Man Show... it was humor. And then he becomes holier than thou... typical liberal, becomes a hypocrite.” [58:00]

• Kathy from Virginia suggests the suspension may act as “good PR” for Kimmel but ultimately concedes (like Buck) that he’s not likely to gain a new audience from controversy.

8. The Market Decides

[49:00]

• Buck lauds Greg Gutfeld’s success as evidence that quality ultimately wins—a market reality Kimmel and Colbert haven’t faced due to institutional insulation.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Buck Sexton on Kimmel’s fate:

  "He’s a jerk... He’s a moron and it’s a lie and it’s disgraceful. But we're going to defend that when it comes to a private company? ... That's called commerce." [17:45]

• On the new media landscape:

  "You can listen to me... or a million different podcasts, but you choose this show because you’re smart and patriotic and have discernment and good taste." [40:00]

• On Colbert and Kimmel:

  "They’re not comedians anymore. They are crappy political pundits who have people that also write jokes for them." [20:45]

• On gratitude in media:

  "I think I'm lucky... If you're in this world of media and you can make a living, we're not digging ditches here." [43:30]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Show intro and episode theme: [04:00]
• Breakdown of Kimmel/Disney timeline and business context: [09:30] - [13:00]
• Buck’s critique of leftist ‘free speech’ hypocrisy: [14:30] - [18:00]
• Analysis of late-night comedy decline: [20:00] - [24:00]
• Colbert and Letterman segments: [24:00] - [39:00]
• Gratitude in media & host reflections: [42:30] - [44:30]
• Listener calls: [56:00] - [60:00]

Conclusion

Buck wraps the hour reiterating that Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension is a result of market and audience forces, not censorship, and underscores that the failure of late-night comedians is a function of their own lost touch with the American public. The show closes with listener reflections, ultimately arguing for a return to comedy that unites rather than divides.

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