Jimmy Kimmel has been working Hollywood Blvd for more than 20 years and today he's back to give a big thank you to everyone who helped amid the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
Holding back tears, the comedian opened his show by calling it “a very scary, very stressful, very strange week here in L.A.” but quickly turned to thanking emergency workers, as well as everyone in L.A. who helped, including Steve Gutenberg. .
However, he did have some choice words for thieves, parking attendants, and Donald Trump.
Kimmel showed footage of how close the fires were to the area Jimmy Kimmel Live! The studio revealed that some of his co-workers lost their homes.
“It was terrible. Everyone who lives in the city knows someone, most of us, multiple people, families, friends, colleagues, neighbors whose house burned down, and the truth is we don't even know if it's over,” he said. “I think I speak for all of us when “I'd say it was a disgusting, shocking, horrific experience, but it was also a beautiful experience in many ways.”
“Because once again, we see our fellow men and women coming together to support each other. He added that people who lost their homes came out to volunteer in parking lots to help others who lost their homes.
He criticized Trump, who had already succeeded in politicizing the tragedy. “I don't want to get into all the vile, irresponsible, stupid things that our so-called future president and his band of scoundrels chose to say during our darkest and most terrifying hours. And the fact that they chose to attack our firefighters, who apparently aren't white enough to be there… “There and they risk their lives on our behalf is… it's disgusting but it's not surprising.”
Instead, he thanked Los Angeles firefighters as well as firefighters from Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Washington, Northern California, New Mexico, Idaho and Maine, as well as Mexico and Canada, police, the National Guard and rescue workers. Doctors, nurses, EMTs and pilots work 12-hour shifts. “Thank God for all of you,” he said.
He also shouted to local news reporters in Los Angeles.
He joked about downloading the Watch Duty app, which has become an essential tool for everyone living in the city. “You know when you're doing Google Watch duty. You really have to be careful. You don't know what might happen,” he joked.
He said Thursday night that he and his family had 19 people and four dogs living with them. “It was unlike anything I had ever experienced.”
He told the story of one of the show's producers – Hera – whose family had to evacuate. She asked her eight-year-old son to pack his most important items and in that bag, she discovered eight pairs of underpants and a container full of his baby teeth. “Apparently he's saving them for the tooth fairy,” he said.
He also praised chefs Susan Feniver and Mary Sue Milliken for feeding people, as well as actor Steve Guttenberg, who helped put out fires and cleared cars so emergency vehicles could reach affected areas in the Palisades.
“It's a very difficult time right now. But you know, I appreciate everyone, the Los Angeles Fire Department and all the companies that are helping. It's a difficult time,” he said, adding that he needed clean underwear, before Kimmel reminded him that the last time he was on the show It was after he left “Dancing with the Stars.”
But he also criticized thieves and parking attendants who hand out fines.
“There should be a law that says if you're caught burglarizing your home during a fire, you automatically have to swap places in jail with an inmate who's there who is rescuing people from the fire,” he said. “The other thing we could do without, and it's a small thing, but the city is still getting parking tickets. Unless your car is obstructing a hydrant or a rescue effort, they shouldn't be giving out parking tickets now. The whole city is a red zone now.”
He concluded by saying some of the things Angelenos have learned over the past week, including the names of every local news reporter, that there is such a thing as a “boil water warning,” that Steve Guttenberg is a fucking national treasure, and that most of us are useless in an emergency as well. New Words Like “Slopover” and “Phos-chek,” that there was a socially acceptable use of the word “retardant,” that there was a rabbit museum in Altadena, that none of our out-of-state family members knew the difference between… Santa Monica and Santa Clarita and whoever was sending out emergency evacuation notices – shouldn't be doing that job.
Joining Kimmel on the show tonight are Los Angeles icon Snoop Dogg and comedian Roy Wood Jr. as well as the band Dawes, who have been hit hard by the fires coming from Altadena.
“As you know, for much of the past week, we've seen some deeply disturbing images, but we've also seen countless examples of courage and compassion from our neighbors under actual fire,” Kimmel concluded before showing footage of such heartwarming stories.
