Jimmy Kimmel Sends Message to Anti-Vaxxers

by Julian Spivey
The best comedians not only know how to make us laugh, but they can also make us think while at the same time sending important messages to the masses. Jimmy Kimmel did just that on his show Friday night when he took on the ridiculousness of the anti-vaccine movement in a fake public service announcement using real doctors.

Kimmel said that in Los Angeles there are schools in which 20 percent of the children attending are not vaccinated because “parents here are more scared of gluten than they are small pox. As a result we now have measles again.”

You can tell by watching Kimmel’s riffing on the topic before he airs the fake PSA that this is something that is not just a joke to him, but a serious subject. This is interesting to see and something we need more of from comedians on late night television. You’ll see it from the soon to retire David Letterman, but Jimmy Fallon is too squeaky clean to ruffle feathers in a similar fashion as Kimmel.

The anti-vaccine movement is something that should be made fun of and harshly, because it’s incredibly dangerous to our society and the people who refuse to vaccinate their children because they trust random emails they see on social media or former Playboy models over the advice of doctors are certainly asking for this criticism.

Kimmel added that people who don’t vaccinate their children shouldn’t be allowed to go to the doctor.

“If you are one of those people who knows more than doctors, that’s fine. You’re not allowed to go to the doctor anymore. Why would you even want to go to a doctor who knows less than you do? So, if you fall and you cut your head open you will not be admitted to the emergency room. Stay at home, find that sewing kit you stole from the Marriott and stitch it up yourself, doc. The doctor will see you never,” Kimmel joked.

The PSA features real doctors, at least according to Kimmel, angrily admonishing the public for taking an anti-vaccination stance despite the expertise of doctors saying otherwise.

It’s a hilarious bit by Kimmel, but beyond that it’s even more important than anything else. The anti-vaccination movement is dangerous and while Kimmel uses it for some good laughs he also gets this point across rather brilliantly.