Jimmy Kimmel ropes in CNN to kick off his strange and brilliant election stunt


On Thursday's Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel announced that he is running for vice president of the United States. "I'm well aware of what the critics will say," he told his audience after the campaign kickoff. "The critics will say, 'Is it even possible to make a solo run for vice president without being selected by a candidate?' And to them I say this: I think so. I'll check it out when I have time." This is a strangely subversive stunt, and to make it legitimate, he had real CNN anchors Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, and Wolf Blitzer break into his show to make fun of themselves, their network, and the election. "Jimmy, do you think you're making a mockery of this election?" Blitzer asked. "I think it's too late for anyone to do that, Wolf," Kimmel replied.
So is that what Kimmel is up to? Mocking the election? He said no, kind of. "Now, for those of you who think this is a joke — for those who say, 'Oh, this is another prank by Jimmy Kimmel' — I can assure you, that bus I pulled up in was very expensive," he said. "This is no joke. This is very real. We have a website and everything." That part is true, and if Kimmel does this right, it could be much more interesting than Jimmy Fallon's iPhone chats dressed as Donald Trump or Stephen Colbert's "Road to the White House." Stay tuned, and watch below. Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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