The Kavanaugh circus is raging on. In the midst of the allegations and denials, most Americans are just looking for a calm voice that will defend due process, fairness, and general faith in humanity.
And most Americans were not in the audience for the Sept. 25 episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers. The host, Newsweek reported, did not hesitate in blasting Kavanaugh’s recent interview with Fox News, where the Supreme Court nominee defended his character and rejected all allegations made against him.
That much can be expected from any liberal late-night comedy host. But the way that Meyers went about attacking Kavanaugh was uncalled for and in extremely poor taste. In response to Kavanaugh claiming that he was a virgin during his high school years and well after that, Meyers quipped: “Devoting yourself to celibacy doesn’t mean you can’t be a sexual assaulter. Just ask thousands of priests.”
The crowd, though all probably hell bent on seeing Kavanaugh roasted, reacted like it had gotten a bit more than it had bargained for, uttering a collective “oh...” once the comedian had paused. But, like any good studio audience members, they were obsequiously applauding the next moment.
The scandal in the Catholic Church is no laughing matter. It has affected many lives and many families, and Meyers’ blithe exaggeration only had the effect of belittling the suffering that victims of the crisis have gone through. While he can probably count on the fact that there are no conservatives in his audience (both live and on TV), he may have underestimated the number of Catholics he was preaching to.
Obviously, this is not the first time that late-night comedy has spurned common decency. On Monday, comedian Jimmy Kimmel joked that Kavanaugh, if confirmed, should have his penis removed.
