| It's Thursday, and I'm pleased to report that the piano player at the Polo Lounge bar has added Adele to his set. Hello from Los Angeles, where we're forwarding our open-enrollment paperwork to Jimmy Kimmel, hunting Nazis with Jordan Peele, and sending our tailoring to whoever did Taron Egerton's suits in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. IF I'VE LOST KIMMEL, I'VE LOST MIDDLE AMERICA Normally I just watch Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the ABC's late-night show's in-depth Matt Damon interviews, Bachelorette scoops, and pizza-making tips. But this week the normally nonpartisan Kimmel is at the center of Congress's messy debate over health-care reform. As V.F.'s Laura Bradley writes, on Wednesday, for the second night in a row, Kimmel railed against the Graham-Cassidy bill, the G.O.P.-backed legislation which essentially turns control of the health-care markets over to the states. Kimmel first dipped into the health-care issue with an emotional monologue about his newborn son's open-heart surgery in May, leading Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy to vow then that he would only support a bill that passes the "Jimmy Kimmel test." Given that history, Kimmel was galled to learn the particulars of Cassidy's new legislation, which he called a "scam of a bill" in a much-shared segment on Tuesday. Cassidy responded to Kimmel's analysis, "I'm sorry he does not understand." On Wednesday night, Kimmel dove back into policy, citing others who oppose Graham-Cassidy and declaring, "I did more homework this week than all my years of college combined." (Fact check: Kimmel attended Arizona State University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This part of his monologue is definitely true). Kimmel's willingness to dip into this controversial issue is notable as he is typically far less political than his late-night peers Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers, and enjoys a rare relatability with audiences. As Kimmel told me in an interview before he hosted the Oscars in February, "Over the course of my career I've managed to speak to [red and blue state voters] at once, maybe sometimes in different ways. I'm just me." ANYONE FOR TENNIS? V.F.'s Hillary Busis writes: If you've loved a TV series in the past seven or so years, chances are good that at one point or another, it's featured Natalie Morales—a gifted comic actress who also writes and directs. The only thing she can't do? Play tennis, as V.F. contributor Elisabeth Donnelly discovered when she invited Morales to play at a court in Brooklyn. The activity choice wasn't completely random: Morales makes a rare big-screen appearance in Battle of the Sexes, the (unusually timely) dramedy about Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs's seminal match that hits theaters this Friday. The actress plays tennis star Rosie Casals, but didn't really have to play any tennis herself in the movie—which may be why her game was a little unfocused. Well, that, and this: "I took a tequila shot last night at Alan Cumming's new bar," she told Donnelly before trotting after a ball. "And I am feeling it." ARE YOU LISTENING, DONALD? | | V.F.'s Laura Bradley writes: South Park had a very simple message for Donald Trump Wednesday night: stop tweeting. Please. The animated comedy made its plea in song, after an episode in which the permanently anxious character Tweek grew increasingly concerned that the country might be on its way toward nuclear war with North Korea—thanks mostly to the president's baiting tweets. In the end, his whole class gathers with Tweek to sing a special song for the parents of South Park Elementary: an inspiring, feel-good anthem titled "Put It Down." Its message is pretty explicit: "Put it down / don't be on your phone / while being president / Put it down / you might do something dumb / and cause an accident." INGLOURIOUS HUNTERS V.F.'s Yohana Desta writes: Leave it to Jordan Peele to pitch one of the most blisteringly topical shows of the year. Deadline reports that the Get Out director is developing a new series, titled The Hunt, about a group of Nazi hunters in 1970s America. Based on true events, the story will follow the group as they weed out and kill hundreds of Nazis who managed to escape punishment and settle into American society. Peele will executive produce the project, which he's developing with his company, Monkeypaw, and Sonar Entertainment. Deadline notes that cable and streaming services are already showing interest in the eerily resonant series, which sounds like an Americanized, episodic Inglourious Basterds. A GOLDEN NIGHT V.F.'s Katey Rich writes: As our critic Richard Lawson wrote in his review this week, the secret weapon of this week's Kingsman: The Golden Circle isn't the spy gadgets or even the natty suits, but its very handsome cast—most notably, 27-year-old star Taron Egerton. And what could possibly make this group—which also includes Julianne Moore, Colin Firth, Channing Tatum, and Halle Berry—more attractive? Try adding a dog in a tuxedo. In exclusive, intimate photos from the film's premiere, photographer Charlie Gray gets up close and personal with the film's stars, plus the bow tie-wearing pup who threatened to steal the entire show. That's the news for this rainy Thursday in L.A. What are you seeing out there? Send tips, comments, and Natalie Morales's tennis serve to Rebecca_Keegan@condenast.com. Follow me on Twitter @thatrebecca. |
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