Hillary Clinton‘s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday gives Kimmel’s writers a bit of a break. Here’s why: one of Kimmel’s very best bits is his “Mean Tweets” segment. It’s an exercise in self-laceration for celebrities, who stand alone and graciously read off “Mean Tweets” that have been written about them. It shows the celebs have a sense of humor and can take a hit. “Mean Tweets” also lets trolls know that whatever they write and however hard they strike, it’s the celeb they’re aiming at who’s on Kimmel’s show getting the laughs and adulation, while they’re home in their hate-filled caves typing, seething and lashing out.
Enter Hillary Clinton. No one’s celebrity quotient is higher, and hardly anyone is trolled more viciously by more people than the Democratic candidate for president. No matter how famous they are, for example, most of Kimmel’s celebrity “Mean Tweet” readers, like Justin Bieber, aren’t trolled by members of Congress the way Clinton is. Kimmel’s writers usually make up the tweets the celebs read, basing the animosity and vitriol on real world tweets. But with Hillary Clinton, they’ll have a hard time inventing a “mean tweet” that hasn’t already actually been written about her. There’s no guarantee Clinton will do the “mean tweets” segment. But if she does, it should be a viral sensation — it’s a soft ball she could hit out of the park, a perfect pitch. It could smash sharing records if she nails it because it will be shared equally by Clinton’s supporters and detractors. Here’s are some of Kimmel’s best Mean Tweet segments:
