Culture
Marvel stars Mark Ruffalo and Pedro Pascal stand up for Jimmy Kimmel as Disney boycott intensifies
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Donald Trump paid tribute to Charlie Kirk at the right-wing activist’s memorial service yesterday, posthumously awarding Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom and using his speech to take aim at his political opponents.
Amid concerns that Trump and his base were politicising the death of Kirk, the US President doubled down and took the time to slam the backlash against the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live during the service in Glendale’s State Farm Stadium.
Trump said that one key difference between him and Kirk was that Kirk “did not hate his opponents”.
“He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie,” said Trump, adding: “I hate my opponents and I don’t want the best for them.”
As alarming as these comments are coming from the Leader of the “Free” World, they are not surprising coming from Trump, who has repeatedly gloated over the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel’s show for comments the late-night host made about Kirk’s assassination.
During his show, Kimmel criticized what he called the “MAGA gang” for “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
FCC Chair Brendan Carr called Kimmel’s comments “truly sick” and hinted at regulatory action against the network and Disney, warning “we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way.”
Trump described Kimmel’s suspension as “great news for America” and went on to criticise other hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, calling them “two total losers” and called for them to be next on the chopping block.
Since Jimmy Kimmel Live! was pulled from the ABC network, a huge number of prominent creative voices have condemned the decision, with many voicing concerns over the endangerment of free speech and the proliferation of government censorship in Trump’s America.
Celebrities and fellow talk show hosts have taken a stand, denouncing the suspension as an attack on First Amendment Rights. Part of the outcry has led many to boycott Disney, who acquired ABC in 1996 – and also owns Fox Entertainment, ESPN, National Geographic, FX and Hulu.
Indeed, many are cancelling their Disney subscriptions to show support for Kimmel. According to ITM, as of 21 September, Disney’s stock has dropped more than 2 per cent – an estimated $4.4 billion – since dismissing Kimmel.
That number seems to be on course to increase, as social media users are urging their followers to cancel their subscriptions – with #CancelDisneyPlus trending on X.
Disney also owns flagship IPs like Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar – which is why it’s significant that several Marvel stars have also spoken out against the House of Mouse, with some endorsing a boycott of the studio and its subsidiaries.
Mark Ruffalo, who has played Bruce Banner / Hulk in the MCU since 2012, shared a report indicating Disney’s stock had dropped by 7 per cent following Kimmel’s suspension.
“It’s going to go down a lot further if they cancel his show,” noted Ruffalo. “Disney does not want to be the ones that broke America.”
The ubiquitous Pedro Pascal, who recently starred as Mister Fantastic in this year’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps and is rumoured to have a prominent role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, took to Instagram to write: “Standing with you Jimmy Kimmel Live!” He added: “Defend free speech” and “defend democracy.”
Marisa Tomei, who played Aunt May opposite Tom Holland in the Spider-Man franchise, reposted a call to “unsubscribe and boycott” platforms under the Walt Disney Company umbrella, while Tatiana Maslany, who plays She-Hulk, urged her Instagram followers to “cancel your Disney+, Hulu, ESPN subscriptions!”
Joining these Marvel-affiliated creatives are Andor writer Dan Gilroy, who wrote a guest column in Deadline denouncing a “venomous evil” and governmental “siege”, and former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, who condemned the move to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! as a signal of poor leadership at Disney.
“Where has all the leadership gone? If not for university presidents, law firm managing partners, and corporate chief executives standing up against bullies, who then will step up for the first amendment?” Eisner wrote on X.
Elsewhere, Damon Lindelof, the creator of ABC’s Lost, showed his support for Kimmel on Instagram, writing that he was “shocked, saddened and infuriated” by the news. The Emmy-winning showrunner has a long-standing relationship with ABC and said that if the suspension isn’t lifted, he “can’t in good conscience work for the company that imposed it.”
Pressure continues to mount on Disney as a statement signed by more than 600 celebrities is also making the rounds.
It reads: “It’s a dark time for comedians and, by extension, for all Americans. Every culture needs humor. It’s how we heal and how we connect with each other. Take it away, and what’s left is fear, silence, and a bleak existence.”
“When the government targets one of us, they target all of us,” the statement continues. “They strike at the heart of our shared humanity. They strip away the basic right every person deserves: to speak freely, question boldly, and laugh loudly. This double standard – where those in power can criticize and ridicule without consequence, but silence those who do the same in return – is an outrage. It’s unlawful.”
While there is still the possibility that Disney and Jimmy Kimmel may sign an agreement leading to Jimmy Kimmel Live! returning to the air, growing calls for boycott of the company’s platforms could create a significant financial loss – not to mention further tanking the group’s reputation.
Considering Trump continues to use the apparatus of the federal government to pressure companies to reshape the media landscape, now is the time for mdeia companies to heed advice from former President Barack Obama, who wrote in the wake of Kimmel’s cancellation: “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.”
He added: “This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent, and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating it.”
Culture
Giorgio Armani creations interplay with Italian masterpieces at new Milan exhibition
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“Giorgio Armani, Milano, for love’’ at the Brera Art Gallery opens today, mere weeks after the celebrated designer’s death at the age of 91.
Featuring 129 Armani looks from the 1980s through the present day, the exhibition places his creations among celebrated Italian masterpieces by such luminaries as Raphael and Caravaggio.
It is one of a series of Milan Fashion Week events that were planned before Armani’s death, to highlight his transformative influence on the world of fashion.
“From the start, Armani showed absolute rigor but also humility not common to great fashion figures,’’ said the gallery’s director Angelo Crespi. “He always said that he did not want to enter into close dialogue with great masterpieces, like Raphael, Mantegna, Caravaggio and Piero della Francesca.’’
Instead, the exhibition aims to create a symbiosis with the artworks, with the chosen looks reflecting the mood of each room without interrupting the flow of the museum experience – much the way Armani always intended his apparel to enhance and never overwhelm the individual.
A long blue asymmetrical skirt and bodysuit ensemble worn by Juliette Binoche at Cannes in 2016 neatly reflects the blue in Giovanni Bellini’s 1510 portrait “Madonna and Child”; a trio of underlit dresses glow on a wall opposite Raphael’s “The Marriage of the Virgin”; the famed soft-shouldered suit worn by Richard Gere in American Gigolo, arguably the garment that launched Armani to global fame, is set among detached frescoes by Donato Bramante. Every choice in the exhibition underscores the timelessness of Armani’s fashion.
Armani himself makes a cameo, on a t-shirt in the final room, opposite the Brera’s emblematic painting “Il Bacio” by Francesco Hayez.
“When I walk around, I think he would be super proud,’’ said Anoushka Borghesi, Armani’s global communications director.
Armani’s fashion house confirmed a series of events this week that Armani himself had planned to celebrate his 50th anniversary. They include the announcement of an initiative to support education for children in six Southeast Asian, African and South American countries. The project, in conjunction with the Catholic charity Caritas, is named “Mariu’,’’ an affectionate nickname for Armani’s mother.
In a final farewell, the last Giorgio Armani collection signed by the designer will be shown in the Brera Gallery on Sunday, among looks he personally chose to represent his 50-year legacy.
“Giorgio Armani – 50 Years” opened to the public today at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, Italy. The exhibition lasts until 11 January 2026.
Culture
The last day of doomsday: What is the viral ‘RaptureTok’ trend?
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If you’re reading this today, Wednesday 24 September 2025 could be the last day before the end of the world as you know it.
If you’re reading this tomorrow, you weren’t blipped out of existence and good luck with all the rebuilding. Please do better.
Confused? We’ve got you covered.
According to the more holy corners of TikTok, it has been prophesized that yesterday – or today, they couldn’t make their minds up on which one, so just go with it – is the day of the Rapture.
For the filthy heathens among you, that’s the long-awaited end-time event when Jesus Christ returns to Earth, resurrects all dead Christian disciples and brings all believers “to meet the Lord in the air.”
It wasn’t yesterday, clearly, so today’s the day… And turn off that R.E.M. song, this is serious.
This all stems from South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela, who claimed that the Rapture will occur on 23 or 24 September 2025. Mhlakela said that this knowledge came directly from a dream he had in 2018, in which Jesus appeared to him. Mhlakela reiterated all of this on 9 September in an interview with CettwinzTV and since then, the prophecy has become a viral sensation on TikTok.
Many individuals on the social media platform have taken this literally and very seriously, with more than 350,000 videos appearing under the hashtag #rapturenow – leading to the trend / popular subsection dubbed ‘RaptureTok’.
Some videos mock the prophecy, but you don’t have to scroll for too long to find those who are completely convinced that it’s happening today.
There’s advice on how to prepare; tips on what to remove from your house should certain objects contain “demonic energy”; and testimonies of people selling their possessions. One man, who goes by the name Tilahun on TikTok, shared a video last month, in which he said he was selling his car in preparation for the big day. “Car is gone just like the Brides of Christ will be in September,” he said.
One woman in North Carolina was live recording yesterday from the Blue Ridge Mountains, fervently keeping an eye on any holy activity in the sky. Another claimed that her 3-year-old started speaking in Hebrew, thereby confirming that it’s all legit.
Some more distressing videos include American evangelicals saying goodbye to their children for the last time… We won’t share those, as they’re actually quite depressing.
It’s hard to completely blame TikTok users for wanting the final curtain to drop, as things aren’t going too great down here on Earth. That being said, it’s worth noting that the Bible never actually mentions the Rapture; it’s a relatively recent doctrine that originates from the early 1800s, one which has gained traction among fundamentalist theologians – specifically in the US, where everything is fine, civil conversation is alive and well, no one’s worried, and they’re all enjoying their “God-given freedoms”.
So, if the Rapture does come to pass, we here at Euronews Culture will be eating a whole concrete mixer full of humble pie. If it doesn’t, see you tomorrow, and do spare a thought for those who are going to be very disappointed on Thursday 25 September.
And if extra-terrestrial beings followed Tara Rule’s advice (see below), thank you alien visitors for joining in on the fun. And if you could provide some much-needed guidance on how to do better, that would be grand.
Only a few more hours left to find out…
Culture
‘Dawson’s Creek’ reunion sees James Van Der Beek make surprise appearance amid cancer battle
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