I have to admit, I’ve never even watched Jimmy Kimmel all the way through. Basically because The Man Show was my first time being cognizant of the fact that men think we’re stupid and seem to kind of hate our guts.

I don’t judge who he is today by who he was then. I just simply left him behind as soon as I found him and never looked back. His face has bad associations and I didn’t need what he was selling.

But his open defiance of the president, and the very fact that he was once defined by his misogyny, and changed of his own accord (not due to scandal), while still maintaining the edge that made him popular, makes his message of particular importance now.

We don’t have to like artists and entertainers at every time of their lives. This is why we separate the art from the artist. Because sometimes the guy you once felt gross about now has something important to say.

Even the people you feel gross about have important things to say.

You don’t like their niche or their group or their associations. So what? Someone must speak to them. Because you will be ineffective. Jimmy speaks to men. That is his audience. It’s good for us all when men are shown how to grow without losing your core.

And it’s good for us all when anyone of prominence shows up for free speech.

It’s never that the past doesn’t matter. It’s just not the only thing that matters.