Late night talk show hosts aren't usually known for being the most musclebound of all TV entertainers; actually, they aren't ever known for that. Which is why it was so shocking to see Jimmy Kimmel break out the big guns when getting his COVID-19 vaccination shot. Well, okay, so it was actually just one of those metaphorical guns that he broke out, a-a-a-and it wasn't actually real. At least the muscular part.
Jimmy Kimmel, who has been quite outspoken about the pandemic in the past year, took to Instagram this week to hype up vaccinations, but couldn't very well do it without invoking some of his signature deadpan humor into it. Thus, the pained look on his face in the pic below as a healthcare professional sticks a needle into Photoshopped muscles that look like a stand-in for Arnold Schwarzenegger's vaccine picture.
Power to him for playing that joke so straightforwardly, since it absolutely had some commenters fooled about the legitimacy of only one of Jimmy Kimmel's limbs getting ripped during quarantine. Never mind that his left arm shares none of the bulked-up properties of his right arm, or that Kimmel probably wouldn't be able to wear his traditional Jimmy Kimmel Live! get-up if one or both of his arms were that jacked. Or that he's probably not going to be hyper-muscular while eating so many pizzas. But if you see it on the interwebz, it's gotta be real!
Naturally, those who did get the joke were quick to make their own jokes in relation to what Jimmy Kimmel's favorite pastime at home would be if only one of his arms was that muscular. (Hint: it rhymes with basturmation.) At least one person joked about him having a side gig at Baskin Robbins, which is far more innocent than the other thing, and also boasts 30 more flavors than what Kimmel offers. (Ew?)
On that evening's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host addressed sharing his vaccination pic on Instagram, and only ended up bailing on the bit after too many people in the audience laughed at the thought of that muscular arm actually being his. Here's what he said:
A lot of people have been commenting on how muscular my arm is, and they're right. I agree, it is very muscular. And I feel fine. I feel good. Don't laugh that hard. [Laughs.] You know, I posted that, and a surprising number of people believed it was my actual arm, and I didn't correct anybody.
Considering how mocked up and prettified so many people's pictures are on Instagram these days, it's become easy not to even bat an eye when pictures like this come up. But what I will say is that it's a good thing the COVID-19 vaccinations aren't meant to be given in one's backside, or Jimmy Kimmel's picture might have been even more bewildering.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights on ABC, with a revolving door of remote guests, in-person celebs, on-location musical performances and more. And anyone who needs more vaccination humor in their lives should definitely check out South Park's recent comedy special.
