He's already filming a reality show about his mayoral run
In the contested arena where celebrity culture and civic ambition intersect, former reality star Spencer Pratt — now a Los Angeles mayoral candidate displaced by wildfire — found himself mocked by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, only to respond not with policy but with the past. Pratt surfaced decades-old blackface images of Kimmel, transforming a joke about his fitness for office into a collision of old wounds and present grievances. The exchange is less a political debate than a mirror held up to a media culture that has long struggled to separate the personal from the consequential.
- Kimmel's monologue dismissed Pratt's mayoral bid as a punchline, comparing him to a party DJ and questioning whether Los Angeles voters could take him seriously.
- Rather than defend his platform, Pratt escalated — weaponizing Kimmel's blackface controversy from 'The Man Show' era as a counterstrike against the ridicule.
- Kimmel, who has apologized for the sketches multiple times, pushed back against what he called attempts to silence his social commentary by exploiting his past mistakes.
- The clash reveals a campaign dynamic where personal attacks and resurfaced controversies are displacing substantive debate about Los Angeles's recovery from the 2025 Palisades wildfires.
- With Bass still in office and a crowded field forming, the race is signaling it will be fought as much in the media arena as at the policy table.
Spencer Pratt, the former reality television personality running for Los Angeles mayor after losing his home in the 2025 Palisades wildfire, became the subject of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night ridicule this week. Kimmel questioned Pratt's fitness for office and joked that he belonged behind a DJ booth rather than behind a mayoral desk — also taking a swipe at incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the same breath. Pratt has framed his candidacy around advocacy for wildfire-displaced residents and criticism of Bass's disaster response.
Rather than address Kimmel's mockery on its merits, Pratt chose a different battlefield. He resurfaced images of Kimmel in blackface from early 2000s sketches on 'The Man Show,' most notably an impersonation of NBA star Karl Malone. The move was a deliberate counterpunch, designed to shift the conversation from Pratt's qualifications to Kimmel's past.
Kimmel has addressed the sketches before, explaining that he employed makeup artists to physically resemble Malone as part of a celebrity impression — one of many he performed across racial lines — and that he did not fully reckon with the racial implications at the time. He has apologized, while also expressing frustration that the images continue to be deployed against him whenever he speaks on social issues. He vowed not to be silenced by the tactic.
The episode captures something larger than a feud between a talk show host and a long-shot candidate: it reflects a political culture in which old controversies are kept in reserve as weapons, and where the instinct to deflect has overtaken the discipline to engage. Whether Los Angeles voters will reward or penalize Pratt for this approach remains an open question as the mayoral race takes shape.
Spencer Pratt, the former reality television personality now running for Los Angeles mayor, found himself the target of Jimmy Kimmel's monologue jokes on Wednesday night. Kimmel, hosting his late-night show, took several shots at Pratt's candidacy, suggesting he was unfit for office and joking that he should instead be "DJing the worst New Year's Eve party in Reno." The host mocked the idea that Los Angeles voters would choose between "a woman named Karen and a man who is one," a reference both to incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and to the internet slur for demanding women. Kimmel also noted that Pratt was already filming a reality show about his mayoral campaign, implying his priorities were misaligned.
Pratt, 42, entered the race in January after losing his home in the 2025 Palisades wildfire. He has positioned himself as a champion for displaced residents and has been critical of Bass's handling of the disaster. The former "The Hills" star is one of several candidates attempting to unseat Bass in what is shaping up to be a competitive race.
Rather than let Kimmel's barbs pass unanswered, Pratt responded by resurfacing one of the talk show host's most controversial moments: his use of blackface during sketches on "The Man Show" in the early 2000s. Pratt shared images of Kimmel in darkened makeup, most notably while impersonating NBA player Karl Malone. The move was a direct counterpunch, weaponizing a past controversy that Kimmel has spent years attempting to move beyond.
Kimmel has apologized for the sketches multiple times. In a statement to Fox News, he explained that he had hired makeup artists to make him resemble Malone as closely as possible, framing the effort as a celebrity impression rather than anything rooted in racial mockery. He noted that he had done similar impersonations of other famous figures—Snoop Dogg, Oprah, Eminem, Dick Vitale, and others—and had not considered the racial dimension of his choices at the time. "Looking back, many of these sketches are embarrassing," he acknowledged, while also expressing frustration that the moments had become "a weapon used by some to diminish my criticisms of social and other injustices." He concluded by apologizing to those he had disappointed and vowed not to be "bullied into silence."
The exchange between Pratt and Kimmel reflects a broader pattern in contemporary politics and media: the recycling of old controversies as ammunition in current disputes. Pratt's decision to surface Kimmel's past rather than engage with the substance of the host's criticism about his mayoral fitness suggests a strategy of deflection and counter-accusation. Whether this approach will resonate with Los Angeles voters remains to be seen, but it signals that the race for mayor will not be confined to policy debates.
Notable Quotes
Spencer Pratt should not be a top-two finalist for mayor. He should be DJing the worst New Year's Eve party in Reno right now.— Jimmy Kimmel, on his late-night show
I never considered that this might be seen as anything other than an imitation of a fellow human being, one that had no more to do with Karl's skin color than it did his bulging muscles and bald head.— Jimmy Kimmel, in a past statement regarding his blackface sketches
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Pratt choose to respond this way instead of defending his actual qualifications for mayor?
Because it works. When you're outgunned on substance, you change the subject. Kimmel had a platform and an audience laughing at him. Pratt had a phone and a memory.
But doesn't that just confirm what Kimmel was saying—that he's not serious about the job?
Maybe. Or maybe it shows he understands the game better than people think. In modern politics, you don't win by being dignified. You win by making your opponent look hypocritical.
Kimmel apologized for the blackface years ago, though. Doesn't that matter?
It does and it doesn't. An apology only works if people accept it. Once you've said sorry, you're vulnerable to anyone who wants to say you weren't sorry enough, or that you only apologized because you got caught.
So Pratt is betting that voters care more about Kimmel's past than about his own fitness to lead?
He's betting that in a close race, anything that makes your opponent look bad is worth doing. Whether it actually changes votes is a different question.
What does this say about the state of political discourse?
That we've stopped arguing about what we'll do and started arguing about who's worse. It's easier, faster, and it doesn't require you to have a plan.