Florida is not ‘America’s North Korea’ — plus DeSantis has a better haircut | Editorial

Floridians don’t like New Yorkers poking fun at the Sunshine State. Unless you know what it’s like to find an alligator in your swimming pool or to get bonked in the head by a falling mango, we usually tell you to stay out of Florida Man’s business.

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel ticked off Floridians on Twitter who are upset that he called the state “America’s North Korea” during a monologue about Florida’s “2021 Python Challenge,” which rewards people for capturing the invasive species in the Everglades.

If there’s one thing Floridians don’t appreciate is a Brooklyn-born liberal living in high-tax, “freedom-hating” California ridiculing our state. Because, you know, deep down every New Yorker and Californian is jealous about our lack of a state income tax, gun control and people with common sense.

The “alleged comedian,” as some Twitter commenters described Kimmel, appeared to be taking a jab at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ power-grabbing tendencies (i.e. telling what local governments could or could not do during the COVID-19 pandemic, cracking down on protesters, making it harder for people to vote by mail while shutting out most media, except Fox News, from documenting a bill signing ceremony).

Look, DeSantis isn’t exactly executing his political enemies and starving his own people; plus he’s a much spiffier dresser than Kim Jong Un. So we’ll call Kimmel’s comparison a bit of a stretch.

But the comedian’s comment struck a nerve because we know, deep down, that Florida has become the butt of the joke nationally. (Aren’t we always?)

Since late-night hosts lost comic fodder after Donald Trump left the White House and President Biden is just too boringly normal to be all that funny — come on, his wife doesn’t even swat his hand away if he tries to hold hers — DeSantis has been happy to fill that void. Much like Trump, DeSantis likes to wage wars against fabricated enemies, from “vaccine passports” to mail ballots, critical race theory in schools and mask mandates. He’s not a fan of criticism or of the media asking for public records related to COVID.

What really irks DeSantis is when people elected to represent cities and counties happen to make their own decisions.

We’ll take Florida any day over North Korea — or California and New York. Kimmel can stay out of Florida’s business and DeSantis can stay out of ours.