The daytime television lovefest that has served the host of the “Dr. Oz Show” well for years apparently doesn’t continue into the darkness of night.
Late-night show hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel this week both skewered celebrity heart surgeon, author and TV star Dr. Mehmet Oz. The 61-year-old announced that he plans to run for U.S. Senate — representing Pennsylvania.
“Dr. Oz may not just have fake medical claims, he may have fake Pennsylvania claims — because he’s running there despite living in New Jersey for years,” Colbert said Tuesday on “The Late Show.”
The Cleveland-born son of Turkish immigrants is a longtime resident of Cliffside Park, N.J., overlooking the Hudson River to Manhattan, where he films his TV show and practices medicine. He now apparently rents a property his in-laws own in suburban Philadelphia.
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“This is Dr. Oz’s first time running for office, so he’s staying humble with his promises,” Colbert said, noting that Oz is campaigning that he will “help re-light the ‘divine’ spark’ inside every American.”
“I’d settle for cheaper gas,” Colbert joked. “But sure, Doc, check the pilot light on my ‘divine spark,’ just like they taught you at med school.”
Oz announced his intentions to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Pat Toomey in an appearance Tuesday on Fox News’ “Hannity” show, hosted by Sean Hannity.
“America is in crisis. That’s not news. Our values are under attack — so I want to serve America in its time of need,” Oz said in the appearance.
In his monologue on Wednesday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” the host mocked the doctor’s political ambitions.
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“Dr. Oz is throwing his stethoscope into the ring,” Kimmel opened. “Despite living in New Jersey for the past two decades, Dr. Oz is running as a Republican in Pennsylvania, where he voted this year, absentee, using his in-laws’ address. But he promises to be the best New Jersey senator Pennsylvania has ever had.”
Kimmel played a clip from Oz’s appearance on Fox News in which he said, “I cannot be bought,” before showing a string of video snippets of the doctor shilling everything “miracle pills” to shed fat, custom beds and Turkish Airlines.
“Well, you know what,” Kimmel followed, “you can’t be bought when you’ve already been sold.”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” poked more fun of Oz with a fake campaign ad featuring clips from his show, saying it was “Paid for by Americans who thought this was a joke but … I guess Dr. Oz really is running for Senate. What the (expletive)?”
