Much like his fellow comedian-turned-late night TV host Jimmy Fallon (as we reported here), Jimmy Kimmel is battling reborn backlash from past skits that featured content many deemed racially insensitive.
In addition to using the N-word multiple times in his recently unearthed song from the 1996 comedy Christmas album, ‘A Family Christmas in Your A**,’ the EMMY-winning star has also performed in blackface.
Now, amid the growing resentment for not acknowledging the acts, he has taken to press to wield an apology.
Details inside:
Taking to our friends at Entertainment Tonight recently, Kimmel stated:
“I have long been reluctant to address this, as I knew doing so would be celebrated as a victory by those who equate apologies with weakness and cheer for leaders who use prejudice to divide us,” Kimmel said in a statement to ET. “That delay was a mistake. There is nothing more important to me than your respect, and I apologize to those who were genuinely hurt or offended by the makeup I wore or the words I spoke.”
Later detailing the incidents in question, Kimmel continued:
“On KROQ radio in the mid-90s, I did a recurring impression of the NBA player Karl Malone,” he continued. “In the late 90s, I continued impersonating Malone on TV. We hired makeup artists to make me look as much like Karl Malone as possible. 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. I’ve done dozens of impressions of famous people, including Snoop Dogg, Oprah, Eminem, Dick Vitale, Rosie, and many others. In each case, I thought of them as impersonations of celebrities and nothing more.”
Now, he says he regrets the “embarrassing” performances:
“Looking back, many of these sketches are embarrassing, and it is frustrating that these thoughtless moments have become a weapon used by some to diminish my criticisms of social and other injustices,” he said. “I believe that I have evolved and matured over the last twenty-plus years, and I hope that is evident to anyone who watches my show. I know that this will not be the last I hear of this and that it will be used again to try to quiet me. I love this country too much to allow that. I won’t be bullied into silence by those who feign outrage to advance their oppressive and genuinely racist agendas. My summer vacation has been planned for more than a year and includes the next two summers off as well. I will be back to work in September. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to explain and to those I’ve disappointed, I am sorry.”
Educate yourself white people! Clarkson, learn something lol…
https://www.facebook.com/redtabletalk/videos/3091376634287446/
👊🏽🤳🏽
I posted this because it’s great, and the legendary Dr. Angela Davis makes a great point…are white people protesting or “joining in” because they genuinely don’t have racist thoughts and feelings, or are they doing it because they want to be on the right side of history, look progressive and be part of a movement! 👊🏽There’s a difference! Jimmy Kimmel lol…there’s a difference! Roger Goodell lol…there’s a difference! Having said that, it’s ok to want to do better and say the wrong things! Conversations about race are tough and very sensitive…so if you’re down for real change, don’t be afraid to say things wrong and be corrected 💯
https://tenor.com/view/kaepernick-colin-kaepernick-nike-just-do-it-gif-12471541
Just like Fallon, I think he understands the gravity of what he did, and should be forgiven. Doing blackface is a racist act. But neither Jimmy is a racist person. That’s clear. And he’s right, some people will use something you did in the past to forever invalidate everything you do going forward. But if they didn’t apologize, you’d be mad at them for that. And when it’s not genuine or If it’s recurring then fine. But half of these people don’t even know the historical context of blackface and why it’s negative, they just bandwagon. So shout out to those who aren’t semi-educated by Twitter.
How much have you donated to BLM?
@Broke HOEE, how much have YOU donated? Zero with your broke behind lol
Why would people that want to act against racism donate to an anti-Semitic group leaders?
The historical context of the n-word can’t matter only when white people say it. It’s the same as wanting Kimmel, Trump and everyone else to acknowledge that black lives matter when BLM can’t even acknowledge the 104 people shot last weekend in Chicago. There will be no BLM protest for the 3-year-old and 13 others killed, and no celebrities will be paying their funeral expenses or singing for them on TV. We’re more worried about canceling someone for using a word that’s common vernacular for us. Wow.
Um, yes it can. The historical context of the n-word does only matter when white people say it, because that’s literally what the word “context” means. That under certain circumstances, one thing will take on different meanings… 🤔. Chile, those Twitter degrees I tell you. 🤦🏽♀️
And, What does Chicago have to do with BLM? You are aware that Black Lives Matter is very-specifically, an anti-RACISM movement, right? Even more specifically, anti-racism as it pertains to police brutality. That is why it was started and that’s what it’s about. The fact that you took the BLM phrase literally, and didn’t put it in “context”, just shows that you don’t know what you’re talking about. Black people killing other black people is an unrelated problem. Why? Because when black people commit murder, no matter who it is, they GO TO JAIL. They don’t legally kill people on camera and get paid vacations and pensions for it. This is about justice. What you’re talking about is called regular murder, sis. You want us to organize protests against homicide?? That’s already a punishable crime…
But, If you really feel so impassioned about this, you should get on that hashtag and start the movement yourself with the specific objective of eradicating murder. BLM was started by just 3 regular black women. It didn’t start with the celebrities.
The historical context of the n-word remains the same regardless of the social setting wherein it is used. Just because a person ignores the word’s racist history doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
“You are aware that Black Lives Matter is very-specifically, an anti-RACISM movement, right?” Human rights is fundamental to BLM. It’s often said in these police involved shootings that blacks are not being treated as human beings, but how can we form the argument to demand human decency when too often we can’t even treating each other as human beings? I mentioned Chicago as an example of that.
“Because when black people commit murder, no matter who it is, they GO TO JAIL.” We know that’s what SHOULD happen, but the reality is a lot of them are escaping justice just like bad police officers: “Among the nation’s largest cities, Chicago stands out for both its high murder rate and for the number of its murders that go unsolved.” Clearly they AREN’T going to jail, and that’s not uncommon throughout the U.S.
BLM leaders are anti-Semitic that’s why i would never donate to them. And I’m black so…
1. No, it doesn’t. You don’t know what that word means. And no one said anything about ignoring the history. Again, you do not know the meaning of the words you’re using. Because saying “the context stays the same regardless of… blah blah” Is a contradiction.
2. What makes you think that you can define what the scope of the BLM movement objective is beyond what those who created and built it have?? Do you hear yourself? We can’t specifically protest racism and police brutality because murder exists?? You do know white people are mostly killed by other white people too right? Murder is not an issue of race nor is it an issue rooted in or sanctioned by a corrupt American institution. It is unanimously understood to be a crime, even when it’s unsolved. You’re still a criminal. Unlike the police. And when you get caught, and are determined guilty, you get prosecuted. So why you think it was appropriate to compare unsolved murders to blatant racially biased genocide inflicted by the government, i don’t know, but you sound a lil crazy.
3. Again, criminal justice reform to lessen unsolved murders is necessary. So you can absolutely go out and do the foot work if that’s something you really care about. But thinking that high crime rates invalidates the premise of the BLM movement is irresponsible and unequivocally false. This isn’t a matter of different opinion. You are simply, incorrect.
Damn! This jimmy too?!
Jimmy Kimmel is not a racist. It is important to place his behavior in proper context. He is a comedian and performer. Should he never had put the makeup on in the first place. No.
Should Tyra, a woman of color, have put her white models in blackface on ANTM years ago. Absolutely not.
You would hope these instances never would occur but they do. It has always occured since the beginning of civilization. Now that we agree its unacceptable let’s move forward w/ empathy for ppl willing to acknowledge a mistake or error in judgment and apologize.
You