Jimmy Kimmel’s Controversial Moments That Could Get Him Fired From ABC’s Late Night Show
Jimmy Kimmel is one of the most popular TV hosts, and the late-night show has generated many memorable interview moments, but they have also sometimes gotten contentious. Recently, there were rumors that Jimmy Kimmel might have been fired by ABC, but it turns out that they were just a joke created by the writers of Jimmy Kimmel Live.
But because it planted a seed of doubt in the minds of viewers, who are now compelled to recall the most contentious parts of the show, the rumor has now rather taken on a life of its own. These controversial Jimmy Kimmel Live moments are enough to get Jimmy Kimmel fired by ABC. Let’s look at some of these contentious instances from Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Jimmy Kimmel mocked NBA star, Karl Malone
Jimmy Kimmel‘s selection to host the 2020 Emmy Awards brought back online clips from his previous program, The Man Show, which aired from 1999 to 2004. These videos caused discord because one of the sketches from the program featured the host dressing in blackface to imitate NBA legend, Karl Malone. He only added to the fire at the time by taking the summer off, which encouraged the host to come up and offer a belated apology.
The host of The Man Show engaged in every kind of sexism, from openly objectifying women to groping them, to insanely high levels of sexism hidden beneath layers of satire. The host comedian claimed that over the past twenty-plus years, he has “evolved and matured, and I hope that is evident to anyone who watches my show.”
‘Killing everyone in China’ skit
Back in 2013, the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live asked children ages five and six to come forward with suggestions for repaying the $1.3 trillion debt that America owed to China. One boy suggested that they might shoot cannons over and wipe out China, which Kimmel deemed an interesting idea. He continued by asking if ‘we make it possible for the Chinese to live,’ to which one of the children responded “No” while the others agreed.
This segment, which led ABC to apologize, upset many people, claiming they had no intention of upsetting the community. The host added, of course, he did not agree with the statement, but maybe it didn’t seem like he wasn’t agreeing.
Jimmy Kimmel duped as a ‘bully’ after making Joaquin Phoenix uncomfortable
Actor Joaquin Phoenix appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote his movie, Joker. The host decided to play a behind-the-scenes outtake of the actor on the sets of the movie. Phoenix’s publicist said that the video was a ‘joke outtake’ but the fans were quick to notice that he was visibly awkward after the video was played and stressed that the video was supposed to be ‘personal’ and didn’t give the whole interview.
This incident did not sit well with the actor’s fans either, who later duped Jimmy Kimmel as a bully and made the actor awkward at various moments during the interview.
Accusations of being racist
Actress Ashley Park appeared on the show, and very excitedly told Jimmy Kimmel that popular K-pop band BTS had shared her cover of their famous song Dynamite. Park also said that she had experienced a major brain fog, which she initially attributed to the shock she felt after Namjoon and Taehyung posted her song, but later revealed that it was due to her symptoms of COVID-19.
Kimmel responded, “You thought it was BTS fever. They’re both very dangerous; you’re lucky to come out of those alive.” The BTS army came for the host, stating that the audacity he had to say something like that about an Asian artist in front of another Asian artist depicts Asian hate. Some added that this is not okay and his statements were simply racist and xenophobic. One of the users added,
“Casually comparing BTS to a contagious virus that the Asian community has been vilified for is not just deeply offensive, it’s dangerous. I didn’t wait my whole life for an Asian superstar(s) to conquer America just to see them treated like that. But that’s America for you.”
Read this: Who is RM – Korean Artist and BTS Leader Takes Away Most Handsome Man Title From Henry Cavill
Jimmy Kimmel fired as a Joke on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Following Kimmel’s discussion of the unexpected firings of Don Lemon from CNN and Tucker Carlson from Fox News last month, these rumors surfaced once more. Before an ABC News Special Report delivered by his sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, cut short his opening monologue, he had made the joke, “This is like if Ronald McDonald and Burger King got fired on the same day.”
Rodriguez said,
“We have some breaking news. After 20 years on the air, ABC TV has decided to part ways with its host, Jimmy Kimmel. This was a mutual decision. We want to say thank you to Jimmy Kimmel and his many, many contributions.”
Guillermo added, “On a personal note, I would like to say to Jimmy, don’t let the door hit you in your ass on the way out.”
Later, it was discovered that the production of the show was halted in support of the WGA strike, which is still going on. Writers, showrunners, and actors are on the picket lines demanding better pay and contracts, among other things. However, these contentious incidents might have led ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel.
Source: We Got This Covered
