The Sinclair Broadcast Group just returned “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on its ABC affiliates. This decision comes after a short-lived suspension of the program, in response to incendiary comments made by the host. Kimmel’s comeback on Tuesday night drew a whopping 6.26 million viewers, shattering previous high ratings for the show. This reinstatement comes after a major public outcry against Kimmel’s mendacious thoughts on the murder of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Unhappiness and outrage ensued from just about everyone, from outraged fiscal conservatives to former President Donald Trump.
Yet a quarter of ABC stations chose not to carry “Jimmy Kimmel Live! This decision was a direct result of the outrage that followed Kimmel’s monologue on September 15. The situation escalated when Trump expressed disappointment over Kimmel’s reinstatement, further fueling the debate on censorship and comedic expression in the current political climate.
In his opening monologue upon returning, Kimmel acknowledged the timing of his earlier comments, stating, “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.” As a punchline, he said his joke and apologized, stating that one needs to be aware of these horrible tragedies. Kimmel literally used the occasion to respond to Trump’s response to his initial comments.
Kimmel positively railed on Trump and his enablers for this censoring, lamenting what he dubbed as “mob” censorship to control comedians and satirists. Yet Trump will openly celebrate when people are fired because they make an offhand joke as a gag, on purpose. He called this behavior “un-American” and “dangerous.”
“Our leader celebrates people losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.” – Jimmy Kimmel
This previously unreported incident goes to the heart of a larger debate over what constitutes freedom of speech in comedy, especially as it pertains to political discourse. Kimmel argued that Trump’s attempts to exploit the situation for political gain were misguided, claiming that they were “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
Debates over free speech, comedy, and political correctness are already reaching a boiling point. Kimmel’s return to the airwaves has ignited new discussions on humor’s place in a time of great peril. Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group’s agreement to go dark on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” across multiple ABC affiliates. This decision was heavily criticized by defenders of free expression.