Free Speech or Poor Judgment? The Debate Over Jimmy Kimmel's Suspension and Return
Television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel. Photo Credit, Erin Scott va Wikimedia Commons
During “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Sept. 15, Kimmel delivered a monologue addressing the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who had been shot and killed at an event in Utah earlier that week. Kimmel alluded to the idea of the “MAGA gang” trying to distance themselves from the accused shooter, after it was reported that the shooter was a registered Republican.
He also joked about President Donald Trump and his sentiment on the issue after showing an interview of someone asking how Trump was coping with the loss of his close friend. Trump responded, “Very good,” and then began talking about the renovations of the new White House ballroom. After the monologue aired, criticism came flying in from conservative media, political figures and others who argued that Kimmel’s comments were insensitive and divisive.
Shortly after the backlash, ABC, owned by Disney, announced in a statement that Kimmel’s show would be suspended indefinitely. Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar, elaborated on the company’s statement.
“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” Alford said in an interview with People Magazine.
At the same time, some ABC affiliates, particularly those owned by Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, chose not to air the show at all on their stations. At this time, Chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, also warned ABC and its affiliates that they should be conscious of the content they are sharing, threatening to investigate affiliates unless they took Kimmel off the air.
The actions elicited a strong response from entertainment labor unions, as many argued that the suspension was an infringement on free speech. Other late-night hosts supported and defended Kimmel, criticizing the governmental overreach that’s been seen across all aspects of people’s daily lives.
In the days following the suspension, ABC and Disney worked together with Kimmel and his team to reach an agreement to bring the show back on air. On Sept. 22, Disney announced that the suspension would be lifted and the show would resume the following day, and emphasized that meaningful conversations had been had.
Despite the reinstatement of the show, some affiliates (again, Nexstar and Sinclair) refused to air the show on their ABC stations, making the show unavailable in about 23% of US households, as reported by AdWeek. Even without the 23%, the show still amassed more than 6 million viewers in its first night back.
Kimmel began the show by acknowledging the controversy and expressing that he had never meant to trivialize the assassination of Kirk or minimize its seriousness.