In his first episode back after a five-day suspension, late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel tearfully declared he never meant to place the blame for the murder of Charlie Kirk on any specific political group. The “joke” that got him suspended, however, tells a different story.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said in his Sept. 15 episode.
While the “joke” was both ill-timed and inaccurate, the reaction to it sets a dangerous precedent for free speech.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr called out Kimmel, saying the joke would “directly mislead people” about the killer’s political affiliation. Carr also appeared on a conservative podcast and alluded to further action the FCC would take to correct the situation.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
Disney, the parent company of ABC, announced Sept. 17 that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would be suspended indefinitely as a result of Kimmel’s comment about Kirk’s assassination.
Reactions to the suspension have been split. President Donald Trump immediately took to Truth Social to laud the network’s decision to suspend Kimmel.
“Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” Trump wrote. “Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”
Still, Kimmel’s suspension caused an uproar from both left and right. The American Civil Liberties Union, along with more than 400 celebrities, released an open letter condemning the network and the Trump administration for violating the First Amendment.
What Kimmel said was wrong. It clearly wasn’t a joke; he made a tactless and potentially harmful comment and paid the price for it.
In a time of pain and confusion for conservatives, Kimmel capitalized on the vitriol and pointed the finger at the very people who were grieving.
That being said, silencing him sets a dangerous precedent. Conservatives have long experienced similar deplatforming, particularly during COVID-19. But when it happened to their own, they were outraged.
If a left-leaning activist were assassinated and a conservative comedian deplatformed for making a joke about it, conservatives would round up supporters and write an open letter, too.
When Gina Carano was fired from “The Mandalorian” for voicing conservative views, many on the right were furious. People expressed their disdain for the violation of the First Amendment all over social media, and Elon Musk personally funded Carano’s lawsuit against Disney for wrongful termination.
Conservatives cringe at the idea of recognizing “preferred pronouns,” claiming it is the right of an American citizen to voice their beliefs, regardless of who it may offend. Why, then, is Kimmel’s offensive comment not protected?
While Carr maintains the FCC did not pressure Disney to remove Kimmel, two of the affiliate channels that still refuse to air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” are currently seeking to make deals with the FCC, pointing to the influence the commission has in the decisions of private networks. It seems highly likely that the government was involved in the suspension, be it directly or indirectly.
Government overreach isn’t the only issue here, however. As with Gina Carano’s lawsuit, private companies shouldn’t rush to silence unpopular views. Though Kimmel’s comments were inappropriate to say the least, conservatives have often been the ones making “inappropriate” comments and being silenced for it.
While conservatives may not agree with what Kimmel said, it’s their duty as defenders of the First Amendment to protect his right to say it.
It would have been far better to let Kimmel’s comments be disproved by facts rather than silenced by force. Rather than painting themselves as hypocritical, conservatives must stand up for free speech in all its forms, lest they feel the pendulum swing back against them.
Gemma Flores is a junior studying English.
