【Title/标题】
Jimmy Kimmel advocates for free speech, slams FCC chair in late-night return

【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：The Washington Post
Written by/作者：Emily Yahr

【Transcript/文稿】
After one of the more eventful weeks of his career, Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night TV on Tuesday to a huge standing ovation from his studio audience, as he talked about the controversy that saw his show temporarily removed from ABC’s airwaves after comments he made about the killing of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.




During a 20-minute monologue on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Kimmel thanked many people for their support over the past six days — and delivered a passionate call for free speech. He said he was moved to see people on both sides of the aisle criticize what appeared to be the head of a government agency suggesting that he would attempt to shut down or censor the show of a comedian he didn’t like.

“This show is not important: What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this,” Kimmel said to much applause from the crowd. He added that free speech was something he was “embarrassed” to say he took for granted, “until they pulled my friend Stephen off the air, and tried to coerce the affiliates who run our show in the cities that you live in to take my show off the air. That’s not legal, that’s not American. That is un-American, and it is so dangerous.”

Last Wednesday, Disney-owned ABC pulled Kimmel’s show after conservative backlash to comments he made in his Sept. 15 monologue: “We had 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 had said.

Afterward, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr went on a podcast and called the remarks “some of the sickest conduct possible,” and suggested that Disney’s broadcast licenses could be in jeopardy. TV station owners Nexstar and Sinclair — which own a combined total of about 70 ABC affiliate stations — said they were dropping Kimmel’s show. Both companies said this week they will continue not to broadcast the show, keeping it off channels in cities including Washington.


On Tuesday, Kimmel grew emotional as he emphasized that he never intended to make light of Kirk’s death, and noted that on the day Kirk was killed, he posted a message on Instagram sending love to Kirk’s family and asking for compassion. While some interpreted Kimmel’s initial comments as saying the suspect in Kirk’s shooting was part of MAGA, Kimmel said he never intended to blame “any specific group” for the actions of “a deeply disturbed individual.

“That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but I understand that to some, that felt ill-timed or unclear or maybe both. And for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I would have felt the same way,” Kimmel said, getting choked up again. “I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don’t agree on politics at all.”“I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone,” he added. “This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution. And it isn’t. Ever.”

Kimmel went on to say that he was grateful that he has worked for Walt Disney Co. for the past 23 years, but that he was not happy when it took his show off the air. But he said he talked it out with the executives, and he appreciated them giving him freedom to say what he wants — though he joked that they insisted he read instructions on-air about how to resubscribe to Disney+, given how many people recently canceled their subscriptions in protest.


Kimmel turned serious as he said he knows that restoring his show puts Disney at risk.“Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke,” Kimmel said. “ … And I hope that if that happens, or if there’s even any hint of that happening, you will be 10 times as loud as you were this week.”

The host wrapped up his monologue by saying that he hoped the silver lining of this controversy was that it brought people from the left, right and center together to speak up for the First Amendment. “We found one thing we can agree on, and maybe we’ll find another one,” he said. Kimmel became emotional again as he said he was touched by the speech that Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, delivered at his memorial on Sunday, in which she said she forgave the man who shot her husband. “That is an example we should follow. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow,” Kimmel said. “And if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that and not this.”