14 DAY TRIAL // Jimmy Kimmel has landed himself in a world of trouble for a skit that aired just once on his show before being pulled off for good, in which he and a few kids were talking about how America needs to “kill everyone in China.” Kimmel should be fired for this, protesters believe.
Yahoo! TV reports that thousands of angry people showed up outside ABC Studios in Burbank, Houston and Phoenix to let network bosses that they do not tolerate such offensive attempts at humor, over which they believe Kimmel should lose his job.
The joke was made during the segment Kids’ Table, in which Kimmel and a handful of kids talk about politics and various economic issues. It is included in the video below.
As you can see, one of the boys says that one solution for America not to pay the huge debt it has incurred to China is to “kill everyone” in this country. Kimmel plays along, even as the other kids start proposing the same “solution.”
Protesters believe that, while kids do and will always say such things, Kimmel and the network should have shown more sense than to air the segment. No apology can undo the damage, even though both ABC and Kimmel have offered one.
“We offer our sincere apology. We would never purposefully broadcast anything to upset the Chinese community, Asian community, anyone of Chinese descent, or any community at large. Our objective is to entertain,” the network said.
“I just want to say I am sorry. I apologize. It was certainly not my intent to upset anyone,” Kimmel added.
Clearly, it wasn’t enough judging by yesterday’s protests. ABC is yet to comment on them, but Yahoo! TV hints that it will have to do so soon because of the sheer number of people who took issue with the joke: over 1,500 people protested in Burbank alone.
The controversy is also being played out on social media but there’s also a White House petition demanding an investigation. It has over 100,000 signatures, which means it will have to be addressed.
