Freedom of speech is a baseline criterion for any functioning democracy, but for the United States, it is enshrined in the most important document — the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Therefore, when elected officials start using their power to silence and discredit those who criticise or disagree with them, they erode the very foundation of the system that got them elected. No country can be “Great Again” if the people within it cannot express themselves freely.
On September 18, ABC announced it was indefinitely pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! in response to comments Kimmel made on air following the murder of far-right Christian nationalist activist, Charlie Kirk, who was shot during one of his college debates at Utah Valley University on September 10. The announcement came shortly after the network was threatened by the Federal Communications Commission’s chair, Brendan Carr. Carr admitted on a podcast that he was considering regulatory punishments for ABC if they failed to terminate Kimmel’s show, adding that “We can either do this the easy way or the hard way.” As chairman, Carr has been accused of coercing and threatening broadcast television companies that ran programmes he believed to be biased against conservatives. He has launched several investigations into media platforms that upheld DEI practices or covered ICE raids, to name a few.
Following outrage at the cancellation—notably from many celebrity friends of Kimmel and members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) who rallied to release a “Hollywood labor joint statement” criticising ABC for eroding the principle of freedom of speech — Disney, under which ABC operates, backtracked and announced that following some “thoughtful conversations,” Kimmel would be making his return to the network on Tuesday this week.
Jimmy Kimmel made an emotional return to his late-night show, apologising for making light of Charlie Kirk’s death and assuring that his intention was never to hurt those who may have been offended by his comments. Meanwhile, the President of the United States attended Charlie Kirk’s funeral in Arizona, where he gave a politically-charged eulogy to the late podcaster and debater. In his speech, he issues a thinly veiled warning to those who disagreed with his policies, saying, “I hate my opponents and I don’t want the best for them,” further fuelling concerns about the erosion of free speech.
Given ABC’s announcement that it was pulling Jimmy Kimmel’s show only two days prior, it would be unwise not to see Trump’s words as an omen for further crackdowns on free speech. Jimmy Kimmel’s return to the air this week does little to alleviate the fact that Donald Trump has openly painted a target on the backs of those who disagree with him. So, while Kimmel is back to making jokes about the president of the US trying to “cancel him,” other less well-known comedians, journalists, activists, academics, researchers, or any American citizens who can’t benefit from celebrities signing open letters for them, are now facing an uncertain future where the very simple act of voicing one’s opinion can have dangerous consequences.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live stage” by Neon Tommy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension Signals a Crackdown on Free Speech
Freedom of speech is a baseline criterion for any functioning democracy, but for the United States, it is enshrined in the most important document — the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Therefore, when elected officials start using their power to silence and discredit those who criticise or disagree with them, they erode the very foundation of the system that got them elected. No country can be “Great Again” if the people within it cannot express themselves freely.
On September 18, ABC announced it was indefinitely pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! in response to comments Kimmel made on air following the murder of far-right Christian nationalist activist, Charlie Kirk, who was shot during one of his college debates at Utah Valley University on September 10. The announcement came shortly after the network was threatened by the Federal Communications Commission’s chair, Brendan Carr. Carr admitted on a podcast that he was considering regulatory punishments for ABC if they failed to terminate Kimmel’s show, adding that “We can either do this the easy way or the hard way.” As chairman, Carr has been accused of coercing and threatening broadcast television companies that ran programmes he believed to be biased against conservatives. He has launched several investigations into media platforms that upheld DEI practices or covered ICE raids, to name a few.
Following outrage at the cancellation—notably from many celebrity friends of Kimmel and members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) who rallied to release a “Hollywood labor joint statement” criticising ABC for eroding the principle of freedom of speech — Disney, under which ABC operates, backtracked and announced that following some “thoughtful conversations,” Kimmel would be making his return to the network on Tuesday this week.
Jimmy Kimmel made an emotional return to his late-night show, apologising for making light of Charlie Kirk’s death and assuring that his intention was never to hurt those who may have been offended by his comments. Meanwhile, the President of the United States attended Charlie Kirk’s funeral in Arizona, where he gave a politically-charged eulogy to the late podcaster and debater. In his speech, he issues a thinly veiled warning to those who disagreed with his policies, saying, “I hate my opponents and I don’t want the best for them,” further fuelling concerns about the erosion of free speech.
Given ABC’s announcement that it was pulling Jimmy Kimmel’s show only two days prior, it would be unwise not to see Trump’s words as an omen for further crackdowns on free speech. Jimmy Kimmel’s return to the air this week does little to alleviate the fact that Donald Trump has openly painted a target on the backs of those who disagree with him. So, while Kimmel is back to making jokes about the president of the US trying to “cancel him,” other less well-known comedians, journalists, activists, academics, researchers, or any American citizens who can’t benefit from celebrities signing open letters for them, are now facing an uncertain future where the very simple act of voicing one’s opinion can have dangerous consequences.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live stage” by Neon Tommy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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