In recent weeks, Jimmy Fallon, Howard Stern and the stars of Little Britain have had to address their past use of blackface amid the racial reckoning brought about by the Black Lives Matter protests. But Kimmel, who used blackface on The Man Show while portraying Karl Malone, has been silent, though there has yet to be the kind of social media backlash that Fallon and Stern have faced. In 2018, Sean Hannity slammed Kimmel for his blackface use when the two feuded on Twitter. In 2019, Nick Cannon called out Kimmel, Fallon and Sarah Silverman for their use of blackface. But Kimmel has never directly addressed his blackface use, as Michael Starr points out. "Jimmy Kimmel needs to address the blackface controversy that’s engulfed him — and not by taking the summer off from Jimmy Kimmel Live!" says Starr. "That’s the coward’s way out." Starr adds: "Kimmel’s continued silence means that this ugly boil will only fester over the next few months as public outrage is bound to reach a crescendo — or a cancellation. Fallon apologized, blamed no one but himself and moved on. Fans are already buzzing on Twitter, calling for Kimmel to say sorry like Fallon did. Kimmel has done neither — and he needs to come clean before his legacy is forever tarnished by past indiscretions." ALSO: Why hasn't Kimmel's blackface garnered similar media attention as Fallon's past use of blackface?
TOPICS: Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Little Britain, The Man Show, George Floyd, Howard Stern, Jimmy Fallon, Blackface, Black Lives Matter, Late Night