ABC's action to withdraw Jimmy Kimmel's program shares similarities and contrasts with the dismissal of Roseanne Barr's show
Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!,' has been suspended indefinitely following comments about slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. The network's decision comes after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr suggested action against ABC News for Kimmel's comments.
The suspension of Kimmel's show has sparked protests in Hollywood, with protesters calling for an end to censorship. This is not the first time ABC News has been embroiled in controversy. In 2018, the network cancelled Roseanne Barr's show, 'Roseanne,' due to a controversial tweet about Valerie Jarrett.
Roseanne Barr's show was a reboot of the original sitcom about the Conner family, and she was a star on ABC News. Barr's tweet referred to Jarrett as the offspring of the Muslim Brotherhood and the 'Planet of the Apes' film franchise, a remark deemed racist by executives at the Walt Disney Co.-owned broadcaster.
Barr later criticised the cancellation of 'Roseanne' in a 2023 Times interview, calling it a 'witch-burning,' and criticising the network and her former co-stars. She also felt persecuted by the network and her former co-stars, and believed God took her out of the show to save her.
ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey announced the cancellation of 'Roseanne,' while 'The Conners,' a spinoff of 'Roseanne,' premiered to high ratings and concluded its seven-season run in April. Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger also commented on the cancellation on Twitter.
Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers have not publicly commented on Jimmy Kimmel's suspension. In a 2023 opinion piece, Chabria wrote an opinion piece calling for Los Angeles to wake up and recognise that they are all Jimmy Kimmel, referring to the censorship faced by Kimmel and other late-night hosts.
Roseanne Barr has since responded to a post on X by Obama, criticising the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel's show as taking 'cancel culture' to a new and dangerous level. Barr forgave those who were involved in the cancellation of 'Roseanne,' but it remains to be seen if the same will happen for Jimmy Kimmel.
The most successful show on ABC News in years, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' has left many wondering about the future of late-night television on the network. The show's suspension has raised questions about freedom of speech and censorship in the entertainment industry.
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