What Jimmy Kimmel’s cancellation means for America
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD — opinion@theaggie.org
Censorship is a tried and true bellwether of authoritarianism. By definition, an authoritarian government thrives on a thin veil of propaganda that hides just how fragile it would be without the compliance of the public. That’s why one of the first warning signs of a shift toward authoritarianism is media censorship — every dictator curates the news their citizens receive so that it aligns with what they want them to believe (think of Vladimir Putin in Russia or Kim Jong Un in North Korea). The power of an authoritarian leader exists only because they manipulate the information that their constituents receive in such a way that their only choice is to believe that the political agenda of the leader is a necessity.
We must, therefore, protect our free speech with the utmost care and urgency. In America, we pride ourselves on our freedom and independence. Our Founding Fathers tried to codify into the very Constitution of our nation that “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…,” so it should come as an alarming red flag that we’re seeing our current administration disregard that essential right.
On Monday, Sept. 15, late night show host Jimmy Kimmel made comments about the recent assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, saying: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the [Make America Great Again] (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.”
In response, the Chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, accused Kimmel of disrespectfully conveying the political views of Kirk’s suspected shooter. Before Kimmel could respond, his show was indefinitely cancelled by ABC.
Kimmel’s statements can’t reasonably be construed as hate speech or derogatory by any metric. It’s a widely accepted fact that Kirk’s shooter was politically conservative, and the actions of the Republican party make it obvious that they are trying to distance themselves from him, using the event to bolster nationalism and party unity for themselves. For speaking the truth, Kimmel was condemned and suppressed by the team of a leader who claims to uphold true American values — it’s tragic, ironic and horrifying.
Freedom of speech includes freedom of dissent; freedom to hold and express opinions against the government. When we see President Donald Trump and his administration actively trying to silence the voices of people who disagree with his political agenda, what we’re really seeing is his attempt to suppress the fundamental rights of the American people — to dictate what we can say.
Hate speech, however, cannot be excused as an expression of fundamental free speech. In uplifting Charlie Kirk’s right to spread extremist ideology while simultaneously demonizing those who speak out against him, they’re ignoring the fact that the First Amendment does not protect hate speech. Further, some conservative activists claim that any attempts to deplatform Kirk were unjust and unfairly disregarded his right to speak freely. And yet, when Jimmy Kimmel makes a comment that offends them, they take away his voice. They accuse the left of being hypocritical while they’re the only ones committing acts of hypocrisy.
The show never should have been cancelled in the first place, but it returned to air Tuesday, Sept. 22, after strong public outrage. What this proves, though, is that we as citizens do possess real power to create change. If no one had spoken up, not just for Jimmy Kimmel but for what the event of his show’s cancellation means for the future of the nation, he would have remained off of the air, forced to be quiet.
Collective activism is a force to be reckoned with. Authoritarian leaders manipulate and strongarm their citizens into compliance because, if they believe in their ability to revolt, the leaders will be overthrown. We’ve seen what Trump and the government are trying to do, but we’ve also seen the power that we have, as American people, to rise up and protect our freedom. Let this be an alarm, but also an inspiration — we’re not powerless against these injustices.
“I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway,” Kimmel said in his first monologue back on the air after he was allowed to return.
That sentiment is exactly what holds us together as a country. We must protect everyone’s individual right to speak and be heard, even if our views are diametrically opposed. The second we lose our rights to free speech, we lose our democracy. Jimmy Kimmel is one of many Americans who have suffered unjust consequences for simply exercising their basic rights — we have to recognize that for what it is: an early symptom of authoritarianism at the expense of democratic integrity.
Written by: The Editorial Board — opinion@theaggie.org
