Timeline of Jimmy Kimmel’s Blackface & Racial Impersonation Controversies (1998–2025)
The apparatus tolerates ridicule of Black Americans as survivable. Offense against political power is punished — though even then, forgiveness is swift.
Jimmy Kimmel’s rise from 1990s radio to late-night TV is marred by controversies over his impersonations of Black figures, often in blackface. His dismissive apologies and refusal to engage directly with Black Americans about cultural harms help him portray himself as a free speech defender, masking his anti-Blackness. With ABC reinstating him, his anti-Black views and those of his associates, like Sara Silverman, who has faced similar controversies, warrant examination. This timeline establishes support for such scrutiny.
With his reinstatement and triumphant return, Kimmel’s career stays strong, backed by Hollywood and ABC. This detailed timeline provides context for how Kimmel’s past and present have connected as he’s built his career as a comedian who is supported by the Right while also maintaining support and credibility from the Left as his anti-Black views have been softly yet thoroughly platformed.
Timeline of Jimmy Kimmel’s Blackface & Racial Impersonation Controversies (1998–2025)
Late 1990s — Radio Beginnings
1996: As a sidekick on Los Angeles’ KROQ “Kevin & Bean” show, Jimmy Kimmel parodied Snoop Dogg on the novelty album A Family Christmas in Your Ass, rapping in a faux-Snoop voice and using racial slurs.
Mid-1990s: Kimmel also created a recurring Karl Malone impression on the radio, imitating the NBA star’s dialect and persona. These bits drew little attention at the time, fitting into the shock-jock culture of the era.
1999 — The Man Show Debut
June 1999: Comedy Central debuts The Man Show, co-hosted by Kimmel and Adam Carolla. The premiere episode (“Oprahization”) satirized Oprah Winfrey’s cultural influence.
2000–2003 — Karl Malone Blackface Sketches
2000 onward: On The Man Show, Kimmel began appearing in full costume and makeup as Karl Malone — complete with darkened skin, a bald cap, and muscle padding — delivering comic monologues in an exaggerated dialect. This became a recurring sketch through 2003.
2001 — Oprah Parody
2001: Kimmel performed as “Oprah Jimfrey,” donning dark makeup and drag in sketches parodying Oprah’s talk-show persona. The skits exaggerated her wealth and audience rapport, passing on cable with little mainstream critique.
2003–2012 — Rise to ABC
2003: ABC launches Jimmy Kimmel Live! in January. Despite his history on The Man Show, Disney executives promoted Kimmel as a new late-night star. Bob Iger later confirmed that Disney had handled the blackface issue privately during his hiring process.
2004: Kimmel is briefly suspended after joking that Detroit would “burn down” if the Pistons won the NBA Finals. This marked ABC’s first public disciplinary action against him.
2005–2010: Kimmel solidifies his presence, avoids overt blackface content, and begins building mainstream credibility.
2013–2019 — Political Voice, Podcast “Black Voice”
2013: On Adam Carolla’s podcast, Kimmel adopts a caricature “Black voice” impersonation of comedian George Wallace, with Carolla joking about the “crazy black voice.” This drew no notice at the time but resurfaced later.
2017–2018: Kimmel gains attention for emotional monologues on health care and gun violence, making him a target for conservatives. Hannity and others begin dredging up old Man Show bits.
2019: At a Disney shareholder meeting, Bob Iger acknowledges Kimmel’s past Karl Malone/Oprah sketches but says they were addressed privately.
2020 — Blackface Resurfaces and Apology
June 2020: Clips of Kimmel as Karl Malone and Oprah, as well as the 1996 Snoop Dogg parody and 2013 podcast audio, circulate widely.
June 23, 2020: Kimmel issues a public apology, calling the sketches “embarrassing” and apologizing to “those who were genuinely hurt or offended.” He insists they were intended as impersonations, not racial attacks.
ABC’s response: The network offers no discipline; Kimmel’s planned summer hiatus proceeds, and he returns in September, hosting both his show and the Emmys.
2025 — Charlie Kirk Remarks and Suspension/Return
September 10, 2025: Conservative activist Charlie Kirk is assassinated.
Following week: On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel jokes that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” .
Backlash: Nexstar and Sinclair affiliates refuse to air his show; FCC Chair Brendan Carr calls his comments “truly sick” and warns ABC: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Sept. 15, 2025: ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely.
Sept. 22, 2025: After “thoughtful conversations,” ABC announces that Kimmel will return to the air on Sept. 23. Some affiliates still withhold the show.
Summary
Across nearly three decades, Kimmel’s trajectory shows a pattern:
1990s-2003 Racial impersonations aired with little pushback.
2020: Outcry during a national reckoning leads to an apology but no real consequence.
2025: A political joke about a conservative figure brings swift suspension — but reinstatement follows within a week, leaving Liberal Hollywood to honor both Charlie Kirk and Jimmy Kimmel within the same act.