Last week, Jimmy Kimmel’s career took a dive after he wrongfully blamed Republicans for Charlie Kirk’s murder. During his monologue, he said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” ABC took swift action, and Kimmel’s show was suspended for four days.

If the network thought they could get away with it, they were wrong. Online, Republicans and Democrats agreed that this was a matter of breaching America’s freedom of speech. Even right-wing Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz fought at Kimmel’s side. Together, people on either side of the aisle boycotted Disney, losing the company almost five million dollars. I was a part of the angry mob too, but, once the dust settled, I had second thoughts. Is this actually a loss of freedom, or did the masses just bully ABC into rehiring someone who was out of touch and losing them money?

Many Motives Behind Canceling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

First of all, according to the U.S. T.V. Database, Kimmel’s ratings plummeted 43 percent between January and August of 2025. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was also the “worst rated show of the year.” These ratings alone make firing or canceling the show justifiable, but there seems to be more to the story.

Despite Kimmel’s current politically correct facade, internet sleuths have dredged up the dark history beneath it. If people would look beyond the comment Kimmel made from last week, they would notice the times Kimmel did Black face, mimed sexually assaulting a woman in a skit and many more instances that would instantly get him canceled in today’s world. In fact, people have been canceled for far less. Instead of breaching the freedom of speech, maybe the network just got tired of cleaning up after him.

In an interview with podcaster Benny Johnson, the FCC’s Chair, Brendan Carr, described Kimmel’s comments about Kirk as “some of the sickest conduct possible.” Carr also insinuated that changes will definitely be made to the FCC’s policies. Kimmel was already on ABC’s radar, and his actions posed a risk to their company.

The Aftermath

Moreover, Kimmel still doesn’t feel remorse for the unnecessary political division he has long sewed into the show or the blatant libel he spoke about Republicans. His most recent contradictory comments about the monologue that landed him in timeout speak for themselves: On his first night back on the show, Kimmel attempted to explain his “joke,” and said he understands if people were upset by it. But, when Trump expressed outrage on X about Kimmel’s rehiring, the host lashed out, saying, “Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.”

So, is it a joke, or not? I suppose Kimmel’s answer lies in whatever makes him more money as he openly mocks the network that produces his show.

Cancel Culture v.s. “Real” Issues

Aside from the non-issue of Kimmel’s pink slip, this is a vivid display of how selective cancel-culture is. The country lost its mind over the network firing tired, washed up Jimmy Kimmel, but it never bats an eye at the company’s supply chain misconduct or the exploitation of Disney-Pixar artists. Countless other atrocities — like the war in Palestine, child slavery and homelessness to name a few — are happening in the world in real time as you read this article.

Additionally, hiring back Jimmy Kimmel is not a good look, as Americans were just taught that if they throw a tantrum and abuse the freedom of speech, they can get away with whatever they want. At the end of the day, Kimmel’s ratings are back after the nation’s outrage, but time will tell if they will last long.

After all of this, I am left unsettled by the amount of people who hopped on the bandwagon to end the Disney Corporation for rightfully firing a host who fostered hatred and division. This is not a question of free speech; it is a question of what we will allow people to get away with before they suffer the consequences. If this was a matter of neglecting free speech, Kimmel would have been jailed, not just fired. Why should a company be forced to hire someone who consistently poses a risk and loses them money? Like many other issues today, we need to use our mind before we lose it.

Acknowledgment: The ideas expressed in this article are those of the individual author.