Adam Carolla has defended his The man show co-star Jimmy Kimmel after the late-night ABC host apologized for his black-faced impersonations of Karl Malone and other black celebrities.
Comedian Carolla, who presents his own podcast on the PodcastOne network, said Kimmel was “among my top three people of all time I have ever met.”
“He is the most decent and generous person you have ever met,” he said. “If everyone were like Jimmy Kimmel, we would be living in a damn utopia.”
Earlier today, the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! He apologized for the impersonations, which appeared on the couple’s Comedy Central show, and said he had “evolved” and “matured” since it was first broadcast.
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Jimmy Kimmel apologizes for black face impersonation of Karl Malone and other black celebrities
“I have long been reluctant to address this as I knew that doing so would be celebrated as a victory by those who equate apology with weakness and encourage leaders who use prejudice to divide us,” he said. “That delay was a mistake. There is nothing more important to me than your respect, and I apologize to those who were really hurt or offended by the makeup I used or the words I said. “
Carolla said it was a “new world order” and that it was “interesting when you know the story behind it all.”
Could we take the jewelers’ magnifying glass off the comedians in the limelight? Politicians, OK, they’re doing politics … comedians are there to push things and push the limits, “he said.” Blackface is something, doing Karl Malone or Oprah is something else. If someone does this now, then we should look at it. Now, we have to look at it very differently from then. Maybe it’s wrong, but that’s why we evolved and why we don’t anymore. “
He also supported Jimmy Fallon, who made a similar apology for his impersonation of Chris Rock in Saturday night live. “I don’t know Jimmy Fallon, but I heard he is a super fun and personable guy. They are not part of the problem, “he added.
