During the 2020 Emmy Awards, host Jimmy Kimmel repeatedly yelled “Black Lives Matter” at the demand of “Black-ish” actor Anthony Anderson, during a racially-charged bit preceding the award presentation for “Best Limited Series.”
Anderson starts the bit by saying he must get something “off his chest,” complaining that COVID precautions have stopped the Emmys from being the “blackest” they have ever been.
“We have a record number of black Emmy nominees this year, which is great,” Anderson said. “This is the part where the white people start to applaud and nod.”
Kimmel does as he’s told, clapping and nodding.
“Thank you, Jimmy,” Anderson continues.
“This was supposed to be the blackest Emmys ever. Y’all wouldn’t be able to handle how black it was gonna be, but because of COVID, we can’t even get in the damn building,” he continues. “These Emmys would have been so black, it would have been like hot sauce in your purse black. It would have been Howard University homecoming black. It would have been ‘you fit the description’ black.”
Instead of being at the “blackest” Emmy Awards, Anderson says, he’s “alone in a sterilized green room trying not to sneeze on a llama.”
Kimmel corrects the “Black-ish” star, noting that it was an alpaca. “Don’t ‘whitesplain’ it to me, Jimmy,” Anderson says. “It should have been a pitbull.”
“This isn’t what it should have been, but I’m still rooting for everybody black because black stories, black performances, and Black Lives Matter,” Anderson says. “Say it with me, Jimmy: Black Lives Matter.”
Kimmel complies: “Black Lives Matter.”
“Louder, Jimmy!,” Anderson yells.
Kimmel again complies, “Black Lives matter!”
“Louder, Jimmy!,” screams the actor. “Say it so that Mike Pence can hear it!”
“Black Lives Matter!” yells Kimmel, closing out the uncomfortable sketch.
WATCH:
.@AnthonyAnderson was looking forward to the blackest #Emmys ever… #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/HFcTp1OfHR
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) September 21, 2020
In June, Kimmel finally broke his silence concerning his past donning of blackface in old “Man Show” sketches.
In a statement, the embattled host took shots at folks on the right, whom he identified as “those who equate apologies with weakness and cheer for leaders who use prejudice to divide us,” while offering his apologies to those “offended” by his actions.
“On KROQ radio in the mid-90s, I did a recurring impression of the NBA player Karl Malone. In the late 90s, I continued impersonating Malone on TV. We hired makeup artists to make me look as much like Karl Malone as possible,” Kimmel admitted. “I never considered that this might be seen as anything other than an imitation of a fellow human being, one that had no more to do with Karl’s skin color than it did his bulging muscles and bald head.”
“Looking back, many of these sketches are embarrassing,” the statement said, “and it is frustrating that these thoughtless moments have become a weapon used by some to diminish my criticisms of social and other injustices.”
The Emmys sketch was mocked online as “pathetic” and “bizarre.”
“Wanna see what the end game of social justice looks like? Here’s pathetic, timid, emasculated Jimmy Kimmel clapping like a seal and repeating phrases on command like a parrot,” commented host Dave Rubin.
Wanna see what the end game of social justice looks like? Here’s pathetic, timid, emasculated Jimmy Kimmel clapping like a seal and repeating phrases on command like a parrot.
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) September 21, 2020
Daily Wire podcast host Michael Knowles captioned the video, “This is creepy and pathetic.”
This is creepy and pathetic. pic.twitter.com/S7DIxQgY7w
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) September 21, 2020
Conservative comedian Steven Crowder posted the Emmys bit, spliced with clips of Kimmel in blackface. “It was stunning and brave for Jimmy Kimmel to yell #BlackLivesMatter,” he captioned the video. “You know, considering…”
It was stunning and brave for Jimmy Kimmel to yell #BlackLivesMatter. You know, considering… pic.twitter.com/YB5KUGyUl9
— Steven Crowder (@scrowder) September 21, 2020