Jimmy Kimmel: What to know
Here’s a few things you may not know about late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
EXCLUSIVE: Jimmy Kimmel, who urged actor Tom Arnold to release an alleged "N-word" tape of President Trump in 2018, admitted years ago that he imitated rapper Snoop Dogg's voice for a track in a 1996 Christmas album -- an original song in which Kimmel used the "N-word" several times.
The admission came in a January 2013 podcast obtained this weekend by Fox News. In the podcast, Kimmel also changed his speech pattern in an attempt to adopt the voice of black comedian George Wallace, in what host Adam Carolla called Kimmel's "crazy black voice." Kimmel acknowledged imitating black people on other occasions as well.
Kimmel, who is slated to host the Emmy Awards this year, announced last week that he's taking the summer off amid a brewing blackface controversy; he has not issued an apology.
LISTEN TO KIMMEL'S GEORGE WALLACE IMITATION
Fox News additionally has obtained audio from the Christmas album, "A Family Christmas In Your A--," which came out of the "Kevin & Bean" radio show that aired on KROQ-FM in California. A version of the track featuring Kimmel's Snoop Dogg imitation, "Christmastime in the LBC," has been uploaded to YouTube.
In the Christmas track, a singer mentioned a "fat n---- in a sleigh giving sh--- away," referring to Santa Claus. The song also referenced "n----- in the manger," including associates of King Herod.
LISTEN TO KIMMEL'S 'CHRISTMASTIME IN LBC' SONG
"I told that motherf---er Santa, bring a pick for my afro," the singer went on. The "three wise men" were described as "bringing gifts and sh-- for baby boo in the hay."
"Me and my n----- down in LBC, we'll smoke that motherf------ Christmas tree," Kimmel said.
Liner notes from the cassette, obtained by Fox News, showed the album was co-produced by "Jim Kimmel" and credited Kimmel for all "comedy material" on the album, except for a handful of unrelated tracks. Kimmel also appeared on the album cover.
In the 2013 podcast, Carolla said "Jimmy is doing Snoop" in the track, and Kimmel affirmed, "This is when Snoop Dogg first came out, hit the scene, and I used to imitate him by only saying, 'You know what I'm saying?'"
"Jimmy, do you only do black people?" someone asks on the podcast.
"I prefer them, yes," Kimmel responds, apparently jokingly.
KIMMEL ADMITS SINGING IN 'LBC' SONG, OTHER IMITATIONS
Also in the 2013 podcast, Carolla interviewed Kimmel about his time on "Kevin & Bean." Kimmel recalled that he once "called the president of Comedy Central as George Wallace, the comedian," from a New York City hotel room after he and friends had been drinking.
Jimmy Kimmel said on a podcast that he imitated the voice of comic George Wallace, seen here. (File)
Carolla said Kimmel adopted a "crazy black voice" to impersonate Wallace.
Kimmel continued, as Wallace: "I just wanna say I had a great time, and thank you for inviting me!"
Recalling the episode on the podcast, Kimmel intentionally adopted a dialect that Carolla described as "black."
Kimmel remarked, "A lot of people thought it was George Wallace!"
Carolla then recounted another episode in which Kimmel called "The John & Jeff Show" as "your black man." Kimmel, as recounted by Carolla, responded, "Sure 'nuff, I am!'"
Kimmel abruptly announced last Thursday he's taking the summer off to spend more time with his family. He has been tapped to host the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards.
KIMMEL ANNOUNCES HE'S TAKING SUMMER OFF, CLAIMS THERE'S 'NOTHING WRONG'
In announcing his vacation, Kimmel didn't mention that he was under fire for a recurring skit in which he dressed in blackface for "The Man Show," which aired from 1999-2004.
In 2018, actor Kevin Hart stepped down from hosting the Oscars after homophobic tweets from 2009 to 2011 surfaced.
Also that year, ABC quickly fired Roseanne Barr after she posted a racist tweet about former President Obama's aide Valerie Jarrett. ABC canceled her wildly popular reboot of "Roseanne" and said her comments were "abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values."
But ABC's treatment of Kimmel has been different.
"I'm taking this summer off to spend even more time with my family," Kimmel said from his home studio last week. "There's nothing wrong. I'm healthy, my family's healthy, I just need a couple of months off."
Kimmel apparently has disregarded calls to apologize for the blackface controversy. A representative from ABC and his talk show did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Fox News on Sunday and Monday.
Nevertheless, in 2018, Kimmel eagerly asked Arnold to produce a purported tape of Trump using the "N-word."
"I want to hear this tape! Where is this tape?" Kimmel asked Arnold in 2018, his voice rising. "You keep saying you will! When? When he's retired?"
Meanwhile, "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon apologized for a 2000 blackface sketch from "Saturday Night Live."
"In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface," Fallon tweeted last May. "There is no excuse for this. I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable."
Kimmel, along with other late-night comedians, has strayed into increasingly fraught political waters since Trump's election.
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Last May, Kimmel aired a misleading clip of Vice President Mike Pence carrying boxes of personal protective equipment [PPE] into a hospital. Kimmel claimed the boxes were empty, but a reporter pointed out that the full video revealed he simply was teasing staffers about the boxes being empty.
Kimmel had scolded Pence without revealing the context of the footage. The misleading clip was shared on Twitter and attracted over 2.7 million views.
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.
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