Fury over boy’s ‘kill Chinese’ Jimmy Kimmel show remark
Print Edition
Thousands of Chinese Americans and their supporters gathered outside ABC headquarters in Los Angeles on Saturday in protest over an episode of the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” talk show.
They held banners reading “Teach kids to love not to kill” and “Fire Jimmy Kimmel,” while others shouted: “Boycott ABC.”
The anger was sparked by a show on October 16 where the US comedian asked children how the United States should pay back its US$1.3 trillion debt to China. One six-year-old boy replied: “Kill everyone in China,” to which Kimmel said: “That’s an interesting idea.”
Amid claims by many in the Chinese community in the US that the segment was racist, the Chinese Association demanded the company make an official apology. During Saturday’s demonstration, some protesters entered the headquarters to hand out leaflets and leaders from various Chinese associations denounced the talk show. Wang Tian, one of the organizers, said: “We hope that the president of ABC, Paul Lee, can stand in front of all Chinese people to apologize, and use his best judgment to decide whether to suspend or fire Jimmy.”
Yan Fei, the mother of a 6-year-old boy, joined the rally with her son Tommy.
National spirit
“I feel like I have to let my kid know about this, to let him know that we have our national spirit, and what kind of person he should become. I think it is very important,” she said.
Tommy said: “I think we are friends, and we should not kill others. Killing people is against the law. He said to kill and he is against the law. Our teacher told us if you say something about killing people, you will be asked to see the principal.”
Jake Levine, who is Jewish, was also at the demonstration. “It was pretty bad what happened on that show,” he said. “Everybody should be out here because it just represents getting rid of racism.”
The rally was part of a nationwide protest which included demonstrations in New York, San Francisco and 25 other cities.
In Houston, Wu Shijun, 66, a native of Chengdu in southwest China but a US resident for 20 years, told reporters she was there to “let my voice be heard.”
“It’s not easy for us to come such a long way and settle down here ... We make positive contributions to the American society. The skit not only hurt our feelings, but also hurt other minorities living here ... We want peace. We want respect,” she said.
Jess White, who has a Chinese fiancee, described the segment as “despicable.”
He said: “It is really sad that ABC didn’t keep it off the air. It should never have been aired.”
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