Fed-Up Rev. Graham Lays Into Jimmy Kimmel... "Where Does [He] Get Off...?"
Rev. Franklin Graham believes late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has gone too far.
Kimmel mocked first lady Melania Trump during his show Monday, making fun of her Slovenian accent as she she read to children during the annual Easter egg roll at the White House.
“Be clever and curious, just like a cat,” Trump said as she read to children in a video played by Kimmel. “Ask lots of questions. about this and that.”
While his audience laughed along, Kimmel mocked the first lady’s accent, saying, “Yeah, (ask) about dees and dat.”
Graham went on Facebook on Saturday to call out Kimmel.
“Where does comedian Jimmy Kimmel get off making fun of First Lady Melania Trump’s accent?” Graham wrote. “I don’t get it. We all have accents. Is he going to make fun of someone from Boston? Maybe Texas? Or is it just the accents of immigrants he mocks?
“The woman is a successful business person and speaks five languages for Pete’s sake. I think he’s out of line.”
Graham’s not alone.
Organizers of an online petition calling for a boycott of Kimmel’s late-night program has exceeded its goal of 50,000 signatures. Organizers say the petition will eventually be sent to “the front door of Disney/ABC Studios” in Burbank, California.
“We may not get him kicked off the air,” the petition says. “But we can send a message that these attacks on our First Lady will NOT be tolerated!”
Fox News host Sean Hannity has also criticized Kimmel for his comments, and has demanded Kimmel apologize to the first lady. He called Kimmel a “sick, twisted, creepy, perverted weirdo” during his Fox show on Friday.
Kimmel responded with attacks on Hannity and his relationship with the president that even some on the left described as being homophobic.
As for Graham’s post, several of his Facebook followers supported his criticism of Kimmel.
“It’s OK to mock the first lady but let him try to mock a Mexican or a Cuban and see how far he gets,” wrote Alyce Carlson Schnelker. “We should be proud of Melania … but she didn’t ask for this gig, it was never on her radar. She is an immigrant. She loves this country and is a role model for many girls, just as Michelle (Obama) was. Hey Jimmy Kimmel try to learn her native language, good luck!”
“Out of line is putting it (mildly),” wrote Penny Durm. “He has NO class whatsoever.”
Making fun of President Donald Trump seems almost obligatory for late-night comedians, but it’s definitely out of line to make fun of the first lady simply for how she speaks. Politicians’ families were once considered off limits for comedians, but apparently even that tradition is no longer sacred.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.