The American Broadcasting Company recently issued an apology for a remark made by a child on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
In a skit that aired during the end of October, Kimmel wanted to know how children felt about the United States’ debt to China. “Kill everyone in China” one child said.
Lisa Berger, who is ABC’s Entertainment executive vice president, and Tim McNeal, ABC’s Talent and Diversity vice president, took the matter seriously. “We offer our sincere apology,” they said. “We would never purposefully broadcast anything to upset the Chinese community, Asian community, anyone of Chinese descent or any community at large. Our objective is to entertain.” The skit was immediately removed from all public platforms and edited out of any future reruns.
Berger and McNeal are insincere—either that or ABC doesn’t consider Catholics to be a “community at large.”
For years the Catholic League has contacted ABC about the vicious anti-Catholic remarks made by panelists on “The View.” Indeed, we have even taken out ads in the New York Times about their relentless assaults. But there have been no apologies.
Nor was there an apology for what happened on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on April 2 this year. That’s when Bill Maher trashed the Bible, adding that both the Trinity and the Sacrament of Reconciliation were “pulled out of their [the hierarchy’s] ass in the 12th century.”
One kid makes an offensive remark about the Chinese and the diversity dons at ABC go ballistic. But ripping Catholics is okay. Wonder how ABC would react if a bunch of Chinese Catholics were insulted? That kind of dilemma would have to be resolved by a diversity summit.
What is particularly disturbing about Maher is that he gets away with insulting Catholics in front of people, either as a guest or as a host; they never challenge or upbraid him. While they are not directly responsible for Bill Maher’s behavior, their silence in the face of his offensive remarks is disturbing.
