Sometimes comedians face difficult choices when it comes to what jokes they will make, what subject matter is appropriate, and how far to take things. But I think in the year 2022 during the third year of a global pandemic that led to an unprecedented, disgusting spike in violence against Asian people, we can all agree that anti-Asian jokes are in terrible taste? Apparently, Jimmy Kimmel didn’t get that memo, because he decided to not once but twice try out a line of humor that compared the popularity of the biggest boy band on the planet, BTS, who happen to be Asian, with Covid-19.
Here’s how it went down.
First, Kimmel trotted out a joke about boy bands as viruses during his opening monologue on Thursday. He initially compares boy bands and Covid-19 variants around the 2:27 mark up above, or check out just a clip below.
ur lying… pic.twitter.com/2j4Ao5IH9K
— ⁷ bam’s mom (@remkoobi) January 28, 2022
“These variants, all the different variants in the world right now, it reminds me of the boy bands in the late ’90s and early 2000s,” Kimmel began. “You had the big ones like Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, and then that mutated into O-Town and 98 Degrees. The JoBros popped up, Big Time Rush, they kept splitting off in different directions, eventually One Direction, and they took pieces, and it popped up all over the world until eventually we get to one that’s so contagious it destroys all life on earth.”
While that’s a more subtle reference to BTS, another joke he made about the band earlier this month was a bit more direct. While guest Ashley Park from the show Emily In Paris was visiting the show, her own bout with Covid-19 came up. Park had gotten sick with the virus right around the time some members of BTS had posted about her cover of “Dynamite” on the show. She thought her physical reaction was excitement about the band’s acknowledgement, but really, it was Omicron. “You thought it was BTS fever?” Kimmel asked. “Well they’re both very dangerous, you’re lucky to come out of both of those alive,” he finished. (You can watch the clip around the 9:01 mark above.)
Though it might’ve seemed just like an off the cuff remark to some, other leveled serious criticisms at Kimmel for his remarks, which, taken in the context of Covid-19 misinformation and anti-Asian backlash, definitely weren’t the greatest choice. Check out some of the reactions below.
I guess Kimmel and his writers room though it was a good idea to double-down on what appears to be his growing body of racism-as-humor (but totally not funny) body of work. As opposed to, you know, reflecting upon why spouting racist tropes about Asians isn’t funny./+
— Christine Chung (@CSChungLaw) January 29, 2022
Putting aside just how massively tone-deaf and un-funny it is to joke about millions of people dying, you have to wonder what the heck was Jimmy Kimmel thinking when he linked BTS to COVID. Because there is no universe in which likening human beings to COVID is funny. /+
— Christine Chung (@CSChungLaw) January 29, 2022
No way did @jimmykimmel and @JimmyKimmelLive just say covid and BTS “are both dangerous” and one is “lucky to come out of it alive.”
TIRED of people not seeing the racism of comparing them to Covid bc they see them as “just a boyband” and not people. pic.twitter.com/ZVRrGTxiAi
— . (@e_von7) January 21, 2022
interesting how the headlines are already saying “army is upset with jimmy kimmel for comments he made on his show” and not simply “jimmy kimmel made racist remarks toward bts”
— el♡⁷ (@userthvsangel) January 28, 2022
“You thought it was BTS fever. They’re both very dangerous. You’re lucky to come out both of those alive.”
The audacity to say that about an Asian artist in front of an Asian woman. @jimmykimmel really compared BTS to COVID in the year 2022 and amidst all the anti-Asian hate. + pic.twitter.com/fTvSSIgcsC
— bora
(@modooborahae) January 21, 2022
And what’s worse is we all know how this is going to play out. Jimmy Kimmel is going to get a ton of criticism. He’ll say he’s sorry and that it was only a joke but look! it proved how all BTS fans he described as “crazy” really are crazy. Boo-fcking-hoo.
— bora
Too bad that @ABC continues to air racist take after racist take from Jimmy Kimmel. They wonder why they can never get BTS on their programs or for interviews. It’s clear why. It’s a racist network that encourages discrimination.
— Miche⁷ (@MicheBangtan) January 28, 2022
it’s upsetting because bts are constantly talking about Asian hate and being discriminated against due to being foreign acts and here we have jimmy kimmel making a racist remark on a talk show they’ve visited in the past. you really can’t trust anyone.
— agust d⁷ (@pjmyoongii) January 22, 2022
1. It was Jimmy Kimmel who comparing bts to covid
2. It’s a racist joke, if not then he’s definitely ignorant of how it’s sensitive for asian ppl
3. Ashley Park has NOTHING to do with it, she’s unfortunately has to hear the joke and smile it away
Fix your article— Eugene⁷ (@BEmoonjin) January 22, 2022
Jimmy Kimmel is disgusting idc idc, cause what’s the point of making a bts “joke” with an insult that’s been targeted towards the Asian community for 2 years?!? And don’t come this way with that “that’s not what he meant” type shit because me and you both know that he did
— ⁷ (@ICHIY00N) January 28, 2022
BTS have spoken out against anti-Asian violence in the past, but so far haven’t commented on Kimmel’s jokes.