Adam Carolla Defends Jimmy Kimmel Blackface Sketches: “We’ve Lost Our Minds”

Adam Carolla is stepping up to defend his friend and former co-host Jimmy Kimmel. In an interview on Fox News’ Watters’ World over the weekend, Carolla dismissed Kimmel’s use of blackface on The Man Show, as comedy is “a context” where blackface “is fine.” The comedian added that moving forward, Hollywood must distinguish between “intentional” and unintentional racism. “We’ve lost our minds. The adults need to start speaking up,” said Carolla.

On Saturday, Carolla appeared on Jesse Watters’ program to discuss Kimmel’s complicated history with blackface. During his tenure on The Man Show (1999 – 2003), which he co-created with Carolla, Kimmel impersonated NBA player Karl Malone; he also impersonated other Black stars, including Snoop Dogg and Oprah. Last week, Kimmel apologized for these “embarrassing” and “thoughtless” blackface sketches, and he said that he “has evolved and matured over the last 20-plus years.”

Kimmel may regret The Man Show sketches, but Carolla feels differently. “I can tell you that we have to make a definitive difference between blackface and doing a character who happens to be Black,” he told Fox News’ Watters. “If we want to remove Jimmy Kimmel from the equation, we can focus on Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy Fallon is doing Chris Rock. He’s doing it in a context. There’s a context for it. It’s fine.”

In a similar incident, Fallon came under fire after a clip resurfaced of him wearing blackface while impersonating Chris Rock on Saturday Night Live. Fallon has also apologized for the sketch, telling The Tonight Show viewers, “I am not a racist.”

“Jimmy Kimmel is doing Karl Malone. Jimmy Kimmel is doing Oprah. Jimmy Kimmel is doing Snoop Dogg. There’s a context. It’s comedy,” added Carolla. “We need to put away the jeweler’s loupe when it comes to comedians.”

When Watters pressed Carolla about the “negative effect” of blackface on Black Americans, the comedian doubled down. “They shouldn’t [be upset],” he said. “They should look at everything in a context. What is going on? We’re gonna have to start speaking about the difference between what is intentional and what isn’t.”

“Was there a noose hanging in Bubba Wallace’s garage? Yes, there was. Was it meant for him? No, it wasn’t,” he added. “Let’s put some context into things.”

Watch Adam Carolla’s interview with Jesse Watters on Fox News.