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[Back-In-Black]

When people wonder why black people get so upset over white society at large having zero empathy or clue about the struggles of being a minority I immediately think of this clip. Now, if you don't remember (because why the fuck should you remember that 15 minute of fame new story) there was an American dentist that killed Cecil the Lion, a lion who had been tracked and researched by scientists for years. He did it while out on a hunt (possibly illegally) in Zimbabwe and ended up shooting the lion, who of course, he had no idea was so important and famous. Cue media outrage, especially by white folks, that demanded this "monster" be skinned alive and so on and so on.

Enter Jimmy Kimmel, who was so moved by the incident that he took time out of his show to do a segment on the whole incident. So concerned was he by this noble beast's plight that he actually choked up after nearly finishing the segment, ending it with a plug for donations to the wildlife research center.

Jimmy Kimmel on the Killing of Cecil the Lion

But, what the fuck does this have to do with anything? Why are you giving side eye to a man showing empathy for an animal? Heh, I'm not upset that the man is crying over a lion, it actually was a sad incident. No, I was upset because it was and still is the perfect representation of a black person's (or any minority's) life in our society. Jimmy Kimmel took damn near FIVE fucking minutes out of his show to cry on camera about a fucking lion complete with a plug for donations. But, where was Kimmel when Trayvon Martin died? Where were his tears for Eric Garner? Tamir Rice? Michael Brown? Freddie Gray? I'll make it easy for you, there weren't any, not on camera at least. They were never mentioned on his show. And, there DAMN sure weren't any plugs for donations to any civil rights fund.

I don't expect Kimmel, a damn late night comedian, to get involved in heavy issues, crying and pleading in front of a camera for support. But, the fact of the matter is that he chose, on his own, to get involved in this very specific issue. And, when you do that you best be prepared to answer for why THIS TIME was different. Why this time you had to break your silence over a damn lion and not human beings.

What say you, GAF?

EDIT:

Because some people like to twist the thread and actually refuse to read through the thread to see if their points were already refuted, let me put these responses in the OP. To be ABSOLUTELY CLEAR, I'm not admonishing Kimmel for crying over animal cruelty. I'm admonishing him for intentionally take time out to speak about this small issue but then remain SILENT about the murders of blacks which have been NATIONAL news for years and has led to large scale riots in certain cities. He also decided to speak out and do a segment on the Newtown massacre in which he also cried. Still, he's yet to do any piece on BLM:

It amazes me how many people in this thread are missing this. Classic example of people who read the thread title and not the actual message.

White People die? Kimmel takes time out of the show to do a tribute and cries
Animal dies? Kimmel takes five minutes out of the show to do a special segment, cries and puts in a plug for donations.
Black people die? Kimmel says and does absolutely nothing.

You know not getting the point is one thing but to turn around and try to paint the people that do get it as bad or crazy people is just fucking infuriating.

Nobody here is mad that other things get sympathy or attention, it's the fact that the pain of black people doesn't get any of either. Trying to spin it into us being like Trump or us being unsympathetic or us ruining the left is goddamn despicable. The killing and harassment of black people is an issue that strikes at the heart of American society and the fact that that society normalizes the existence of that pain and stays silent on it should be called out every second of every minute of every hour of every goddamn day. Kimmel obviously feels the responsibility of his platform enough to talk about Sandy Hook and cry about Cecil the lion. The fact that he doesn't feel it for a black teenager getting killed and his killer getting away, a 12-year old getting shot by a police officer, a black man getting choked to death on the street, a young black man getting shot by the police and left out on the street, a young woman dying in her cell or any of the many other instances of horrific violence against black men, women and children should be called out.

Fucking hell, this thread got a lot of AllLivesMatter shit going on.

All the people talking about this isn't related, or this isn't the way to get the point across, or it's possible to care about 2 things, or whatever their dumbass opinion is, are the same ones who say that we need to talk to the other side(their side; the casual racist side) and try to come together to get them to understand.

This is the problem. You don't fucking listen. Instead you get these completely fucking stupid bullshit posts that ruin threads.

The point the OP was making is that it's always something else for white people. Especially with those who are actually in a position to use their platform for good. There are so many examples of this. Cecil, Harambe, the ice bucket challenge, that dog from this week. I mean there was a literal warzone in the US in Ferguson and white people were more concerned about dumping buckets of ice on their heads. It's literally never our time. Instead it's time for some random animal.

It is so infuriating that this country was built on the backs of black people, but our lives don't mean anything. Jimmy Kimmel is the focus of this thread, but really he's just another white person who could help (any) minorities but doesn't. And then the time that he does decide to make a big emotional appeal, it's for a fucking animal

Kimmel on Newtown: https://youtu.be/KvV7RiDuhuY?t=1m11s

Other hosts for comparison:

Stephen Colbert Interviews a BLM leader: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qffCO1b-7Js

Conan O'Brien Speaks with Marshawn Lynch about Protest and Colin Kaepernick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRTo4xst_x0

Seth Myers Does a Whole Segment on Police Shootings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDWA8gKdRuM

Hmmm, where's Kimmel's segment on these issues?

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Agree 100%. And lets not forget people bombarded the guys Yelp page, and many other forms of social outreach.

Black-ish had an episode that dealt with this very topic. It's an episode set post election and everyone at Dre (main character) job is wondering why he's not mad. He finally stands up states how it's been the anger and fear they're feeling for their whole life.

It wasn't the first time I saw this popping up too. I saw a few people I follow on Twitter express the same frustration over the unfolding of the election

 

[SpaceWolf]

Hmm.

 

[Gutek]

That's when I stopped watching him.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

Yep...

 

[Slime]

Acknowledging the killing of a black man would be divisive and make white people uncomfortable. That's bad for ratings.

 

[Vicetrailia]

But animals are innocent creatures!

 

[LFMartins86]

This has to be one of the most ridiculous threads in GAF. There a million causes and deaths worth crying about, Kimmel isn't a bad guy because he cried for a lion and didn't cry for the rest.

 

[Htown]

Because the pecking order is:

1. White Lives
2. Pet Lives
3. Endangered Animal Lives
4. White Property
5. White Feelings
6. Black Lives

 

[backflip10019]

I fail to see how the two issues are related.

Just because you say they are, doesn't mean they are.

 

[Jarrod38]

Member that time the dentist killed the lion and everyone forgot about the next day.

 

[Sarcastic Poster]

People's lack of empathy for those "lower" than them is baffling sometimes. I think part of it stems from them having the notion in their head that disadvantaged people have somehow done something to deserve it. For example, look at people getting upset about dogs being abused but call all homeless people junkies and scumbags.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

This is not as much of a polarizing issue politically. Jimmy can make fun of the hunter for having a small dick or being a sociopath and get laughs, but if he made those same kinds of jokes about the piece of shit cops that killed Freddie Gray or Eric Garner he'd probably have a bunch of dumbfucks boycotting him. This is a much safer angle to take, and for a late night tv show host, that matters.

 

[Dalek]

People can't be upset about two things?

 

[diehard]

People showing more empathy and compassion to animals than humans is a common thing. It shouldn't be, but it is.

 

[LFMartins86]

Because the pecking order is:

1. White Lives
2. Pet Lives
3. Endangered Animal Lives
4. White Property
5. White Feelings
6. Black Lives

LGBT, Muslims and other groups who suffered oppression don't even make the list.

 

[Hypron]

And I'm sure this motherfucker went home and ate some steak after crying for that lion. So much for caring about animals.

 

[TheFlow]

People can't be upset about two things?

what people? this is about Jimmy Kimmel going out of his way to do a segment on a lion. The Op clearly states he didn't do anything about all the other black deaths by police shootings or the church shooting.

 

[Kthulhu]

The man had Trump on his show. Everything he does is for views.

The only comedians with shows I'm aware of that will talk about race issues in any meaningful way are Jon Stewart/Trevor Noah, Steven Colbert, Samantha Bee, and Bill Maher.

 

[lazygecko]

I think the whole incident has less to do with empathy and is more about serving as yet another virtual outlet for people to feel vindicative and get their little fix of dopamine release.

 

[el jacko]

This has to be one of the most ridiculous threads in GAF. There a million causes and deaths worth crying about, Kimmel isn't a bad guy because he cried for a lion and didn't cry for the rest.

It's an example of a pervasive trend in American society, and Kimmel's show is just an example. Why do we (white people) care about an animal, at the expense of other members of our own country?

There's a great Obama quotation that ties in with this line of thought really well, from this Atlantic article.

... if somebody didn’t have a problem with their daddy being employed by the federal government, and didn’t have a problem with the Tennessee Valley Authority electrifying certain communities, and didn’t have a problem with the interstate highway system being built, and didn’t have a problem with the GI Bill, and didn’t have a problem with the [Federal Housing Administration] subsidizing the suburbanization of America, and that all helped you build wealth and create a middle class—and then suddenly as soon as African Americans or Latinos are interested in availing themselves of those same mechanisms as ladders into the middle class, you now have a violent opposition to them—then I think you at least have to ask yourself the question of how consistent you are, and what’s different, and what’s changed.

 

[TheFlow]

LGBT, Muslims and other groups who suffered oppression don't even make the list.

We are not talking about those groups though. Like Chris Rock said. nobody started saying all lives matter and talking about other oppressed groups till BLM.

Black people made BLM so that is what they are going to focusing on. Black lives

 

[Syrus]

Jimmy kimmel cried over a lion doesnt equate to him not having feelings about black plight...atnall

 

[old manatee]

I don't even like Jimmy Kimmel but damn.. maybe he just likes lions

 

[NYR]

Isn't this a false equivalency? Don't care about this one thing if you don't care about this other thing more? I get the anger, and it is a very noteworthy and noble topic to be front and center, not sure the argument is sound though, to immediately compare the two things and act as it immediate discounts or invalidates the other. It would be like critiquing the very people "wasting" time posting in this thread rather than protesting about inequality in the "real world" by doing something.

Look, I get what you're saying and it was actually a very reasonable argument. I just think we shouldn't witch hunt those who have passion for something that leads to more good on this world, anything that leads to more positivety is what we need. I do agree though there are bigger issues in the world - I wish I could be a bigger part in solving them, I really hope to see issues like inequality resolved in my lifetime. I do like the convo this thread will create though, so thanks for posting it, hadn't seen that video before.

 

[Vince_Russo]

seriously what's up with white people and animals. You can't even give a whining dog a bath without white people going crazy "STOP IT!!! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!!"

 

[TheFlow]

Jimmy kimmel cried over a lion doesnt equate to him not having feelings about black plight...atnall

that is not what the Op said

 

[Already Torn]

People can't be upset about two things?

The problem would be that he isn't upset about two things.

 

[discospider]

You say this, and yet the internet is full of cat gifs. I'd bet this board is full of people who have pets they treat like their children. Pet ownership and animal activism is as first world a privilege/problem as it gets. Not to mention I fucking hate pets, especially cats.

 

[LordKasual]

I'm all for empathy

but I envy the people who are so out of touch with how fucked up the rest of the world is that a murdered lion can bring them to tears.

 

[Kthulhu]

seriously what's up with white people and animals. You can't even give a whining dog a bath without white people going crazy "STOP IT!!! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!!"

What does this even mean?

 

[Mesousa]

Lions don't demand equal rights, They won't move in next door, they won't date/marry my daughter, they won't try to send their kids to school with my kids.

Its easy to feel compassion for things you know will never demand more out of you.

 

[spazchicken]

I had the same emotions when Eric Garner was killed.

I must have missed the episode where Jimmy Kimmel got choked up about that.

 

[Hypron]

You say this, and yet the internet is full of cat gifs. I'd bet this board is full of people who have pets they treat like their children. Pet ownership and animal activism is as first world a privilege/problem as it gets. Not to mention I fucking hate pets, especially cats.

People have pets in developing country too though. They tend to be useful pets (like dogs) but still.

 

[echoshifting]

I don't know...we see it on gaf all the time, some people get extremely upset whenever an animal is killed, and it generally doesn't appear to be a racial thing, but rather a human thing. Did he cry for the Sandy Hook kids? Has he cried for anyone?

If he has done this sort of thing for white deaths then you definitely have a point. But if he hasn't done it for anyone, if this Cecil incident is an anomaly, then maybe he's just one of those people.

I do believe your broader argument stands. Obviously Black issues and tragedies in Black communities are undervalued by the vast majority of white people and many whites do not even seem capable of any empathy for Black people. That is sadly true.

 

[GK86]

Because the pecking order is:

1. White Lives
2. Pet Lives
3. Endangered Animal Lives
4. White Property
5. White Feelings
6. Black Lives

Black lives are that high?

 

[HStallion]

You say this, and yet the internet is full of cat gifs. I'd bet this board is full of people who have pets they treat like their children. Pet ownership and animal activism is as first world a privilege/problem as it gets. Not to mention I fucking hate pets, especially cats.

Not to get off topic but you hate pets? That seems a bit extreme and odd.

 

[titiklabingapat]

I'm all for empathy

but I envy the people who are so out of touch with how fucked up the rest of the world is that a murdered lion can bring them to tears.

You can do both so it's not much of a stretch to me.

 

[LFMartins86]

What does this even mean?

Probably a mention of the accident during the filming of "A Dog's Porpoise".

 

[Snkfanatic]

seriously what's up with white people and animals. You can't even give a whining dog a bath without white people going crazy "STOP IT!!! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!!"

Uh....what?

You say this, and yet the internet is full of cat gifs. I'd bet this board is full of people who have pets they treat like their children. Pet ownership and animal activism is as first world a privilege/problem as it gets. Not to mention I fucking hate pets, especially cats.

This thread is crazy. Wtf

 

[Staccat0]

I agree with where you are coming from OP, but some of this logic is kinda shaky in the details.

what people? this is about Jimmy Kimmel going out of his way to do a segment on a lion. The Op clearly states he didn't do anything about all the other black deaths by police shootings or the church shooting.

The people mentioned in rest of the OP

 

[Syrus]

that is not what the Op said

The opnis mad because he didnt run a segment on some of the murders etc but cries over a lion.

Still two different things.

I get what the OP is saying, just think its a silly way to get to his point.

 

[cheezcake]

Acknowledging the killing of a black man would be divisive and make white people uncomfortable. That's bad for ratings.

I mean this is the truth of it, plus the inevitable companies pulling ads from his timeslot because they don't like their stuff being showcased during what unfortunately would be a divisive segment.

 

[TheFlow]

The people mentioned in rest of the OP

did you read what he wrote? those are all the dead people killed without a trial for petty reasons.

I mean this is the truth of it, plus the inevitable companies pulling ads from his timeslot because they don't like their stuff being showcased during what unfortunately would be a divisive segment.

true. His show is pre-recorded unless they are doing a live special. So even if he did say something. They could cut it

 

[Ninja Scooter]

The opnis mad because he didnt run a segment on some of the murders etc but cries over a lion.

Still two different things.

I get what the OP is saying, just think its a silly way to get to his point.

it's not two different things, you are missing his point. Forget about anybody being mad at Jimmy Kimmel for a second, the crux is this: Jimmy Kimmel is a television late night host. His job is to be fairly safe and have broad appeal. So why is it safe to talk about a lion being unjustly killed in this country, but not okay to talk about black people being unjustly killed? Why is one a much more widely accepted viewpoint to have, while the other is divisive and uncomfortable? That's the point.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

Because the pecking order is:

1. White Lives
2. Pet Lives
3. Endangered Animal Lives
4. White Property
5. White Feelings
6. Black Lives

I might put White Feelings at #1. I'm not sure why....

 

[TheFlow]

it's not two different things, you are missing his point. Forget about anybody being mad at Jimmy Kimmel for a second, the crux is this: Jimmy Kimmel is a television late night host. His job is to be fairly safe and have broad appeal. So why is it safe to talk about a lion being unjustly killed in this country, but not okay to talk about black people being unjustly killed? Why is one a much more widely accepted viewpoint to have, while the other is divisive and uncomfortable? That's the point.

preach!

I might put White Feelings at #1. I'm not sure why....

no lie. The most offensive thing you can call a white person is racist.

 

[echoshifting]

it's not two different things, you are missing his point. Forget about anybody being mad at Jimmy Kimmel for a second, the crux is this: Jimmy Kimmel is a television late night host. His job is to be fairly safe and have broad appeal. So why is it safe to talk about a lion being unjustly killed in this country, but not okay to talk about black people being unjustly killed? Why is one a much more widely accepted viewpoint to have, while the other is divisive and uncomfortable? That's the point.

Okay, I think I am coming around to what you guys are saying.

 

[Spinluck]

We saw a little bit of this with Harambe too.


Facing the racial issues in this country is really tough for some white people. When you try to talk about things like this they instantly go on the defensive.

Did any late night show host cover these shootings?

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

I actually don't think it's that rare for humans to be more affected by animal suffering than human. Not sure why but you see it all the time.