ABC Television's "Jimmy Kimmel Show" and their 09-14-10 video asking the public to kick a "Hero" in the nuts... Really?

If any of you are wondering whether your jobs are safe, please note how the media depicts you, and for those who think Rescue Me is an acceptable show, please consider what is really lost when you allow someone to loose respect for you. This video clearly shows that to be true. What a sad day for emergency services, and just days after the 9-11 anniversary. Looks like some people did forget...

I don't know how other feel, but for me personally, I am outraged and deeply offended.




09-17-2010 Update: The following email was sent directly to the Jimmy Kimmel Show.

What were you thinking?


On the 09-14-2010 Jimmy Kimmel show, a skit entitled, "Kick a Hero In the Nuts" was shown. I am enraged that this type of satire would be allowed, especially considering it was only three days after
the 9-11 anniversary. The additional use of military people and the direction
to "kick hero's in the nuts" was incredibly insensitive toward
families and coworkers who have lost someone special in their lives. If your
goal was to denigrate law enforcement, firefighters and military personnel,
then you were successful. My only question is why? I find it hard to believe
that no one in the production company stepped up. I understand that it is a
late night talk show but handling oneself with dignity and honor and respecting
those folks out there that risk their lives needs to be remembered. I am sure
you have seen, heard or read the phrase, "We Shall Not Forget". I
can't forget and am amazed that you managed to not only forget and denigrate in
the process the memories of all the HERO's that sacrificed their lives for
people they never even knew.


 







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Can I get an AMEN!!
A lot of people appear to have significant sand in their vajaja's.
I watched the clip, it talks about heroes, shows a firefighter in class A's who gets kicked in the nuts. So let's see:
If you refuse to negotiate a contract for years, it's a kick in the nuts;
If you have layoffs and/or have brownouts, it's a kick in the nuts;
If you require fewer to do more with less, it's a kick in the nuts;
If you demand more services while cutting back funding, it's a kick in the nuts;
If you refuse to honor test results for hiring or promotion because the winners happen to have a better education than the losers, it's a kick in the nuts;
If you visit your local firehouses while running for re-election but then later on accuse them of failing to negotiate in good faith, it's a kick in the nuts;
If you wave the flag and talk about heroes and 9/11 and then refuse to vote for funding for health care for the guys that worked the site, it's a kick in the nuts.

Maybe, just friggin maybe, it shows how the public and politicians actually DO treat their "heroes." And maybe, some of you need to loosen your polyester super-hero capes and lighten up.
Kimmel built his audience on his tasteless "comedy". From his early days on MTV to his national TV gig, you wouldn't expect him to mess with his success.
To keep it in perspective, the skit was an actor who played a firefighter getting kicked in the man sack.
What I struggle with is the premise.
How do you simply come up with an idea to kick a hero in the nuts?
And why a hero? Why not a school teacher or judge or a Roman Catholic priest or an accountant?
In poor taste and if I were ABC, I would explain to Kimmel that he crossed that imaginery line and not to do it again.
Let's see a cage match between Kimmel and Denis Leary. If the two see each other, I am sure the subject of the skit will come up.
Most of the general public won't get the rather arcane point to Kimmel's "humor", and of those that do, most won't care.
Yah! Thats what I'm talking about!
Not physical, Just verbal abuse and it may just be every other day.
Geez James, don't get personal here. I saw what I thought and still feel was an offensive clip that does nothing toward creating a positive image for firefighters. I also feel that continue degradation of firefighters through both our stupidity and a media that once upon a time, actually demonstrated respect towards us.

As far as my not having enough to worry about, I retired this year and have a nice pension so quite frankly, my life is no longer in a position where I worry about much these days. But for folks who are still working towards a retirement, all these little dings have an eventual effect of numbing peoples opinions.

When people get insensitive towards those out there that offer so much, and consider us no different than someone who works for the road department, a job is a job. If you subscribe to this mindset then my concerns are moot. Minimizing a profession and demeaning another to get a laugh is not even close to acceptable behavior. Seriously.
I wish I was as articulate as you are Art... your response did a good job summing up why I posted this to being with. And for the record, I did post an email to the ABC Jimmy Kimmel show link. They replied back informing me that they have thousands of emails and don't actually read them anyway... The 1st amendment works both ways...
I saw what I thought and still feel was an offensive clip that does nothing toward creating a positive image for firefighters.
C'mon Mike! No offense, but I think retirement is slowing ya' down a bit! :-)

There's plenty of examples on this site, Firehouse, Youtube and a whole host of others where WE (the firefighters) do nothing towards creating a positive image for firefighters.

We can be our own worst enemy when it comes to promoting oursleves in good light....

We have members drinking in uniforms, driving like dickheads in both marked and POV vehicles and so on.
Ah, but the Member Formerly Known As Captain Busy:
YOU are the master of Photo Shop. I wish I was as gifted as you.
Remember a few years ago, when they had a fire crew on the bridge watching a guy struggle with the current in the river? It was out east somewhere, but I don't want to get it wrong, so I will refrain from guessing. Anyway; it was aired on ABC and I sent an email to them with my thoughts and I got a reply from the producer of the segment. I guess it all comes down to who sees it first.
Anyway, James Corgill; can you describe the first half of the skit that you say is missing? You have mentioned like three times that there is a part that is missing. You seem to know what it is, so can you tell us what the segue or segway was to this skit?
And so that the kids will know the difference; what we saw in the video was an attempt as physical comedy. A comedian known for it is Jerry Lewis. I saw no sarcasm. I saw a guy in his Class A uniform get kicked through the uprights. Having a three year old accidentally hit him there with a plastic bat would be humorous. A guy running out on the stage and delivering a kick to the privates is cheap.
But, it accomplishes what Kimmel wanted and that is BUZZ.
And why a hero? Why not a school teacher or judge or a Roman Catholic priest or an accountant?


Which brings up the question of a "hero". Who is to say a teacher, judge, priest, accountant can't be heroes?

It is ironic how on some threads you have people against the "hero" label and so forth, yet when there is a sattrical skit on a late night comedy show saying "kick a hero in the nuts" then there is uproar. Where does the line get drawn? Who really holds the "hero" title? Because to me the term hero is up to a perspective of which there are more everyday heroes than even those doing this job, a cop, or even military.
Actually, the U.S. Weather Channel is quite good... it's always on in the hotel room when we are on vacation before we head out for the day.

I was thinking more of the the Canadian "copy-cat" version of the weather channel (called "the weather network")... not as good as the U.S. one.

I shoulda been more clear on that ;P

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