How long was Jimmy Kimmel a host on The Man Show? Comedian addresses critics calling him a “hypocrite” over resurfaced clip
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel addressed critics in his latest interview with Rolling Stone, which was released on April 15, 2025. Kimmel has been criticized online after clips from his previous Comedy Central sketch show, The Man Show, went viral.
The Man Show was a satirical comedy show created and hosted by Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel, and it began airing on Comedy Central on June 15, 1999. In 2003, Carolla and Kimmel left the show, and comedians Joe Rogan and Doug Stanhope appeared as new hosts. However, in 2004, the show was canceled.
In the Rolling Stone interview, Kimmel stated that people who are criticizing him by calling him a "hypocrite" were most likely fans of the show when it aired. He also expressed that The Man Show was always "tongue-in-cheek," as the two hosts made fun of themselves.
"I think it’s kind of funny, because the very people who are using those videos as an example of why I’m a horrible person were probably the biggest fans of the show at that time. We did the show a little tongue-in-cheek. I mean, if you really watch the show, we are making fun of ourselves through almost the whole show," Kimmel said.
Jimmy Kimmel then claimed the show was meant to have the same comedy style as The Simpsons, and it was taken out of context by some people who took the jokes literally.
"It was not meant to be taken literally that men are superior to women, but for some people, it was. I just didn’t realize until the last season that what the show was really about was the friendship between me and Adam Carolla... It was meant to be Homer Simpson-esque. But you can pull things out of context and then they are taken literally," he added.
More details on Jimmy Kimmel's latest interview
In his latest interview with Rolling Stone, the 57-year-old talk show host said that his sense of humor has evolved with age, and he now doesn't make jokes that he won't be able to say in front of a person of that specific color or persuasion.
"I don’t put limits on what I laugh at. But for me personally, as I’ve grown older, as I’ve matured, I won’t make a joke that I wouldn’t make if a person of that color or persuasion was in the room. That’s how I look at it," he said.
Kimmel further stated in the interview that the online outrage over his Comedy Central show was "manufactured." He said the "liberals" who attacked him are the reason why Donald Trump is the President of the US.
"I think a lot of the outrage is completely manufactured, and it’s like, a lot of these people who are angry aren’t really angry. I think these liberals who’ve done such a good job of viciously attacking comedians are a big part of the reason why Trump is the president right now," he continued.
He also stated that no comedian should be canceled for jokes, as comedy can't be black or white. Kimmel then brought up comedian Dave Chappelle, saying he might joke about specific topics while others can't.
"There’s no black and white when it comes to comedy. There is no line. The line is different for every person. Dave Chappelle can say things that somebody else might not be able to. I don’t think anybody should be canceled. I really don’t," Kimmel said.
For the unversed, after Jimmy Kimmel left The Man Show in January 2003, he went on to host his talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the same year.