SALT LAKE CITY — Last Friday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam admitted to wearing blackface in college after a photo from his 1984 yearbook resurfaced online, according to USA Today.
In the wake of Northam’s admission, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring and Virginia Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment have been embroiled in their own blackface scandals, compounding what has become a national conversation about race.
For their part, late night talk show hosts like Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers have been quick to condemn and mock Virginian politicians embroiled in the scandals, according to Fox News.
But two other late night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel, have remained largely silent, and it isn’t likely because they have nothing to say, but because like Northam, Herring, and Norment, they too have a history with blackface, according to multiple reports.
Jimmy Kimmel: In 1999, Kimmel co-hosted a Comedy Central television show called “The Man Show,” which, according to IMDb, was “geared toward men and their interests.”
- In a 2000 episode of the show, Kimmel appeared in blackface pretending to be NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone, and, according Newsweek, mocked the "African-American Vernacular English dialect."
- Kimmel wore blackface on multiple occasions for “The Man Show,” impersonating both Malone and Oprah Winfrey, Fox News reported.
Jimmy Fallon: Similarly, Jimmy Fallon has also appeared in blackface, once impersonating Chris Rock on a "Saturday Night Live" skit, according to the New York Post.
According to Fox News, these appearances are a sign that Kimmel and Fallon want to avoid discussing blackface.
"While Northam’s racist yearbook page and bizarre press conference led national news and were mocked by several late-night hosts, they were left unmentioned by Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, both of whom have worn blackface on comedy skits," Fox News reported.
With increased pressure on politicians, daily talk show hosts, and even brands to address recent blackface controversies, only time will tell if Kimmel and Fallon say anything.
"Kimmel and Fallon’s plan seems to be to ignore their own dabbling in blackface. Maybe they’ll have better luck than Northam," according to the New York Post.
Bigger picture: Late-night hosts aren't the only ones under the microscope. Multiple headlines from the past few weeks have created a national discussion about blackface. Gucci removed a sweater from its website for appearing like blackface, and a college professor accused "Mary Poppins" of having scenes with blackface, too.