If you were on the Internet for even a minute on Tuesday, you heard the shocking story of Cecil, a beautiful lion beloved by locals in Zimbabwe. Cecil was killed by a hunter, who was later identified as Minnesota dentist Walter J. Palmer, who has claimed that he thought it was a legal hunt and regretted shooting the lion. This was not enough for comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who took a shockingly serious tone while talking about Cecil last night.
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host did not hold back, admitting at first he was relieved that early reports said it was a Spaniard who killed Cecil, not an American. But then, he was disappointed to hear that an American was later identified as the hunter.
As Kimmel explained how Cecil was brutally killed and skinned by Palmer and his guides, he refrained from most jokes. He could not believe that a human being would shoot a lion and even compared him to Bill Cosby.
“How is that fun? Is it that difficult to get an erection that you have to kill things that are stronger than you?” Kimmel asked. “They have a pill for that. It works great. Just stay home and swallow it and save yourself a lifetime of being the most hated man in America who never advertised Jell-O pudding on television.”
Kimmel, who was tearing up by the end of his bit, suggested that people should focus on helping the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit of Oxford, rather than coming up with suggestions for how to punish Palmer.
image courtesy of ABC