Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
No contemporaneous coverage cited here establishes that Tim Allen was nearly banned, blacklisted, or about to lose work in Hollywood. What it does document is a March 2017 controversy: after discussing his attendance at Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Allen compared the climate he perceived for conservatives in Hollywood to “’30s Germany,” drawing criticism and a call for an apology.
What Tim Allen said on Jimmy Kimmel
During a March 2017 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel asked Allen about attending President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Allen described feeling that people in Hollywood had to be careful about expressing support for Trump. TIME quoted him as saying, “You’ve gotta be real careful around here,” and, “You get beat up if don’t believe what everybody believes. This is like ’30s Germany.” TIME’s March 19, 2017 account reproduced the remarks in that form. CBS News also placed them in the context of Allen discussing the social consequences of speaking positively about Trump in Hollywood. CBS News’ March 20, 2017 report
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Tim Allen: A Comedy Dynamics Collection | $12.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
![Tim Allen: Live On Stage - Collector's Edition [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JT1Z215SL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Tim Allen: Live On Stage - Collector's Edition [DVD] | $37.15 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Woody Allen Four Movie Comedy Collection (Anything Else / The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion / Hollywood... | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Comedy Classics [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/518s1ALGfhL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Comedy Classics [DVD] | $7.85 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
The Golden Age of Comedy | $15.37 | Buy on Amazon |
Why the comparison drew criticism
The controversy centered on Allen’s invocation of 1930s Germany—a period of Nazi persecution—to describe what he saw as pressure on conservatives in Hollywood. Steven Goldstein, then executive director of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, called on Allen to apologize. In a statement reported by TIME, Goldstein said, “No one in Hollywood today is subjecting you or anyone else to what the Nazis imposed on Jews in the 1930s – the world’s most evil program of dehumanization, imprisonment and mass brutality, implemented by an entire national government, as the prelude for the genocide of nearly an entire people.”
Goldstein also contrasted social or professional disagreement with the persecution Allen had invoked: “Sorry, Tim, that’s just not the same as getting turned down for a movie role. It’s time for you to leave your bubble to apologize to the Jewish people and, to be sure, the other peoples also targeted by the Nazis.” TIME reported the center’s response on March 21, 2017. TIME’s report on the response
#1 Best Overall
Was the interview a near-ban or a blacklist?
The sources cited from the time document criticism, online reactions, and the apology demand; they do not report a ban, blacklist, imminent loss of Hollywood work, or a campaign that nearly pushed Allen out of the industry. The headline’s “almost got him banned” framing is therefore not established by this contemporaneous reporting.
The Washington Post described the interview as lighthearted: after briefly asking Allen about the inauguration, Kimmel moved on to jokes about Google cars and Netflix bots. The paper also cautioned that Allen had not compared himself to a Holocaust victim. Its account noted differing reactions among Allen’s fans—some objected to the comparison, while others defended him or said he should expect disagreement in a liberal town. Those examples show reported online responses, not a measured survey of public opinion. The Washington Post’s March 21, 2017 coverage
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
What the reporting supports
- Allen made the remarks in March 2017 on Jimmy Kimmel Live, during a conversation about attending Trump’s inauguration.
- His comparison of the Hollywood climate he perceived to “’30s Germany” drew criticism, including a public demand for an apology from the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect.
- The contemporaneous accounts cited here describe controversy, not a verified near-ban from Hollywood.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
