Jimmy Kimmel weighs in on Louis CK as he announces the opening of Jimmy Kimmel's Comedy Club in Las Vegas

The Hollywood Reporter

The Las Vegas native is partnering with Caesars Entertainment for Jimmy Kimmel's Comedy Club, an 8,000-square-foot space opening in spring 2019 across the street from their hotel. “It was an easy yes,” says Kimmel, noting his family's ties to the city, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Kimmel says that while he plans to bring his talk show to Vegas, it won't be at the club. "We’d probably do it in a much bigger theater, but this club will definitely be a part of our show in a variety of ways," he says. The Hollywood Reporter asked, since he's opening a comedy club, about his thoughts on New York City's Comedy Cellar allowing Louis CK to perform. "If we get into the business of sanitizing every comedian and doing a thorough background check before they walk through the door, it’s going to be a very empty stage," he said with a laugh. "I think people tend to focus on the one or two people who walk out of a situation like that. Ultimately, the audience decides whether someone is welcomed back." Kimmel was also asked if he'll use his venue to champion more female comics. "Comedy is very democratic," he says. "The people who are great, rise to the top; the people who are good, rise to the middle; and the people who aren’t good, don’t make it. We want to get a lot of very funny people, and we want to give new comics an opportunity to work. I don’t focus on their gender or their skin color. I’d never want a woman to think that the reason she’s booked to be on stage at a club is because she’s a woman. The reason she’ll be booked to be on stage is because she’s funny."