Social Roseanne tweets outrageously racist comment about former Obama staffer Valerie Jarrett

[Trotsky]

Thought about this a fair bit today, and I can't get behind her losing her show for this. First of all, she has apologized, several times, and I'm sure she means it.

I understand ABC thinks they are covering their asses and that Roseanne has caused issues with Twitter before, but this just isn't bad enough to me to justify the cancellation of a successful show. At least, this isn't where we should be counting coup in the political battle against white nationalism. Roseanne is a nut and has always been a nut. She's always going to do stuff like this.

Is the problem that she made a racist joke? Then no more racist jokes (which would be a shame).

Is the problem that the joke wasn't funny? Then no more jokes about anything controversial at all.

If it's the combination of racist and not funny, that puts a lot of pressure on public figures at a time when they already have a lot of pressure on them.

Leave the show on and see what happens. If the ratings tank, cancel it. I don't think they would.

The only conclusion that I can reasonably gather from this is that you're a fan of the show.

Also, this wasn't a joke. Like categorically. It was just using a known dehumanizing racial trope. There is no assault on comedic norms here, and it hasn't been okay to call black folks monkeys - even in comedic garbs that were not present here anyways - in a very long time.

 

[Fawlty]

I’ve got to agree; look jokes fail all the time, some of the best comedy is shocking and controversial part of what makes shock comedy land so well is that it is outlandish and something you would never expect to be said in any context.

As an example lets go to someone people keep pointing out, chris rock is offensive but he’s hilarious when he is on point, when he isn’t he is straight up offensive and annoying, same with dave chappelle.

Or this sometimes unfunny, and othertimes hilarious ass


Roseanne bombed in a stupid joke, OR made a dumb racially charged comment, however punishing the hundreds of people that were employed by her show would be wrong, let the show either thrive in spite of her, or flop by her actions.

Rock is a pretty good comparison here imo. He tried to make a joke about shooting white kids in his last special, and I appreciate the attempt, but it was unfunny, awkward, and really offensive. But he's done so much great racist humor in the past that I couldn't imagine him losing his livelihood over that. One happened on Twitter and one during a comedy special, which is admittedly a big difference, but I also think it's clear the Roseanne was trying to be funny and failed miserably.

 

[spin]

Thought about this a fair bit today, and I can't get behind her losing her show for this. First of all, she has apologized, several times, and I'm sure she means it.

I understand ABC thinks they are covering their asses and that Roseanne has caused issues with Twitter before, but this just isn't bad enough to me to justify the cancellation of a successful show. At least, this isn't where we should be counting coup in the political battle against white nationalism. Roseanne is a nut and has always been a nut. She's always going to do stuff like this.

Is the problem that she made a racist joke? Then no more racist jokes (which would be a shame).

Is the problem that the joke wasn't funny? Then no more jokes about anything controversial at all.

If it's the combination of racist and not funny, that puts a lot of pressure on public figures at a time when they already have a lot of pressure on them.

Leave the show on and see what happens. If the ratings tank, cancel it. I don't think they would.

I believe, producer(s) and writers left of their own accord.

Advertisers would surely soon follow.


So there's already an exodus that was gonna happen.


So it's there's not necessarily much of a choice.

 

[Fawlty]

The only conclusion that I can reasonably gather from this is that you're a fan of the show.

Also, this wasn't a joke. Like categorically. It was just using a known dehumanizing racial trope. There is no assault on comedic norms here, and it hasn't been okay to call black folks monkeys - even in comedic garbs that were not present here anyways - in a very long time.

I'm not a fan of the show (haven't bothered watching any of the comeback season), but I respect Roseanne and I'm a huge fan of what comedy is. I have roughly the same feelings as Patrice O'Neal on offensive jokes and the attempt to be funny.

Even if you're right that this wasn't in the category of "joke," what's the penance here? She has apologized and seemingly sincerely. It's also Roseanne, who is always going to Roseanne.

 

[jeffk]

I am out of the loop. I just recently figured out Rossane Barr and Rossie O'donnoll aren' the same person. I don't find either funny.

I don't think I saw more than 5 minutes of Rosanne ever. Married with Children was much better as far as I could tell in that genre.

 

[Fawlty]

I believe, producer(s) and writers left of their own accord.

Advertisers would surely soon follow.


So there's already an exodus that was gonna happen.


So it's there's not necessarily much of a choice.

Yeah that could very well be, but all I know about was Wanda- the producer chick whose name escapes me left before- so that's really speculation.

Aside from that, the public reaction has been pretty strong against Roseanne, and the right isn't even pushing back that hard on this one, at least not today.

 

[Roaming East]

Chris Rock spent most of his career being on point af.

this skit is old as hell but still relevant.

and of course, the original king

 

[ShadowRun]

Yes and he basically let Ice Cube pretty much make him his bitch on his own show.

Yea that’s right I remember watching that with Ice cube, it went on too long and I’m not a Bill fan since I lean to the right wing but this fake outrage from people’s words come off like Salim witch hunts. People should be accountable for what they say though but they don’t need to have their career ruined. I’m ok with Roseanne show being canceled and she apologize it should end there.

 

[Trotsky]

I'm not a fan of the show (haven't bothered watching any of the comeback season), but I respect Roseanne and I'm a huge fan of what comedy is. I have roughly the same feelings as Patrice O'Neal on offensive jokes and the attempt to be funny.

Even if you're right that this wasn't in the category of "joke," what's the penance here? She has apologized and seemingly sincerely. It's also Roseanne, who is always going to Roseanne.

Your deference here doesn't make any sense. We're supposed to infringe on the moral sensibilities of a corporate entity to grant rhetorical leeway to a racist just because....she can't help but be a racist in her natural state? We should not only tolerate, but in fact affirmatively accommodate, the racial slights and subsequent begs for forgiveness by shitty people?

And there is no penance: there is punishment and deterrence toward maintaining our pluralistic society and culture. You don't get to call your countrymen subhumans and then proceed to make millions on some vague principle of artistic tolerance. Also, the economic arguments are bunk as well: broadcast is not zero sum, and new endeavors -- perhaps ones that are not dependent on the hiring of no-talent racists as the starring role -- will take the show's place and provide opportunity to other worthwhile persons. The only true economic loss is borne by ABC.

Also, what the fuck is with openly advocating soulless profit-driven decisionmaking and scorning the 1-in-a-million instance when a corporation knowingly makes a moral decision that is contrary to their short-intermediate-term profit interests? The former is perhaps the primary evil in modern Western civilization, and the latter is the illusory self-corrective phenomenon that we're continually promised will right the ship.

 

[floivanus]

Rock is a pretty good comparison here imo. He tried to make a joke about shooting white kids in his last special, and I appreciate the attempt, but it was unfunny, awkward, and really offensive. But he's done so much great racist humor in the past that I couldn't imagine him losing his livelihood over that. One happened on Twitter and one during a comedy special, which is admittedly a big difference, but I also think it's clear the Roseanne was trying to be funny and failed miserably.

There’s a big difference between roseanne’s bomb of a tweet and say michael richards meltdown; it appears to be a crappy joke that didn’t land with the broad audience that twitter brings.

Apparently it was drug assisted? And who else hasn’t been bombed and thought/done something dumb? I will however state that anyone in the public eye needs a social media publicist or employee to handle their online interactions, no exceptions

 

[ShadowRun]

Yeah that could very well be, but all I know about was Wanda- the producer chick whose name escapes me left before- so that's really speculation.

Aside from that, the public reaction has been pretty strong against Roseanne, and the right isn't even pushing back that hard on this one, at least not today.

They shouldn’t, we should call a spade a spade on both sides.

 

[dembones22]

If there was still any doubt left in anyone's mind about this woman's integrity, a recent tweet should make things crystal clear.

Referring to Barack Obama's former aide, Valerie Jarrett, an African American born in Iran to American citizens, Roseanne said Jarrett was what would happen if the "Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes had a baby".

After receiving obvious blowback (probably most of it from the producers of the Roseanne reboot, already green-lit for a second season) she followed up with another tweet that simply said, "I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter."

BREAKING: ABC has canceled the Roseanne series as a result of the tweet in question. #winning

I didn't know who Valarie Jarrett was, so I found out.

Nova from POTA.


Just as a point of reference.



Didn't even know Roseane was still on the air.

 

[Sycho Sid]

It's also Roseanne, who is always going to Roseanne.

This is up there wth "its the way its always been" for terrible reasons to excuse something.

 

[Fawlty]

Your deference here doesn't make any sense. We're supposed to infringe on the moral sensibilities of a corporate entity to grant rhetorical leeway to a racist just because....she can't help but be a racist in her natural state? We should not only tolerate, but in fact affirmatively accommodate, the racial slights and subsequent begs for forgiveness by shitty people?

And there is no penance: there is punishment and deterrence toward maintaining our pluralistic society and culture. You don't get to call your countrymen subhumans and then proceed to make millions on some vague principle of artistic tolerance. Also, the economic arguments are bunk as well: broadcast is not zero sum, and new endeavors -- perhaps ones that are not dependent on the hiring of no-talent racists as the starring role -- will take the show's place and provide opportunity to other worthwhile persons. The only true economic loss is borne by ABC.

Also, what the fuck is with openly advocating soulless profit-driven decisionmaking and scorning the 1-in-a-million instance when a corporation knowingly makes a moral decision that is contrary to their short-intermediate-term profit interests? The former is perhaps the primary evil in modern Western civilization, and the latter is the illusory self-corrective phenomenon that we're continually promised will right the ship.

We should accept her apology. We should accept that she's fucking nuts, and that her funny and her crazy come from the same place.

I'm not so quick to ascribe such pure motives to a television corporation. Interesting...

I'm also not jazzed about filling Roseanne's slot with yet another boring-as-fuck, soul-free, unoffensive show that causes no brain to do no thing.

I'm especially not jazzed about counting coup on this one. It doesn't sit well with me at all. I don't like hacking away at the space of jokes. This is bad for comics too. It won't be long before Bill Burr or similar hits the fucko bin too. All it will take is one screw up, one bad joke with bad timing and bad phrasing, or one drunk tweet, or one thought that was funny in their head but a failure in print or in spoken word. Let's find another hill and another death. I have no interest in using Roseanne fucking Barr as a practice dummy in place of Donald Trump.

 

[Fawlty]

This is up there wth "its the way its always been" for terrible reasons to excuse something.

It's not though, not with comedy. Comedy is literally special, and we need to treat comics like they are special. I'm fucking warning you guys, this is playing with your peril. You want equality, tell it to power, not to the subverters of power. I guess it's hard to get across how such an apparent hypocrisy is right. They aren't the king, they aren't the guard, they aren't the lord or the taxman- they're the jester.

 

[Fawlty]

They shouldn’t, we should call a spade a spade on both sides.

I never thought I'd say this of the right in a situation like this, but this seems like virtue signalling. A good crisp quick win.

 

[Sycho Sid]

It's not though, not with comedy. Comedy is literally special, and we need to treat comics like they are special. I'm fucking warning you guys, this is playing with your peril. You want equality, tell it to power, not to the subverters of power. I guess it's hard to get across how such an apparent hypocrisy is right. They aren't the king, they aren't the guard, they aren't the lord or the taxman- they're the jester.

But thre was no comedy, not set up, no punchline, just a random racist tweet. I am all for comedy, but that was not an actual joke.

 

[Fawlty]

But thre was no comedy, not set up, no punchline, just a random racist tweet. I am all for comedy, but that was not an actual joke.

I think she was trying to be funny. It was definitely the floor of what could be called a joke.

 

[Sycho Sid]

I think she was trying to be funny. It was definitely the floor of what could be called a joke.

I completely disagree here. Just because she is a comedian does not mean everything she says is a joke.

She is also a CT spouting racist.

I put this in the second category.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

I completely disagree here. Just because she is a comedian does not mean everything she says is a joke.

She is also a CT spouting racist.

I put this in the second category.

This. Comedian is her job not her nature.