Ah yes, a rousing round of storm and stress this week in our own very dear so-called entertainment media, starting with Rosanne Barr’s self-titled and relaunched sitcom being cancelled with such alacrity that security probably left scorch-marks on the carpet, escorting her off the premises at speed, although I am pretty sure that in Hollywierdland, it doesn’t work quite that way when terminating an unsatisfactory employee. Especially a star player in a recently-revived, highly-rated, and yet controversial sit-com. Still it is curious how quick off the mark the sacking was. So Rosanne has always been a bit of a loose cannon … no, reconsider that; a completely unsecured cannon, impulsively driven to fire in all directions on the slightest provocation, up to and acquiring her own foot as target. Calculated or inadvertent at this point it makes no difference to anyone, really, save perhaps for her costars, now left high, dry and living on residuals.
In any case, I never watched the re-boot, and have only hazy memories of seeing the original show now and again. Meh. As far as a family-oriented sitcom set in blue-collar, flyover country America went, we much preferred The Middle, and Last Man Standing. If anything, the cast of characters, and the actors playing them seemed … well, nicer. More grounded, even.
But I cannot even work myself up into the required lather of fury over Ms. Barr’s allegedly uber-offensive tweet. Is Val-Jar truly a Muslim Brotherhood creature? Who knows for certain; likely those in the business of national security whose business it was to vet those appointed or hired to serve the highest offices in the land spent most of decade working very hard to not know any definitive answer to that question. Embarrassing to the Obama Administration, y’know. Best not to look too searchingly at Val-Jar’s connections and associations, such as they are. Does she strongly resemble the female character, Zira, from the first Planet of the Apes movie, and Ari, from the 2001 remake? Well … honesty compels an answer in the affirmative, mostly because of the hairstyle. Rude to make the comparison; yes, although such delicacy of feeling didn’t stop many with making the same unflattering comparison with regard to George W. Bush and driving in the point with a sledgehammer for nearly two decades. (Don’t even get started on the disgusting manner in which Condoleezza Rice was caricatured over the term of her office in the Bush administration. Some of the nastier examples are captured here, at Powerline.)
Politics, as we are often reminded, is not beanball. But a single standard as to what is acceptable, and what is beyond the Pale with regard comment, comedy, commentary, and caricature would be much appreciated by those of us tending to the conservative side of the political scale, or even those of us who appreciate civility, and even-handed humorous needling of prominent personalities. Alleged comic, Samantha Bee, who came out with a truly vile comedic suggestion involving Ivanka Trump vamping her father to reverse certain policies of his and topped it by applying a degrading term on a cable television show to applause and cheers.
Well. Nice job of demonstrating the double standard in show business, when it comes to liberal and conservative personalities. At this moment, Samantha Bee still has a job, although I understand that she is down a couple of corporate sponsors. Well-done, national establishment media; showing your unmistakable contempt for at least half the public! What next, I wonder; Who among the lefty-inclined icons of entertainment is now saying, either literally or metaphorically, “Hold my beer/mineral water/trendy beverage-of-choice and watch this!”
Her costars and all the people it takes to make Barr and her costars look good on TV. Hope no one borrowed money based on long-term employment. No one claimed giant international media corporation care for workers. I guess they’ll find other jobs.
There is no comparing what Roseanne Barr did and what Samantha Bee did. I also have avoided the new incarnation of her show because I disliked her original show, disliked her between shows, and had absolutely no faith that any non-Leftist tendencies in her new show were anything but Maskirova.
Barr acted like, well, Roseanne Barr on her own time and as far as we know spontaneously. Chirotera feces crazy, but spontaneous.
Samantha Bee’s show is scripted ahead of time. It is taped ahead of time. It is reviewed by what passes for programing practices at her network before broadcast. Samantha Bee was doing what she was supposed to do. Other than noting her for future reference, one should not pay any attention to her.
I don’t watch TV but have been aware for years that Barr is a nut.
I agree that Bee was worse in that it was scripted and on the TelPrompTer for her to read.
It is all of no interest to me.
I don’t watch TV. For most of the year literally none. I used to watch football regularly, but that’s dropped off quite a lot, especially last year. I watched the new Roseanne. I would have watched the next season. So she’s a kook. Who cares? At least I think we could have a drink together and she wouldn’t hold me in open contempt, which is more than I believe about 99% of the media and political establishments, on both sides.
If it is true, the story that Obama’s wife told the head of ABC (or was it Disney?) that Roseanne had to be fired is appalling. But it fits in completely with what we know about her, so I have no reason to doubt it.
As for this other person, this so-called “comedian”, she gets ratings lower than Roseanne would get for performing a one-woman version of the Sound of Music. But she gets an insane amount of glowing coverage from the MSM, as if she is some sort of culturally influential superstar. TBS can’t possibly replace that sort of media coverage, so there’s no way they’re going to let her go. ABC would much rather have mediocre ratings from TV shows that get glowing media reviews and don’t cause their execs embarrassment at their Hollywood dinner parties.
I probably don’t have any of this straight, but my impression was that it was Huma Abedin whose name was on the headings and whose parents wrote & printed the Muslim Brotherhood propaganda and that Jarrett had grown up in Iran. It hasn’t been my experience that either Americans or Iranians who great up in Iran were great fans of the government or its interpretation of Islam, but I always figured it did influence was her sympathies that influenced Obama. But, well, my memory is becoming more like a sieve each day.
What bothers me the most is how wonderful middle class bourgeois life can be – even with the aches of aging and everyday annoyances. These people want to stick us in the eye, to spit on us, to make sure we are unhappy. I suspect it is because, well, they are quite unhappy themselves. And they haven’t the faintest idea how to become happy.
It’s not really important what exactly Roseanne said or why. What’s important is how it happened. Everyone here should be reading John Robb’s work on weaponized social networks, and the upcoming Long Night-
http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/
This used to be the domain of trolls and cybercrooks, but now political groups and corporations have assumed control. With their global reach and massive following they’re going to quickly impose their version of social stability on all of us whether we like it or not.
Roseanne was busted for basically the N word and that is invariably fatal in the current environment. Even Pewdiepie a serious iconoclast, and reigning youtube king, took a lot of heat over his obviously unconscious use of the word, in online combat.
Sam backed down on a pretty nasty slur, but for me that’s her big mistake, although I do think using FC on a basically defenseless person was overly nasty. As I have said they all, her Daily Show cohorts, disappoint me as they have gone from useful comedy to just part of the MSM hate Donald Trump herd. I had hoped for better.
Michelle although she made her point, managed to do that with some grace and although she was rough on Sarah it was inside the bounds really. As well Sarah is far from defenseless. I really enjoy her as press secretary, as she’s easily a match for most of the MSM in front of her. ;)
There will not be any residuals for them to live off of. You have to have enough in the can to go in the syndication.
What I love about this is the hypocrisy. Roseanne says something outrageous and all hell breaks loose and she’s fired. People on the left say something outrageous, they “apologize“, and Move on.