A line is being drawn in the battle of normalizing the president’s racist demeanor. Personally I was sick when the NFL owners caved into the republican President Donald Trump’s racist impulses by restricting the rights of NFL players to protest respectfully the issue of men of color being too frequently mistreated by law enforcement agents, by kneeling while the National Anthem is playing.
But this time, ABC had been inundated with tweets against Roseanne Barr’s recent racist remarks to where ABC has acted in a decisive manner by cancelling Roseanne Barr’s new comedy show. This is a surprise because Roseanne Barr’s new comedy has been a smashing hit to where I had been expecting for ABC executives to weasel out of taking this type of stand against racism that has shown a resurgence in the President Trump’s “make America great (White) again” world.
Bob Iger of Disney made the announcement that his company has a -0- tolerance towards the type of racist comments delivered in a tweet by Roseanne Barr.
Here’s the rest of the story…
On May 29, 2018, John Koblin of New York Post penned the following report, ‘Roseanne’ Canceled by ABC Hours After Racist Tweet by Roseanne Barr’
Excerpts:
“ABC canceled the hit sitcom “Roseanne” on Tuesday hours after the show’s star and co-creator, Roseanne Barr, posted a racist tweet about a former top adviser to President Obama who is black.”
“Early on Tuesday, Ms. Barr posted a comment about Valerie Jarrett, the former adviser to Mr. Obama, that said if “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.”
“Ms. Barr, whose ABC sitcom about the Conner family ended a successful comeback season last week, initially dismissed accusations that the comment was racist, defending it as “a joke.” She also said on Twitter, “ISLAM is not a RACE, lefties. Islam includes EVERY RACE of people.”
“Ms. Barr later deleted the post about Ms. Jarrett, and initially said nothing about the reference to “The Planet of the Apes.” About a half-hour later, she offered an apology.”
“I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans,” she wrote. “I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me – my joke was in bad taste.”
Roseanne Barr
✔@therealroseanne
I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me-my joke was in bad taste.
Ms. Barr also said she was “leaving Twitter.”
Hours later, ABC canceled her show.
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” ABC’s entertainment president, Channing Dungey, said in a statement.”
“The fallout over the Twitter post had begun earlier. Wanda Sykes, the black comedian who served as a consulting producer on “Roseanne” this season, said she was leaving the sitcom. Whitney Cummings — a showrunner for the revived comedy, and one of its most outspoken liberal supporters — had already left the series this month.”
Wanda Sykes
✔@iamwandasykes
I will not be returning to @RoseanneOnABC.
Chelsea Clinton
✔@ChelseaClinton
Good morning Roseanne – my given middle name is Victoria. I imagine George Soros’s nephews are lovely people. I’m just not married to one. I am grateful for the important work @OpenSociety does in the world. Have a great day! https://twitter.com/therealroseanne/status/1001310680111243269 …
Roseanne Barr
✔@therealroseanne
Sorry to have tweeted incorrect info about you!I Please forgive me! By the way, George Soros is a nazi who turned in his fellow Jews 2 be murdered in German concentration camps & stole their wealth-were you aware of that? But, we all make mistakes, right Chelsea?
Months before the show premiered, she said that her children had taken her social media accounts away from her. It was no small matter: Ms. Barr has used Twitter to promote conspiracy theories, and some ABC executives were worried that she might say something offensive enough to lead viewers or advertisers to revolt.
Ms. Barr has been outspoken in her support of President Trump, who called to congratulate her on the ratings for the show’s premiere episode, and in her antipathy toward Hillary Clinton.
Chelsea Clinton
✔@ChelseaClinton
Good morning Roseanne – my given middle name is Victoria. I imagine George Soros’s nephews are lovely people. I’m just not married to one. I am grateful for the important work @OpenSociety does in the world. Have a great day!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Roseanne Barr
✔@therealroseanne
Sorry to have tweeted incorrect info about you!I Please forgive me! By the way, George Soros is a nazi who turned in his fellow Jews 2 be murdered in German concentration camps & stole their wealth-were you aware of that? But, we all make mistakes, right Chelsea?
“ABC was able to sidestep controversy in both instances.”
“You can’t control Roseanne Barr,” Ben Sherwood, the president of Walt Disney Company’s and ABC’s television group, said in an interview with The New York Times in March, when asked about her Twitter account. “Many who have tried have failed.”
“There have been other sources of controversy.”
“The revival’s third episode featured a joke about two ABC comedies with diverse casts, “black-ish” and “Fresh Off the Boat.” Ms. Barr’s character and her husband, Dan, played by John Goodman, wake up on the their living room couch, having fallen asleep in front of the television. “We missed all the shows about black and Asian families,” Dan Conner said. To laughter from the show’s studio audience, Roseanne Conner responded, “They’re just like us. There, now you’re all caught up.”
“The joke prompted an outcry but ABC defended the show. “We felt writers were looking to tip a hat to those shows,” Ms. Dungey said this month. “It certainly wasn’t meant to offend. I do stand by the ‘Roseanne’ writers.”
“Even as the “Roseanne” revival experienced success, ABC’s relationship with the “black-ish” showrunner, Kenya Barris, deteriorated. The network made the rare decision earlier this year to pull an episode of the show, which is known for its frank assessment of race relations. The episode involved the main character, Dre, raising socially fraught issues while telling a bedtime story to his son. Mr. Barris is in negotiations to leave his ABC contract and begin working with Netflix.”
“Roseanne” will probably finish the 2017-18 television season as the No. 3 rated show, behind two NBC programs: “Sunday Night Football” and “This is Us.” More than 18 million people on average have watched “Roseanne” this season, according to Nielsen’s delayed viewing data.”
“The show was a boon for ABC, and part of a strategy to appeal to viewers in the American heartland. “Roseanne” had nine episodes this past season, and it was scheduled to return in the fall with another 13. When ABC hosted a showcase for advertisers two weeks ago to preview its fall lineup, “Roseanne” took center stage.”
“If anyone came to play a drinking game for the number of times we mention Roseanne,” Mr. Sherwood said from the stage at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, “you’re welcome.”
Ms. Barr may have been front and center then, but the series was an afterthought on the Walt Disney Company’s most recent earnings call with investors.”
Read an interview with Ms. Barr, in which she touches on her and her character’s support of President Trump.]
Gronda Morin 
Roseate has always been a bigot aND an racist, and you couldn’t pay me enough to make me watch her old show, or her new one. I don’t known why ABC would even show the remaining unseen episodes. She should be cancelled right out of Hollywood.
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Dear Rawgod,
I’m with you on this. ABC should have been fully aware of the risk its executives were taking by backing Roseanne Barr with her new show. I’ve never been a fan.
At least ABC took the right stand and I am grateful for this. Disney owns ABC and it cannot afford to tolerate Ms. Barr’s acts of racism.
Hugs, Gronda
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Gronda, I see comments like this and think there are so many legitimate topics to tweet about. And, she chose to do this. If she wanted to emulate the President, she just did, but he continues to keep his job. Keith
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,,, but he continues to keep his job — The power of Power. Disgusting all the same!
What’s really sad is the number of young people who are inclined to look up to the POTUS. 😟
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Dear Nan,
I am just grateful to see some well publicized push-back on those who think spouting off racist comments is acceptable. This action by ABC followed a deluge of tweets that its executives received denouncing Roseanne Barr’s racist comments. It took ABC three hours to announce this decision. That tells me that folks were quick to voice their displeasure and that every voice does count.
This also warns President Trump that there are many who are repulsed by his racist impulses.
Hugs, Gronda
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We must applaud those who say certain language or actions are inappropriate. And, we need to push back on those who acquiesce. Thanks, Keith
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Dear Keith,
But at least the president is seeing what the push back against racism looks like. I just wish that the NFL owners had acted likewise instead of caving into the president’s racist impulses.
Hugs, Gronda
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Gronda, he has demean anyone who criticizes him and lied more than he has not. Narcissists often confer on others there own weaknesses as a way to reveal they are not so bad. He has called others “Crooked”, “Lying,” and “Little” while calling entities “failing” or “disasters.” I witness a man who is alleged to be a crook, who lies, who has little character, who is failing is country abroad and our planet and who has brought a disastrous level of imcompetence to the White House administration. Keith
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Gronda, with an opportunity to be very Presidential and condemn Roseanne’s words, the President could not step over this easy bar. Instead, Trump decided to channel his “inner toddler” and make it about himself and how mean the media is to him.
I have many words that come to mind, but this reveals the absence of character and leadership in the man whose position needs both. Keith
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Yes I e seen this lately and it’s very disturbing….but remember Hitler’s youth groups
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Dear MaryPlumbago,
The good news is that ABC executives were inundated with tweets by peoples who opposed strongly Roseanne Barr’s racist comments.
This lets President Trump and his fellow racists know that there is resistance out there, outside of of their bubble.
Hugs, Gronda
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Thanks Gronda. I’m sick of senior citizens who act like troubled teens. All of them.
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Dear Rob,
I am just grateful that ABC took this very public stand against racism and Roseanne Barr’s sick comments.. I bet President Trump won’t respond to this news.
Hugs, Gronda
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What was Rosanne thinking?! Her so called “joke” was not funny or clever at all… just like her washed-up career. And what’s this obsession with Twitter, so many ppl have lost there jobs or got into trouble over it.
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Dear 1EarthUnited,
She wasn’t thinking or she believed she could get away with her racist comments regarding Valerie Jarrett who is a very classy lady.
ABC was inundated with tweets against Roseanne Barr’s racist comments. She was supposed to have quit Twitter but she had to vent. She has a history for being racist, etc.
Hugs, Gronda
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Not too bright… as a public figure she should just keep her piehole shut! Doubly so for our fake President.
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It’s about time. Roseanne has always been disgusting, always saying or doing things and the trying to pass them off as a joke. An example of a “regular” family portrayed in “This is Us” should never be compared or put in the same class as Roseanne. Their goals are opposites. Just because you have influence doesn’t mean you can demean your fellow citizens, but once again, I think Trump has led us in this direction and it’s only getting worse. I think Twitter in general should be disbanded.
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Good. She was stopped.
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