Well, it was just a matter of time, folks. ABC has canceled the revival of “Roseanne,” which is just one more giant step towards canceling free speech. Roseanne Barr, the show’s leading lady, made the mistake of mixing her style of comedy with opinion when she tweeted that former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett looked like the offspring of the “Muslim Brotherhood & Planet of the Apes.” Even though she has since profusely apologized, the network canceled the show and the left is hopping with glee at another opportunity to attack Trump supporters.
Roseanne Barr
“I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans,” Barr tweeted. “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. I am now leaving Twitter.”
Bad taste or not, the tweet served a purpose for the left: it gave them another weapon in their arsenal against Trump supporters and conservatives in general. For those who haven’t seen the program, the first few episodes support the president and reflect Barr’s personal support for Trump. Conservatives saw this move by the television network as a small victory in the fight to bring more attention to middle America. Is it any wonder the left is jumping for joy now that it has been canceled?
It was obvious Trump was in support of the show and he even made mention of it during a rally in Ohio. He told those gathered that the executive producer of “The Apprentice,” Mark Burnett, called and told him that “the “Roseanne reboot” was a hit.” Burnett said, “Did you see ‘Roseanne’s’ ratings?’ They were over 18 million people, and it was all about us.”
Erick Erickson chimed in on Twitter to give his two cents, saying:
Barr “was never a center-right figure. And she’s been a pretty openly insane person for a while. ABC tried to use her to connect with and program to Trump voters. I suspect this cancellation will hurt that cause.”
He added, “I wasn’t a fan of the relaunch or how it was marketed. The wild embrace of Roseanne by people on the right just makes it easier now to bash them via Roseanne. And I think it just will cause networks to ignore real social conservatives now even more than they did.”
And what about Jarrett? What does this mean for her? Apparently, she has become the spokesperson on everyday racism and has already been booked to appear on an MSNBC special on that very topic. “We have to turn it into a teaching moment,” she said in a clip released by the network. “I’m fine. I’m worried about all the people out there who don’t have a circle of friends and who come right to their defense.”
Comedian Wanda Sykes, who is a consulting producer for the show, said she will not return to the network for another season because of Barr’s tweet.
Even if we were to agree that Barr’s tweet was in poor taste, does this mean the entire show should be canceled? Sara Gilbert, an actress on “Roseanne,” doesn’t seem to think so:
This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we’ve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love— one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member.
— sara gilbert (@THEsaragilbert) May 29, 2018
Would ABC or other networks cancel a show where an actor on the left made inappropriate tweets about the president or conservatives? In fact, it is the left that regularly insult, criticize, and belittle the right. And they do so without any repercussions.
Let’s face it; Barr has never been a symbol of piety and grace. Just look at the fiasco she caused when she belted out that horrendous rendition of the National Anthem in 1990 at the San Diego Padres game. Perhaps the network took this into consideration when making the deal on the show. They knew the ratings would be out of this world (and they were), but they also knew Barr was a lose canon and was prone to such antics. Either way, the network wins. They get to be the benevolent company that gave a conservative show that supports the president a chance, collect on the massive viewers glued to their television sets for each episode, and become the left’s hero when they fire Barr for her outspoken ways.
Free speech is the loser here.
