Social media reacts to ABC's cancellation of 'Roseanne'
News in the entertainment industry spread quickly Tuesday when ABC canceled its hit reboot "Roseanne" upon discovery of a tweet from the account of the show's star that the network deemed racist.
Roseanne Bar sent a tweet late Monday that referred to former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett as the offspring of the Muslim Brotherhood and the "Planet of the Apes."
Here are some reactions from around the Twitter:
Hey @ABC , Roseanne Barr compared Valerie Jarrett to an ape. There is no apology she can make that justifies @ABC turning a blind eye to this bigotry by airing another second of her show. Even in the Age of Trump, there are red lines that can never be crossed. This is one.
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) May 29, 2018
Kudos to @ABCNetwork for their quick, decisive actions. We live in a country where you can express yourself freely, but that doesn't mean there aren't consequences for hateful speech and actions.
— Aisha Tyler (@aishatyler) May 29, 2018
Shonda Rhimes, a writer and producer for two of ABC's primetime dramas: Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder, says the veteran comic "got what she deserved."
But honestly she got what she deserved. As I tell my 4 year old, one makes a choice with one's actions. Roseanne made a choice. A racist one. ABC made a choice. A human one.
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) May 29, 2018
The hit producer also empathized with the cast and crew of the show who also were punished as a result of the decision.
The terrible part is all of the talented innocent people who worked on that show now suffer because of this. #notjustice
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) May 29, 2018
The swift cancellation of Roseanne Barr's new show after her racist tweets is a sobering reminder that words have consequences. Too often people spew hate on social media disguised as 'comedy' expecting no consequences. Let this be a lesson. You CAN be hilarious AND spread love!
— Matthew Santoro (@MatthewSantoro) May 30, 2018
Someone also pointed out this irony...
This is beyond comical.Conservatives: The NFL did the right thing by making the players stand. I don't care if its their right to protest.Also conservatives: ABC had no right to cancel Roseanne. I don't care if her comment was racist, they can't stifle her 1A rights! pic.twitter.com/hDiFueCTp4
— ⚜️ JayQuellin ⚜️ (@lindeeloo_who) May 30, 2018
For mad conservatives who feel like Roseanne should be able to tweet what she wants and keep her show "because: first amendment"...Where were you when Black men wanted to be able to take a knee and not be reprimanded for it by the NFL?I'll hold for how "this is different..."
— Jarrett Hill (@JarrettHill) May 29, 2018
Other TV stations and streaming platforms have vowed to stop airing reruns from previous seasons.
Roseanne reruns are pulled from Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT.They are taking Roseanne's syndication money, too. Nice.
— Denizcan James (@MrFilmkritik) May 30, 2018
Many on Twitter have tried to draw a comparison of Barr's comments with those who have criticized President Trump, saying that other comedians who have made comments against the Commander in Chief should meet the same fate.
@ABCNetwork How can Whoopi get away with this yet you cancel #Roseanne pic.twitter.com/UjgQAf3a6h
— Tommy Salem (@tlsalem) May 30, 2018
There's a difference between speaking truth to power and powerful people speaking critically about the powerless. Roseanne Barr attacking black women as apes is not the same as someone criticizing the powerful white male president of the United States. pic.twitter.com/OYftcpFZ0t
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) May 30, 2018
Others have lamented that the comedienne's past comments had them questioning why her show was still on the air in the first place.
'People knew who Roseanne was. ... She's a free person who speaks her mind... People are going to do what they can to make money but when they find that a line has been crossed and their image is being besmirched, then they move in a moral way' - Cornel West on ABC pic.twitter.com/RNEuuyD29R
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) May 30, 2018
Don Lemon: Why did ABC give Roseanne a chance after her past racist comments? https://t.co/kxJHE1yw49 pic.twitter.com/C1BXDTjCwq
— The Hill (@thehill) May 30, 2018
Why did it take so long for America to see who Roseanne really was? https://t.co/bpbnnEc7hW
— TIME (@TIME) May 30, 2018
Roseanne singing the national anthem, ends it by grabbing her crutch and spitting. A white person can do that, but when a person of color takes a knee to protest social injustice it's blasphemy.This not just hypocrisy, it's racism in a patriotic mask. https://t.co/sQT7PWVCgN
— Ali (@realAliTweets) May 30, 2018
For her part, Barr did apologize via Twitter, but it seems the damage was done.
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.
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 29, 2018
