Trump wades into furore over racist Roseanne Barr tweet

By Lisa Richwine and Eric Kelsey

 

FILE PHOTO: Actress Roseanne Barr waves on her arrival to the 75th Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 7, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo

 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump jumped into the uproar over comedian Roseanne Barr's racist tweet, complaining on Wednesday the Walt Disney Co <DIS.N> executive who apologised for her comments had turned a deaf ear to criticism of Trump by the Disney-owned ABC network.

 

Barr sparked widespread anger with a tweet on Tuesday comparing former Obama administration adviser Valerie Jarrett to an ape.

 

Barr wrote in a now-deleted message that if the Islamist political movement "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby = vj."

The tweet led the Disney-owned ABC network to cancel its hit revival of her "Roseanne" sitcom. Trump has cited the revival's popularity as evidence that his supporters, who include Barr, want shows that speak to their concerns.

 

Jarrett said on Tuesday that Disney CEO Bob Iger called her before ABC announced the show's cancellation.

 

"Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump to apologise for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC. Maybe I just didn't get the call?" Trump said on Twitter. Trump has been a persistent critic of the news media throughout his campaign and presidency.

 

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a briefing that Trump's comments were not a defence of Barr's tweet.

 

"The president is simply calling out the media bias. No one is defending what she said," Sanders said.

 

She brought up several examples of what she called a media slant against Trump. These included comments made by ABC's "The View" host Joy Behar about Christians and comedian Kathy Griffin's comments on the same television program as well as Disney-owned ESPN's former host Jemele Hill and ESPN's recent hiring of television personality Keith Olbermann.

 

Iger last year quit a Trump advisory council because of the president's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. Iger told Vogue magazine last month that he had considered running for president but decided against it to focus on business.

 

ABC and Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

 

ROSEANNE BLAMES AMBIEN

Barr blamed her late-night message on the sleep aid Ambien.

 

"It was 2 in the morning and I was Ambien tweeting-it was memorial day too-i went 2 far & do not want it defended-it was egregious Indefensible," she wrote in a message that has since been deleted. "I made a mistake I wish I hadn't but...don't defend it please."

 

Ambien's maker, Sanofi <SASY.PA>, responded.

 

"While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication," its U.S. arm said on Twitter.

 

On Tuesday, Barr had apologised "for making a bad joke" about Jarrett, who is black and was born in Iran to American parents.

 

"Don't feel sorry for me, guys!!," Barr said in a tweet late on Tuesday. "I just want to apologise to the hundreds of people, and wonderful writers (all liberal) and talented actors who lost their jobs on my show due to my stupid tweet."

 

On Wednesday, she said on Twitter she did not know Jarrett was black.

 

Barr's Twitter profile drew supportive comments, with some users saying they believed she had been treated unfairly because of her politics. She responded, saying, "you guys make me feel like fighting back. I will examine all of my options carefully and get back to U."

 

The original "Roseanne" ran from 1988 to 1997, featuring a blue-collar family, the Conners, with overweight parents struggling to get by. It was praised for its realistic portrayal of working-class life.

 

The current "Roseanne" was ABC's biggest hit of the 2017-2018 season, drawing an average 18.7 million viewers, second only to CBS's "The Big Bang Theory," according to Nielsen data through May 20.

 

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Eric Kelsey; additional reporting by Steve Holland in Washington and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Scott Malone, Steve Orlofsky and Cynthia Osterman)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-31

If you do not understand that in 2018 you can not refer to a black person as a mixture of ISIS and an Ape, then you are so stupid that you should be forced to wear a helmet 24/7 for your own protection.

 

This isn't difficult...

46 minutes ago, webfact said:

The tweet led the Disney-owned ABC network to cancel its hit revival of her "Roseanne" sitcom

All i can say is that nowadays wherever you look, the place is full of thin skin hypocrites pretenders and bigots, all worrying about their bottom line profit and their positions under the pretend of being PC....

Good riddance to bad rubbish.   She's a loud mouthed slob.   I couldn't stand her original show and tried to get through a couple of episodes of the reboot, but quickly lost interest.   The cast is good, but when she opens her mouth, she's a complete turn off.  

 

As well he should wade in as double standards abound! 

27 minutes ago, ezzra said:

All i can say is that nowadays wherever you look, the place is full of thin skin hypocrites pretenders and bigots, all worrying about their bottom line profit and their positions under the pretend of being PC....

Nowadays?

 

Same as it ever was.

In a German TV show they showed a picture of her with a sentence in huge letters on it:

 

"Posting racist comments on twitter and expecting to keep her job. Who does this woman think she is,- the President of the United States?" 

23 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

As well he should wade in as double standards abound! 

 

Yeah, that's exactly why we have a president.

If your racism lasts more than four hours please contact your doctor.

 

Even the Chairman of the Liverpool Football Club had to throw her under the bus.

 

She can go back to her "baking" and "singing (of the national anthem) careers.

 

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/did-roseanne-pose-as-adolf-hitler-photo-shoot/

 

 

 

she sings better than my missis.

Has there ever been such a narcissistic president? Unbelievable.

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I don't have any idea if what she said was racist, because I have no idea about who she was talking about. However, thank you for taking her show of the air. I saw the first two minutes and wanted to puke.

 

It is amazing that the formerly 'very left wing' Rosanne is now playing a racist and right winger. Something fishy about the whole thing, like it's a role for the masses to eat up because the real racists are so hard to find.

1 minute ago, canuckamuck said:

It is amazing that the formerly 'very left wing' Rosanne is now playing a racist and right winger.

 

What is this "very left wing" characterization based on?  Her Twitter feed has been full of racism and conspiracy theories for a decade.

I don't like her and would not watch her if you paid me. However liberals are hypocrites look at the attacks from them. Look at the WH dinner and that nasty attack on the press secretary all the liberals were having a climax. PC is what's wrong with the USA these days someone says something they don't like and they run into a corner seeking therapy for hurt feelings.

17 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I don't have any idea if what she said was racist, because I have no idea about who she was talking about. However, thank you for taking her show of the air. I saw the first two minutes and wanted to puke.

 

It is amazing that the formerly 'very left wing' Rosanne is now playing a racist and right winger. Something fishy about the whole thing, like it's a role for the masses to eat up because the real racists are so hard to find.

Can we please stop saying 'left wing'?  you mean 'liberal'?  not the same thing at all. I consider myself 'left wing' but I loathe the PC liberals and don't identify with them in the slightest. The Dems and liberals try to hijack the term.

6 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Look at the WH dinner and that nasty attack on the press secretary all the liberals were having a climax.

 

Whataboutism, deflection and completely off-topic.

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

As well he should wade in as double standards abound! 

Give us some examples of those double-standards you profess.

2 minutes ago, daoyai said:

so we have different standards for different races?  .. now that IS racist.

 

Once again you highlight to everyone that you don't have a clue.  A stereotype is, by definition, a disparaging characterization that applies to a subset of the population. 

 

 

Yes, believe it or not, words that one person deems hateful may not be deemed so by another person. Crazy world we live in huh?

 

I am not going to waste any more time trying to teach you about what you should have learned simply by growing up in polite society.

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

As well he should wade in as double standards abound! 

I hate to tell you but Trump isn't a race.   

 

1 minute ago, attrayant said:

 

Once again you highlight to everyone that you don't have a clue.  A stereotype is, by definition, a disparaging characterization that applies to a subset of the population. 

 

 

Yes, believe it or not, words that one person deems hateful may not be deemed so by another person. Crazy world we live in huh?

 

I am not going to waste any more time trying to teach you about what you should have learned simply by growing up in polite society.

Sticks and stones. I could not care less what black people call me (whoops, sorry 'people of colour'). USA is obsessed at the moment.  

Racist post, replies and other off-topic posts removed.  

19 minutes ago, daoyai said:

my definition is equivalent to the standard dictionary definition... not the SJW one... so we have different standards for different races?  .. now that IS racist.

Maybe a news flash for you, but... some races have had a slightly different experience than others.

You said this:

 

16 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Look at the WH dinner and that nasty attack on the press secretary all the liberals were having a climax.

 

And then you said this:

 

15 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

PC is what's wrong with the USA these days someone says something they don't like and they run into a corner seeking therapy for hurt feelings.

 

So which is it?

Just now, attrayant said:

You said this:

 

 

And then you said this:

 

 

So which is it?

 

Both, I am not against free-speech but against hypocrisy. 

 
ROSEANNE BLAMES AMBIEN

 
Ambien's maker, Sanofi , responded.
 
"While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication," its U.S. arm said on Twitter.
 

Great comeback from Ambien !!

As for Roseanne ??
Good riddance I say !!

I don't like her and would not watch her if you paid me. However liberals are hypocrites look at the attacks from them. Look at the WH dinner and that nasty attack on the press secretary all the liberals were having a climax. PC is what's wrong with the USA these days someone says something they don't like and they run into a corner seeking therapy for hurt feelings.

Sarah Sanders was mocked for being a liar. Nothing racist about that. Do you know what racism is?

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2 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Sticks and stones. I could not care less what black people call me (whoops, sorry 'people of colour').  

Yes, well obviously your experience belonging to the race which has dominated for the last millennium or so gives you perfect perspective regarding the experience(s) of people in other races.

Just now, mikebike said:

Yes, well obviously your experience belonging to the race which has dominated for the last millennium or so gives you perfect perspective regarding the experience(s) of people in other races.

Oh you know my race?  or are you stereotyping?  

30 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I don't have any idea if what she said was racist, because I have no idea about who she was talking about. However, thank you for taking her show of the air. I saw the first two minutes and wanted to puke.

 

It is amazing that the formerly 'very left wing' Rosanne is now playing a racist and right winger. Something fishy about the whole thing, like it's a role for the masses to eat up because the real racists are so hard to find.

The last few years she has gotten more and more hardcore radical Zionist. After continually defending apartheidism it's an easy jump to other forms of racism. 

1 minute ago, BobBKK said:

Both, I am not against free-speech but against hypocrisy. 

 

Just so long as you recognize that such "free speech" comes with consequences. Don't act shocked and oppressed when you get fired from your job because nobody wants to be around you.