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"ABC didn't Fire Rosanne for being a Racist" (Original Post) leftstreet May 2018 OP
I don't care. I'm just glad they did. EffieBlack May 2018 #1
They could have still profited from it but chose not to tolerate her words...so good for them. Demsrule86 May 2018 #2
They realized quickly their ongoing association would no longer be profitable AdamGG May 2018 #31
Also, she has a history of being "difficult". forgotmylogin May 2018 #36
I read that there was scuttlebutt around the show that her diva act was getting toxic catbyte May 2018 #41
I don't think that is completely true. Demsrule86 May 2018 #38
But now their Trumpkin viewers would have the added cost of poisoning their brand with other people AdamGG May 2018 #42
I think also it was because they have a black woman who is chief, now..... Honeycombe8 May 2018 #39
Brutal. guillaumeb May 2018 #3
Provocative tweet oberliner May 2018 #4
Remember when all the major networks profited by broadcasting Nazi rallies uninterrupted Fred Sanders May 2018 #6
Too bad that line doesn't apply to our president RainCaster May 2018 #27
agreed gopiscrap May 2018 #29
True enough gratuitous May 2018 #5
That earnings figure would have to be massively revised if there is the prospect of advertisers RockRaven May 2018 #10
Depends on who has the rights to the show Major Nikon May 2018 #16
Yeah, I think she is toxic now. Silver Gaia May 2018 #21
She's also proven she can't keep her dumass thoughts to herself Major Nikon May 2018 #23
Maybe they can have her cohost "news" commentary segments with Mark Fuhrman AdamGG May 2018 #32
As soon as she got fired, the $60 million value went to $0. Rabrrrrrr May 2018 #34
I think money played a big role but the stink will cling to RB Solly Mack May 2018 #7
+1 leftstreet May 2018 #19
Very true jes06c May 2018 #8
Where's the lie. K&R. WhiskeyGrinder May 2018 #9
Odd that folks were fine with working on her show until this particularly tweet came out oberliner May 2018 #12
Why dont you call them and ask? ChubbyStar May 2018 #37
Good question. Tipperary May 2018 #47
It's really quite simple PJMcK May 2018 #11
Well, plausible deniability flew right out the window Zambero May 2018 #13
Truth. sharedvalues May 2018 #14
but that's always the case. there are 1000s of racists working for ABC certainot May 2018 #15
ABC had no choice AlexSFCA May 2018 #17
Who cares? Although lunatica May 2018 #18
I'm not sure she's always been a racist, but she damn sure has been in recent years. Hoyt May 2018 #20
Basically she stunk up the joint so bad that even all that money wasn't enough to shrug it off. calimary May 2018 #22
Flashback Major Nikon May 2018 #24
Jason Johnson said it best on "Last Word". oasis May 2018 #25
I'm just glad they did it.. mountain grammy May 2018 #26
True. But is that such a bad thing? eallen May 2018 #28
True but anyone who thinks corporations do something out of Raine May 2018 #30
My name is Roseanne Barr, I took two aspirin for a tooth ache... magicarpet May 2018 #33
As has been said at DU for many years, everyone is racist Blue_Adept May 2018 #35
I can't be too self-righteous. In my mutual funds... Honeycombe8 May 2018 #40
I know I have racists working for me GulfCoast66 May 2018 #43
Well said. zentrum May 2018 #44
Precisely Sherman A1 May 2018 #45
That's sounds right, but this is a lot of win for ABC. As a network they respond to those of us JCanete May 2018 #46
 

EffieBlack

(14,249 posts)
1. I don't care. I'm just glad they did.
Tue May 29, 2018, 09:36 PM
May 2018

And the fact that her racism exposed affects their bottom line is important. There was a time when that wouldn't matter. Sometimes that time is now.

AdamGG

(1,275 posts)
31. They realized quickly their ongoing association would no longer be profitable
Wed May 30, 2018, 12:22 AM
May 2018

It was a business decision. They just understood that it would be better to walk away with the positive perception that they had acted swiftly and decisively, rather than bleeding for weeks/months holding onto a product that will have much more limited returns and poison their image.

forgotmylogin

(7,496 posts)
36. Also, she has a history of being "difficult".
Wed May 30, 2018, 02:00 PM
May 2018

This was her chance to stage a comeback and she blew it. She didn't realize she was probably on a short leash to begin with.

I watched a Biography channel program on her that was on this weekend (made after the original show ended) and they portrayed her as "original" and someone who did things her way. That's all well and good and she deserved a chance, but it's like taking a "tamed" bear to a children's birthday party - it might be quite entertaining to everyone, but you can't forget its history and its instincts and you need to take it right out of there away from the public at the merest hint of bad behavior.

catbyte

(34,170 posts)
41. I read that there was scuttlebutt around the show that her diva act was getting toxic
Wed May 30, 2018, 04:43 PM
May 2018

like they were in her old show. They were thinking about writing her out and concentrating on Darlene. Convenient because Sara Gilbert was an Executive Producer. We'll never know now, though.

AdamGG

(1,275 posts)
42. But now their Trumpkin viewers would have the added cost of poisoning their brand with other people
Wed May 30, 2018, 05:14 PM
May 2018

if they didn't ask after she blatantly made the black woman Planet of the Apes reference. In the long term equation, it wasn't worth tainting the broad appeal of the ABC brand. And, if they were going to cut ties eventually, it made sense to do it swiftly, which would gain them some positive PR.

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
39. I think also it was because they have a black woman who is chief, now.....
Wed May 30, 2018, 04:40 PM
May 2018

That makes a difference.

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)
6. Remember when all the major networks profited by broadcasting Nazi rallies uninterrupted
Tue May 29, 2018, 09:48 PM
May 2018

purely for profit and at the expense of the 🌎?

Still, good to know there still is a line a racist can not cross and still be a profitable commodity in America.

Now on to the many other racists and their media enablers sitting on the red line...the red line needs to be moved, not the sitters.

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)
5. True enough
Tue May 29, 2018, 09:40 PM
May 2018

But let's watch what happens: Will someone else pick up the show? ABC projected earnings from the show next season at $60 million according to a report I saw on NBC. Surely that kind of money might be of interest to someone. Les Moonves of CBS comes to mind.

RockRaven

(14,783 posts)
10. That earnings figure would have to be massively revised if there is the prospect of advertisers
Tue May 29, 2018, 09:55 PM
May 2018

being targeted the way they have been for Rush, O'Reilly, Ingraham, etc.

One of the first bits of this Roseanne news I saw was a couple of tweets listing 2 dozen companies that had advertised on her show since it restarted. If ABC hadn't dropped the show, I can easily see an advertiser boycott campaign getting some legs. I think companies buying ads get spooked by the negative feedback even before they actually see their sales dip from a boycott, so loud outrage can counter even good ratings.

Or to paraphrase Michael Jordan, corporations know liberals buy soda/cars/beer/insurance/shampoo too.

Major Nikon

(36,814 posts)
16. Depends on who has the rights to the show
Tue May 29, 2018, 11:13 PM
May 2018

If ABC has those rights, they probably won’t sell them and giving them away to their competitors doesn’t make much sense either.

Rosanne is also going to be toxic to advertisers, so anything remotely approaching the previous numbers seems out of the question.

Silver Gaia

(4,514 posts)
21. Yeah, I think she is toxic now.
Tue May 29, 2018, 11:37 PM
May 2018

Unless FOX News (not FOX Entertainment!) wants to start running scripted sitcoms, I can't see ANY network wanting to touch this show.

Major Nikon

(36,814 posts)
23. She's also proven she can't keep her dumass thoughts to herself
Tue May 29, 2018, 11:41 PM
May 2018

So the prospect of continued fucking up seems likely.

AdamGG

(1,275 posts)
32. Maybe they can have her cohost "news" commentary segments with Mark Fuhrman
Wed May 30, 2018, 12:32 AM
May 2018

and some of their other stellar talent. In fact, now that I think of it, there was an LAPD dispatch recording of Fuhrman referring to one of his domestic disturbance calls as "something out of Gorillas in the Mist". If they can get a 3rd racist to reference King Kong, they could have a new weekend team for Fox & Friends.

Rabrrrrrr

(58,347 posts)
34. As soon as she got fired, the $60 million value went to $0.
Wed May 30, 2018, 01:08 PM
May 2018

Unless FOX News wants to take the show - some of FOX News' advertisers might still be willing to pay for it, and there is probably enough of a deplorable demographic to continue to support the show.

But mostly, no advertiser will dare associate with her any more. She's pretty much done.

The only real hope would be Netflix or Amazon Prime or HBO or similar medium that doesn't require advertising revenue.

Solly Mack

(90,740 posts)
7. I think money played a big role but the stink will cling to RB
Tue May 29, 2018, 09:50 PM
May 2018

and that's not a bad thing.

It should cling to her and follow her the rest of her days.

I'm fairly certain Disney added its two cents for her to go as well.

So, yeah, a whole lot of CYA PR going on but it's not like RB doesn't deserve what she's getting - because she does.

And the lasting impression will forever be - RB was fired for being a racist - and that's true and a win.

leftstreet

(36,078 posts)
19. +1
Tue May 29, 2018, 11:21 PM
May 2018
And the lasting impression will forever be - RB was fired for being a racist - and that's true and a win.


That's the bottom line - and yes that's a win

jes06c

(114 posts)
8. Very true
Tue May 29, 2018, 09:52 PM
May 2018

I see so many people cheering ABC for "doing the right thing," but really they were perfectly willing to overlook her bigotry until Barr forced their hand.

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
12. Odd that folks were fine with working on her show until this particularly tweet came out
Tue May 29, 2018, 10:39 PM
May 2018

Were they unaware of her other past tweets?

ChubbyStar

(3,191 posts)
37. Why dont you call them and ask?
Wed May 30, 2018, 02:07 PM
May 2018

You have posted a lot saying this exact thing, I am sure nobody at DU has the answer for this query. Please call ABC and ask them. Thanks!

PJMcK

(21,921 posts)
11. It's really quite simple
Tue May 29, 2018, 10:38 PM
May 2018

Corporations do not like controversies. They interfere with the business and usually result in a loss of income.

This is why most advertisements that you will see on TV or in magazines or hear on the radio appeal to a very broad swath of the American public. The purpose is to reach as many consumers as possible.

Marshall McLuhan pegged it: The medium is the message. For younger DUers, this is a seminal observation of the power of commercial media. Here's a link to the Wikipedia entry:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message

In brief, when you watch TV or listen to the radio, the broadcaster presents entertainment (sitcom, music, etc.) but you have to listen to the commercials! Obvious hint: the commercials pay for the fun.

Barr is a disgrace and a bigot. She deserved to be fired. I'm disappointed for the many people who worked on the show who lost their jobs because of this racist idiot.

sharedvalues

(6,916 posts)
14. Truth.
Tue May 29, 2018, 10:45 PM
May 2018

There is now a market for racism and racists in America.

Ever since LBJ kicked the racists out of the Democratic Party by passing the Civil Rights Act (“I have lost the South for the Democrats for a generation.”), the Republican Party has nurtured and encouraged and courted racists.

Today, Fox and Limbaugh tell racists to be proud and to hate minorities and immigrants. And they have created a decent sized market for such hate.

THAT is why ABC hired Roseanne - to market to the Fox/Limbaugh viewers. Luckily for the country, ABC was unable to thread the needle: to pursue the racists while keeping everyone else from being outraged. The outrage of good people outweighed the value of ratings from racists.


And this is why everyone at DU - black and white and every other race - should be united against Fox and Limbaugh and Republicans. Because they are the most corrosive force amplifying racism and helping racists in America today.

White privilege exists. But it’s not why Roseanne was on TV. Roseanne was on TV to pursue the racist hateful Republican viewer segment.

 

certainot

(9,090 posts)
15. but that's always the case. there are 1000s of racists working for ABC
Tue May 29, 2018, 11:13 PM
May 2018

there is a lot of racism to varying degrees

the problem is, like a lot of those racists, roseanne has been enabled to show hers - because of trump or because she listens to limbaugh, or whatever.

that's the function of shaming. reducing actual racism is a different issue but it sure helps to shame it as it deserves.

americans have allowed 1500 radio stations to be used for 30 years to make racism more acceptable and rationalize and excuse police killing unarmed black men, let limbaugh turn colin kaepernick kneeling into a patriotism issue, let those radio stations be racist to use the immigration issue to pass voter suppression legislation, and so on.

shaming roseanne should help but those talk radio gods need to be shamed too and boycotted into oblivion because of their constant racism or they'll just keep making it acceptable and elect more racist assholes.

rice and jarrette have been attacked heavily by limbaugh and sons since the orange asshole inauguration - limbaugh saying jarrette was living with the obama's, suggesting something sexual, in washington helping them coordinate the deep state coup and protests etc with soros money etc.

AlexSFCA

(6,137 posts)
17. ABC had no choice
Tue May 29, 2018, 11:20 PM
May 2018

I bet her collegues on the show are furious, wanda sykes stepped away immidiately. Barr is a toxic asset now, likely blacklisted everywhere. She will probably become the queen of alt right, the next ann coulter. I never knew she kept so much hatred inside her; her tweets are pure neo nazi. Karma will not be kind to her.

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
18. Who cares? Although
Tue May 29, 2018, 11:20 PM
May 2018

Rosanne’s show was highly rated. The argument that it was money in the bank is useless. The show was cancelled in spite of its success. A very intelligent black woman cancelled it because it was the right thing to do. Money had a distant second place.

Can you live with that?

 

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)
20. I'm not sure she's always been a racist, but she damn sure has been in recent years.
Tue May 29, 2018, 11:30 PM
May 2018

ABC got rid of her when it counted. Of course, They should have at least included big financial penalties in her contract for sullying the show and network.

I was surprised they took a chance with her. Same surprise when trump won.

calimary

(80,694 posts)
22. Basically she stunk up the joint so bad that even all that money wasn't enough to shrug it off.
Tue May 29, 2018, 11:39 PM
May 2018

To use a saying I've heard fairly often these days, that wasn't the hill they were willing to die on.

oasis

(49,151 posts)
25. Jason Johnson said it best on "Last Word".
Tue May 29, 2018, 11:44 PM
May 2018

"The only thing Roseanne had to do to keep her job, was NOT call a black person an ape. But she was too much of a racist to do that".

mountain grammy

(26,571 posts)
26. I'm just glad they did it..
Tue May 29, 2018, 11:48 PM
May 2018

actually canceled a highly rated show. Never thought I'd see it. This is really a big deal.

Kudos ABC and Disney for concurring.

eallen

(2,951 posts)
28. True. But is that such a bad thing?
Wed May 30, 2018, 12:01 AM
May 2018

Shouldn't employers make decisions based on observed behavior?

And isn't it a good thing generally that people with a host of character flaws can find and do productive work, by exercising a bit of discipline and shielding employers from the effect of those?

I'm not excusing Roseanne. As others have pointed out, all she had to do to keep her job was not make an obviously racist tweet. And she failed at that.

But I'm rather glad that employers generally look at people's behavior, and don't try to see into their hearts. The world is full of flawed people.

Raine

(30,540 posts)
30. True but anyone who thinks corporations do something out of
Wed May 30, 2018, 12:21 AM
May 2018

a sense of morality is very naive. At least profit and reputation will force them into the right decision, I'm glad at least that motivates them!

magicarpet

(13,941 posts)
33. My name is Roseanne Barr, I took two aspirin for a tooth ache...
Wed May 30, 2018, 08:07 AM
May 2018

... please forgive me if I act like a racist asshole for the next month or so. It is all because of the aspirin it makes me equate tan skin and black skin people as apes and monkeys.

I am not really a racist - it is the aspirin speaking for me that is the cause for my racist comments. Be careful and mindful what true evil lurks in your medicine cabinet.

Blue_Adept

(6,384 posts)
35. As has been said at DU for many years, everyone is racist
Wed May 30, 2018, 01:20 PM
May 2018

A lot don't recognize that they are

A lot understand it and struggle with it, keeping it under the surface

A lot embrace it and were raised in it.

so on and so forth.

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
40. I can't be too self-righteous. In my mutual funds...
Wed May 30, 2018, 04:43 PM
May 2018

In my mutual funds are a smorgasbord of stocks for many kinds of companies, some good, some not so good. You can't get away from the bad stuff. It's part of the country.

It's the same thing with media and other businesses. You have to do what you can to stifle the bad...it's BEHAVIOR that matters, after all. None of us in the business of being the mind police. People are free to believe what they want. It's only BEHAVIOR that matters.

So they went with her, hoping her behavior wouldn't be too bad. It was, to a degree I'm sure they didn't see coming. They cut the cord immediately and brushed their hands off.

I don't fault them. I do fault all the people who watched the show, including some liberals, despite knowing it was a Trump propaganda show.

GulfCoast66

(11,949 posts)
43. I know I have racists working for me
Wed May 30, 2018, 06:22 PM
May 2018

I know how they vote, I see the confederate flag and gun stickers on their trucks and I have worked with them for years.

Most are great workers. But they know that the minute they express racist opinions or thoughts at work, and it is overheard by me or anyone who objects, they are gone.

Ironically, even though they know I am a liberal they like working for me because I treat them with respect unlike most of their previous managers. Most of whom are republicans?!?

Last Christmas they chipped in and got me a $250 Bass Pro gift card. I hope I am changing the stereotype they have about liberals.

Wish I got paid like Iger!

 

JCanete

(5,272 posts)
46. That's sounds right, but this is a lot of win for ABC. As a network they respond to those of us
Thu May 31, 2018, 05:31 AM
May 2018

in progressive circles who wanted them to take action and who will see this as them standing up for what's right, and they also feed the illusion that the very conservative ABC is a left-wing censorer of right-wing ideas. Great propaganda for the right-wing media machine.
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