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The Right's Empty Rage Against Jussie Smollett and Loud Silence on Coast Guard Terrorist...
The Right’s Empty Rage Against Jussie Smollett and Loud Silence on Coast Guard Terrorist Christopher Paul Hasson
In the Trump era culture wars, everything is viewed within the prism of a win or loss for the left or right, writes Adam Howard.
Adam Howard
02.21.19 8:40 PM ET
If indeed Empire star Jussie Smollett has financed and staged a fake hate crime against himself, we should all be angry with him. And no one deserves to be angrier about what he’s allegedly done more than progressive people of color, people in the LGBTQ community, Muslims, really any group of people who feel increasingly unsafe in the era of Trump.
After all, he has single-handedly given the far right a cudgel to beat down our righteousness, and the reality that the kind of violence Smollett is said to have simulated is something many of us live with every day.
Right-wing pundits have been all too happy to promote this story, to shame celebrities like Cardi B and politicians like Sen. Kamala Harris for having the audacity in this post-#MeToo world to believe a purported victim’s story. Even the president of the United States—himself a Hall of Famer when it comes to trafficking in victimhood—has weighed in, tweeting on Thursday: “@JussieSmollett - what about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!? #MAGA.”
To be sure, Smollett and the reaction to his transgressions will mark yet another sad chapter in the daily reality show of American life, since everything—including the success or failure of the next Marvel franchise movie—is now viewed within the prism of a win or loss for the left or the right. Smollett’s truly bizarre act of career self-sabotage (even Kanye couldn’t have pulled off a stunt like this) will be scored as a victory for their side.
more
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-rights-empty-rage-against-jussie-smollett-and-loud-silence-on-coast-guard-terrorist-christopher-paul-hasson?ref=home
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Jussie Smollett Apologizes to ‘Empire’ Cast, Insists He’s Innocent
Hours after his arrest, Jussie Smollett was back to work Thursday night on the Empire set, where he apologized to the cast and crew for the embarrassment caused by the head-spinning allegations against him. However, he insisted that he was innocent and blamed the legal system and the media for his legal troubles. Smollett was taken into custody Thursday morning on suspicion of filing a false police report. Chicago Police later claimed that an alleged attack against him was actually a “publicity stunt” devised by the actor because he wanted a better salary, and he attempted to take “advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career.” CNN reports his fellow cast members were expecting the actor to come clean about what really happened when the meeting was called—but were left shocked when Smollett stuck largely to the statement put out by his lawyers. Smollett is reportedly “on hold” for Friday’s shoot, according to a production schedule seen by the network.
READ IT AT CNN
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https://www.thedailybeast.com/jussie-smollett-apologizes-to-empire-castbut-insists-hes-innocent?ref=home
2 replies
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