Planet of the Japes



Roseanne Barr came off worse after blaming sleeping pills for her ugly racist rant on Twitter.

Because the drug company (Sanofi) defended their product with the following statement 

“While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.”

Game set and match to Sanofi, if you ask me.

  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44294632

Roseanne blames racist tweet on sleeping pills


Media caption - President Trump once told supporters Roseanne 'was about us'

Roseanne Barr has blamed sleeping pills for her tweet likening an African-American former Obama aide to an ape.

The comedian said on Twitter her offensive post was a result of "ambien tweeting" - although she has since removed this comment. Ambien is a sedative used as a sleeping aid.

Barr's tweet said Valerie Jarrett was the child of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Planet of the Apes film.

ABC network has cancelled Roseanne's sitcom in response to the racist tweet.

The television network said: "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values and we have decided to cancel her show."

The reboot of her hit sitcom Roseanne has been a ratings winner.

Barr deleted Monday night's post and said she was leaving Twitter, but has since posted a flurry of tweets including one claiming other comedians "have said worse".

In another tweet, the TV star said what she did was "unforgiveable" and, while asking fans not to defend her actions, tried to explain away the post as having been caused by the effects of the sedative Ambien.


Roseanne Barr's racist tweet backlash
Barr's five most controversial moments

Image copyright - GETTY IMAGES Image caption - Valerie Jarrett, centre, was one of President Barack Obama's longest-serving aides

"I apologise to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans," Barr wrote following the outcry, defending her remarks as a "joke".

"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."

Barr's initial tweet came in response to another Twitter user, who accused Mrs Jarrett of helping to conceal purported spying during the Obama administration.

Mrs Jarrett was a senior adviser to US President Barack Obama, and worked with him during his early days in Chicago politics.

She was born in Iran to African-American parents.

The verdict on Roseanne's return
What else did Barr say?

Mrs Jarrett was not the only target of Barr's Twitter tirade in recent days.

On Monday, the 65-year-old entertainer incorrectly claimed Chelsea Clinton - daughter of former US President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton - was married to a relative of billionaire investor George Soros in a tweet.

Barr tweeted an apology to Chelsea Clinton on Tuesday.




Presentational white space

Barr also alleged Mr Soros, who is Jewish, was a Nazi collaborator - a claim his spokesman labelled "an affront".

On Sunday, the comedian criticised the Obama family for signing on with Netflix to produce TV programmes and movies.

The comedian wrote on Tuesday she was "leaving Twitter", but returned shortly after with a string of tweets addressing the cancellation of her sitcom.

"I will handle my sadness the way I want to," she said. "I'm tired of being attacked and belittled more than other comedians who have said worse."

Barr also said that not only had her new series been axed, but also that older reruns of the sitcom had been cancelled by other networks.

A spokesman for Viacom, which owns various networks including Paramount, earlier said it would stop airing old episodes. The streaming service Hulu also said it would be removing the sitcom from its library.

Barr also tweeted Ms Jarrett to apologise for her original comment, which she said was "insensitive & tasteless".

A predictable end - By James Cook, BBC Los Angeles Correspondent
Image copyright - AFP Image caption - The return of Roseanne was as short-lived as it was spectacular

Well, that was predictable.

The return of Roseanne was as short-lived as it was spectacular.

Its star, Roseanne Barr, is the Donald Trump of sitcom: blunt, provocative and, at times, deeply offensive.

For years her social media activity was laced with profanity, provocation and peculiar conspiracy theories.

ABC executives knew all that when they took the risk on the reboot and at first it seemed the gamble had paid off.

Ratings were superb, while critics praised the sitcom for tackling American political divisions in a manner sympathetic to the millions of people who voted for Mr Trump - a group which often complained that TV wasn't made for them any more - while still entertaining millions of his opponents.

Now for the backlash from angry supporters of the show, the Trump administration and - one imagines - from the president himself.
What's the reaction?

Speaking at a prescheduled MSNBC town hall event on racism, Mrs Jarrett said the Roseanne Barr controversy was "a teaching moment".

She added: "I'm fine, I'm worried about all the people out there who don't have a circle of friends and followers coming to their defence."

She said that Robert Iger, chief executive of Disney, ABC's parent company, had called her to apologise and said he had "zero tolerance" for Barr's tweet.

Following ABC's cancellation notice, Barr's talent agency ICM Partners dropped her as a client.

Entertainment media report an internal email to ICM employees called Barr's tweet "disgraceful and unacceptable".

Sara Gilbert, who plays daughter Darlene on the series, posted on Twitter that Barr's comments were "abhorrent".

How did her show perform?

Her hit sitcom's cancellation comes just two months after it was revived.

The premiere in March pulled in more than 25 million people, with delayed viewing counted in.

It was renewed for a second season before the 10 episodes even finished airing.

The series depicted the Conners, an American family led by Roseanne, living in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois.

The comedy series won conservative plaudits because Barr plays a supporter of US President Donald Trump, a group largely ignored by Hollywood.

Mr Trump, whom Barr also supports off-camera, had called to congratulate her on the success of the rebooted show.

The original Roseanne aired from 1988 to 1997 and was critically acclaimed for its portrayal of working-class Americans.

Over the course of its run, the sitcom picked up many awards, with its final episode drawing nearly 17 million viewers when it aired in May 1997.



Trump's America (30/05/18)



CNN reports on the the self-destructive behaviour of American comedian Roseanne Barr whose ugly racial behaviour has led to the cancellation of her big comeback TV show with the giant ABC network.

Roseanne is a big Trump supporter and her Twitter timeline is full off content from 'alt-right' activists including one which, for example, condemns the recent prison sentence handed out to Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson, the former English Defence League leader, for contempt of court.

Roseanne's first tweet (which she quickly deleted) said:

"Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj."

But she went on to throw full on the fire by describing Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of Bill and Hillary Clinton as:

"Chelsea Soros Clinton"

Before finally putting the racial icing on the cake by adding:

"By the way, George Soros is a nazi who turned in his fellow Jews 2 be murdered in German concentration camps & stole their wealth-were you aware of that? But, we all make mistakes, right Chelsea?"

The Soros is a 'Nazi' slur has been debunked many times, but remains a favourite of America's far right, just as the so-called birther campaign (enthusiastically supported by Donald Trump) insists that President Barack Obama is not an American citizen.

If you ask me, this is what happens when leading public figures fail to set an example and turn a blind eye to the ugly behaviour of their supporters - just as Jeremy Corbyn did over the Labour Party's anti-semitism row in the UK, for example

But read the CNN report via the following link to the news channel which is a real eye opener, believe me.

Because ABC really had no option but to declare Roseanne Barr 'persona non grata' after  her ill-judged rant set her (and by association ABC) against Muslims, African Americans, Women, Democrats and Jews - along with fans of the Planet of the Apes franchise.

  

https://edition.cnn.com/entertainment/live-news/roseanne-abc-canceled

ABC cancels 'Roseanne' after racist tweets


By Veronica RochaMeg Wagner and Brian Ries - CNN

ABC canceled "Roseanne" after a racist Twitter rant by its star.

In a statement, the network said, "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show."

ABC canceled "Roseanne" today.  Here's how it happened.

ABC canceled its hit sitcom "Roseanne" on Tuesday after the show's biggest star, Roseanne Barr, went on a racist Twitter rant.

"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," ABC said.

In one of the tweets, Barr wrote, "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj." Barr was responding to a comment about Valerie Jarrett, a top former aide to President Obama.

Barr had earlier apologized and said she was "now leaving Twitter."

The cancellation comes just months after the show premiered to huge ratings.


Ape in Heels (14/12/18)


Donald Trump is seldom away from Twitter as everyone knows (to coin a favourite phrase), but I've yet to hear him call out one of his own supporters who described Michelle Obama, as an 'ape in heels'.

Now there is no doubt that these words from a public official amount to ugly, unacceptable and racist language - from one of his own "Make America Great Again' supporters.

So you would think that the President-elect would have no hesitation in condemning such vile behaviour in the strongest possible terms.

But while Donald rails against Saturday Night Live (a satirical programme) for poking fun at his (often bizarre) behaviour, he's as quite as a church mouse when it comes to denouncing this racial abuse of America's First Lady.   

  

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/west-virginia-michelle-obama-ape-in-heels-pamela-taylor-return-to-work-a7470261.html

West Virginia official who called Michelle Obama ‘ape in heels’ returns to work

Pamela Ramsey Taylor says 'it will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified First Lady in the White House'


By Shehab Khan - The Independent
Michelle Obama - AP

The director of a non-profit organisation in West Virginia will return to work after being suspended for referring to Michelle Obama as an “ape”.

Pamela Ramsey Taylor, a director at Clay County Development Corporation, West Virginia, posted the comment on Facebook and was suspended from her role at the Development Corporation.

She is now set to return to her job later this month, according to a letter seen by Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Ms Taylor initially took to Facebook in support of Donald Trump’s victory in the US election. 


Trump Supporters (16/11/16)



The Washington Post reports on the ugly behaviour of two public officials in West Virginian who mocked Michelle Obama, America's First Lady, as "a Ape in heels." 

Pamela Ramsey Taylor, a director of Clay County development corporation posted the following comment on Facebook after Donald Trump's election as president, ushering in Michelle Obama's replacement as First Lady by Melania Trump:

"It will be so refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified First Lady back in the White House", before adding:

"I'm tired of seeing a Ape in heels."

The local mayor Beverly Whaling is then reported as replying with the words:

"Just made my day Pam." 

"What the fuck's wrong with these people?" is the question any reasonable person is bound to ask and, of course, Team Trump bears some responsibility given the hateful tone of the recent election campaign.  

Read the full story in via the link below to The Washington Post, but as usual having been caught red-handed the two individuals involved deny their behaviour was racist.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/11/14/ape-in-heels-w-va-officials-under-fire-after-comments-about-michelle-obama/?wpisrc=nl_most-draw8&wp

Image result for ape in heels + images

  


Dragged Through a Hedge (15/11/16)


In a sign of things to come, perhaps, Donald Trump announced the other day that his chief strategist as the new President of the United States (POTUS) will be a chap called Stephen Bannon - who looks a bit like Robert Redford, albeit after a very hard night out before being dragged through a hedge backwards. 

Apparently Stephen Bannon is more in tune with the Mr Hyde side of Donald Trump's character and, as head of the controversial right-wing Breitbart news website, Mr Bannon was responsible for headlines which featured:  

A story about President Obama and 'birtherism' - headed-up with a picture Harambe the gorilla which is often used as a racial slur against African Americans (http://www.politicususa.com/2016/09/16/trump-related-brietbart-news-gorilla-homepage-illustrate-trump-birther-story.html)

"Gabby Giffords: The Gun Control Movement's Human Shield" - an ugly take on the attempted murder of a Democratic Senator from Arizona

"There's No Hiring Bias Against Women in Tech, They Just Suck at Interviews" - unsolicited career advice from an ignorant misogynist

"Birth Control Makes Women Crazy and Unattractive" - says some lonely loser who's no 'oil painting' himself 

"The Solution to Online Harassment Is Simple: Women Should Just Log Off" - sad internet trolls wanting to have their cake and eat it

"Bill Kristol: Republican Spoiler, Renegade Jew." - an everyday tale of anti-Semitism in America 

So we'll see what happens in the days ahead, but given his track record at Breitbart the chances are that Stephen Bannon will continue to use the same ugly tactics that propelled Donald Trump to victory during the presidential election campaign.

  


Stand Up, Speak Out (15/10/16)



Michelle Obama is not a politician, but America's First Lady spoke with great passion in this speech in which she addressed Donald Trump's ugly locker-room 'banter' and allegations that he is a serial sexual predator.

“I can’t believe that a candidate for president of the United States has bragged about sexually assaulting women. I can’t stop thinking about this. It has shaken me to my core more than I ever could have predicted.” 

Michelle Obama went on to disparage Trump without once saying his name and to urge those in the audience to do everything they can to elect Hillary Clinton. Read some of her best quotes below:

On Donald Trump’s behaviour:


“This is not how adults behave, this is not how decent human beings behave, and it’s certainly not how someone who wants to be president of the United States behaves,” she continued. “This wasn’t just locker-room talk. This was a powerful individual speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behavior, and actually joking about kissing and groping women.”

On her own reaction to the accusations:


“Last week we saw this candidate actually bragging about sexually assaulting women. I can’t believe I’m saying that a candidate for president of the United States has bragged about sexually assaulting women. I have to tell you that I — I can’t stop thinking about this. It has shaken me to my core in a way that I couldn’t have predicted.”

On the phrase “locker-room talk”:

“Strong men, those who are role models, know that they don’t have to tear women down to lift themselves up. To dismiss this as locker-room talk is an insult to decent men everywhere.”

On Trump’s fitness for office:


“If we have a president who routinely degrades women — who brags about sexually assaulting women — then how can we maintain our moral authority in the world? How can we continue to be a beacon of justice and human dignity?”

On women’s power to influence the election:


“We simply cannot endure this or expose our children to this any longer,” she said. “Now is the time for all of us to stand up and say enough is enough. This has got to stop right now.”
“Imagine waking up on November 9, and imagine how you’ll feel if you stayed home or if you didn’t do everything possible to elect Hillary. We cannot let that happen. We need to recover from our shock and depression and do what women have always done in this country. We need to roll up our sleeves — we need to get to work.”


Well said, if you ask me.

 

Popular posts from this blog

SNP - Conspiracy of Silence

LGB Rights - Hijacked By Intolerant Zealots!