My Two Cents: #ByeRacistFelicia

By now you’ve all heard about Roseanne’s stupidity; her bad taste, her outright lies, and her blatant racism, and how it lead to her show being cancelled and her talent agency basically saying #ByeFelicia.

Well, Roseanne isn’t done … being an ass of epic proportions.

After the cancellation and the firing, Roseanne said not a word; no apology, nothing. It wasn’t until the _____ Tweet Witching Hours—like _____, she Tweets her lunacy in the middle of the night—that Roseanne offered an apology for saying a black woman looked like an ape:

"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."

Um, Roseanne? There isn’t an apology big enough to make that better and you know it. And you also know it wasn’t a joke because jokes are supposed to be funny

After Roseanne Tweeted that apology—to Valerie Jarrett, but not to the Clintons or George Soros—she announced she was leaving Twitter … except that was a lie and she was back on Twitter a few hours later blaming Ambien for her Tweets:

“Guys I did something unforgiveable so do not defend me. 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 [sic]. I made a mistake I wish I hadn’t but…don’t defend it please.”

Ambien; um, again, honey, if you knew, as you said in your Tweet, that Ambien makes you do things you wouldn’t normally do, but continued to take it anyway, then you only have yourself to blame.

Oh, and I don’t believe you anyway.

But Roseanne still wasn’t done; when her costar, and TV daughter, Sara Gilbert, who spearheaded the drive for the reboot, Tweeted:

"I am disappointed in her actions to say the least. This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we’ve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love -- one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member."

Roseanne blasted Gilbert this morning because, as racists do, they think their co-workers should stick up for them.

And yet it wasn’t just her co-workers. Wanda Sykes,  a consulting producer on the show, tweeted that she was quitting her job. And then ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey released this statement:

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

That was followed by Bob Iger, the chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, who said:

"There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing. Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show."

Michael Fishman, who played Barr's son in the reboot and the original series, offered this statement:

"I feel devastated, not for the end of the Roseanne show, but for all those who poured their hearts and souls into our jobs, and the audience that welcomed us into their homes. Our cast, crew, writers, and production staff strived for inclusiveness, with numerous storylines designed to reflect inclusiveness. The words of one person do not exemplify the thinking of all involved."

And so naturally, Roseanne attacked him on Twitter saying the inclusive nature of his character—in an interracial marriage with a biracial daughter—was her idea because, you know, that makes racism and stupidity okay.

Actress Emma Kenney, the one who played Roseanne’s granddaughter, and the one who the Roseanne character physically assaulted during the show in what Roseanne thought of as comedy, Tweeted:

“I am hurt, embarrassed, and disappointed. The racist and distasteful comments from Roseanne are inexcusable. As I called my manager to quit working on Roseanne, I was told it was cancelled. I feel so empowered by @iamwandasykes , Channing Dungey and anyone at ABC standing up for morals and abuse of power. Bullies will NEVER win.”

Sadly, John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf have yet to say one word, but I’ll say something …

Be racist, Roseanne, or anyone else, if it’s how you feel. Enjoy it, and wallow in it, and live your life thinking anyone who doesn’t look like you, sound like you, love like you, worship like you, vote like you, should be attacked and mocked and ridiculed. Speak it to your circle of friends; join a group; light a torch; march.

But … when you step outside your group and Tweet your ignorance you are no longer speaking to “your” people, you are speaking to the world, and the world, your employers, your co-workers, even some of your friends, will clap back.

You have the right to say what you want but understand that there are consequences.

The only one, right now, who isn’t paying for their racist remarks, their outright lies, their ignorance, intolerance, bullying, is the so-called “President.” And I firmly believe that this spike is racist rants, on Twitter, on video, in the streets and parks and dorms across this country, are a direct result of having that buffoon in the White House.

But, We The People have a voice; We The People, by way of a TV network that cancelled her show, and a talent agency that severed ties with her, have spoken rather loudly that this behavior is unacceptable.

We don’t want to hear it; we don’t want to see it … those of you who use the police as your “racism valets’ because you’re uncomfortable that people of color are near you need to stop now. If you’re uncomfortable that two black men aren’t drinking coffee in Starbucks, then you’re the problem; if you need the police to wake up a black woman sleeping in your dorm’s common room, then you’re the issue; if you call the police because black people are barbequing, or Latinos are speaking Spanish, you are what’s wrong here.

We need to step up the fight and take it to the voting booth and make it perfectly clear that those in office, no matter how high the office, are responsible for this behavior, and those who condone it, by agreeing, or worse, saying nothing, are done. The time has come to stop this nonsense, once and for all. When someone says something racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-transgender, ageist, call them out on it.

Silence = Agreement

Silence = Acceptance

And it’s time to stop accepting it.