Carly Mallenbaum
USA TODAY
Published 3:39 p.m. UTC May 30, 2018
Roseanne Barr tweeted something Tuesday that ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey called “abhorrent, repugnant” and grounds for canceling Roseanne. Barr’s agency, ICM Partners, dropped her as a client and described Barr’s tweet as “unacceptable” and “disgraceful.”
But many supporters of the controversial TV personality would use this adjective to describe Barr’s tweet: Forgivable.
The comedian wrote in a since-deleted social media post that “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” The “vj” stood for Valerie Jarrett, an Obama White House aide who has since responded to the tweet, calling it “a teaching moment.”
Barr later apologized on Twitter for making “a bad joke,” saying “I should have known better.” She’s also received support from fans who says it’s unfair that Roseanne was canceled because of it.
Here are some points that Roseanne supporters have made on Twitter, saying the embattled actress’ tweets are similar to comments made by other TV personalities who didn’t suffer the same consequences:
Bill Maher has compared Donald Trump to an ape
Barr supporters are referencing a remark Maher made on The Tonight Show in 2013, comparing President Trump’s hair to an orangutan’s: “The only two things in nature of the same color.” Fans complained of a double standard, though Barr was talking about an African-American woman and invoking a racist meme historically applied to black people, while Maher was poking fun at a white man with an unusual hair color.
Maher joked that he wanted proof that Trump wasn’t related to the orange-haired ape, and Trump sued, seeking $5 million from Maher. (Trump later withdrew the suit.) The brouhaha didn’t get Maher’s HBO show canceled, but there’s history there.
Maher wound up on HBO after he made a controversial statement on ABC’s Politically Incorrect in 2001, referring to the U.S. as “cowardly” after the 9/11 attacks because it lobbed cruise missiles from afar. Advertisers began pulling out, resulting in the show’s cancellation several months later.
Last year, Maher came under fire (and subsequently apologized) for making a racial slur on Real Time.
Jimmy Kimmel made an insensitive joke about the first lady
People tweeting in Barr’s defense say that Kimmel, also an ABC personality, should be held to the same standards, citing his recent comments about Melania Trump.
In April, Kimmel mocked the first lady’s Slovenian accent after she appeared at the White House Easter Egg Roll. “Not a chance she did one thing to help set that up,” he said. “The only thing she’s been working on is an escape tunnel.” The comments ignited a feud between Kimmel and Sean Hannity but haven’t appeared to negatively impact Kimmel’s show.
Joy Behar mocked Christians on The View
As Barr supporters will tell you, Behar recently was under fire for a remark she made on The View in February. While commenting on Vice President Pence’s religious views, she said, “It’s one thing to talk to Jesus. It’s another thing when Jesus talks to you. That’s called mental illness.” After offending many religious people with her statement, she apologized to Pence, and a month later apologized on her talk show.
“I was raised to respect everyone’s religious faith, and I fell short of that. I sincerely apologize for what I said.” she told her audience. The comment did not cost her a job.
More: Valerie Jarrett, Hollywood react to ABC’s decision to cancel ‘Roseanne’
Related: Inside Roseanne Barr’s history of offensive tweets
Also: Roseanne will never change, and that’s why her No. 1 show is now canceled
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