Media Tries to Cancel Roseanne Barr — Again — Over Sarcastic Holocaust Quip
Roseanne Barr’s Hollywood career ended in 2018.
The year saw the sitcom star revive her signature show, “Roseanne,” to an eager TV audience. That ratings juggernaut came crashing down when Barr sent out a racially-charged Tweet comparing former Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett, who is black, to a “Planet of the Apes” character.
Barr swiftly apologized, saying she didn’t realize the light-skinned Jarrett was black. ABC fired her anyway, killing off her iconic character and dubbing the Roseanne-less show “The Conners.”
She hasn’t worked in a mainstream project since, although FOX Nation hired her for a stand-up special, “Roseanne Barr: Cancel This!” and she just began “The Roseanne Barr Podcast.”
Now, the media is trying to cancel Roseanne Barr all over again.
Barr recently appeared on comedian Theo Von’s podcast, “This Past Weekend,” and the two discussed a wide range of subjects. At one point, Barr brought up Big Tech censorship and how certain arguments, like that the 2020 election was allegedly rigged, aren’t allowed to be shared online.
“The election was not rigged. Thirty six counties can give you 81 million votes. That’s a fact …That's the truth … And don’t you dare say anything against it. You’ll be off YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and all the other ones because we have, you know, there’s such a thing as the truth and facts and we have to stick to it.”
Her sarcastic tone came through loud and clear before she added another “fact” to her list.
“And that is the truth and nobody died in the Holocaust, either.”
Media outlets howled over the obvious sarcasm, dismissing the fact that Barr is Jewish or that the quotes were spoken in a comedic vein.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt all but admitted that Barr was being sarcastic before arguing it didn’t matter.
The comic’s son, Jake Pentland, defended his mother to TMZ.
"We are embarrassed that people are stupid enough not to recognize Roseanne is being sarcastic."
Von also rallied to Barr’s side, sharing the fuller clip in question so people could grasp the context and calling her both a “mensch” and “one of the funniest people” he ever met.
Barr was no stranger to controversy prior to her 2018 ABC dismissal.
She flexed her power behind the scenes during the initial run of her ABC sitcom, shattering glass ceilings for female artists along the way.
She publicly feuded with former beau Tom Arnold during their tumultuous marriage. A shocking photo spread found her posing as Hitler and putting gingerbread men in an oven, part of a satirical Jewish publication known for pushing the editorial envelope.
She also briefly ran for president as a Green Party candidate, captured in the 2015 documentary “Roseanne for President."
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 14: Roseanne Barr, host of FOX Nation’s "Cancel This!," Visits FOX News Channel’s "Gutfeld!" on February 14, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)
Her biggest “mistake” in the eyes of the media, though, was embracing MAGA nation. Her “Roseanne” reboot gave voice to newly elected President Donald Trump and his fans. The sitcom became a place where Trump devotees and haters alike could meet, bicker and come together as family.
That, more than any other element of Barr’s colorful life, put a big, red target on her back. Her gross Tweet gave her detractors an excuse to exile her for good.
It’s hard to say how more she could be re-canceled at this point. She’s 70 and appears resigned to working outside the Hollywood ecosystem. She's taken a defiant tone since the firing, and chances are the current imbroglio will be replaced by something else she says on her eponymous podcast.