Why TNT Has ‘No Comment’ on Barkin’s Hate
We’ve seen this situation play out before.
A celebrity says something dumb, hateful, racist or accurate but politically incorrect. Apologies follow. So does some sizable backpedaling.
And, sometimes, the celebrity is punished for his or her words. Think Kevin Hart, who lost his Oscars hosting gig after his older, homophobic joke Tweets surfaced. Or Roseanne Barr, who sent a racially charged Tweet and found herself unemployed.
Matt Damon wisely said Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual crimes are far different, and worse, than what Sen. Al Franken stood accused of. Damon took a virtual beating for those sane thoughts and vowed not to address the subject again.
Scarlett Johansson committed the “sin” of accepting the role of a trans character. The “Avengers” star defended herself but quickly reversed course. The cultural powers that be shamed her into both apologizing and declining the part.
Norm Macdonald shared some politically incorrect views about the #MeToo movement. He lost a “Tonight Show” slot and faced the combined fire power of the MSM.
It doesn’t always work that way.
- Samantha Bee called First Daughter a “feckless c***” but suffered no career consequences.
- Alec Baldwin’s list of hateful actions and words is too long to list. He’s never suffered for them.
- LeBron James shared an anti-Semitic song lyric on social media. Nothing untoward happened to him or his illustrious career.
- MSNBC’s Joy Reid stands accused of sending homophobic Tweets. She retained her job.
Confusing, right?
Ellen Barkin is the latest celebrity to say the wrong thing. The “Animal Kingdom” star is no stranger to stirring up hate. Last year she suggested President Donald Trump should be removed, and not via the democratic voting process.
More recently, she targeted disgraced comedian Louis C.K. The former star of FX’s “Louie” gave a stand-up performance recently where he mocked new gender pronouns, the political wisdom of the Parkland High School student activists and similarly raw topics.
For that, and his past confession that he exposed himself to several women in a sexual fashion, Barkin unleashed on him via Twitter.
She called for him to be raped and shot at. The actress, 64, appeared to be proud of her statements. Later, she took down the Tweets in question.
HollywoodInToto.com reached out to TNT for comment. The channel’s publicity contact said, “no comment.”
Why? Shouldn’t TNT share outrage over the statement? What about demanding its star apologize?
No. And the network’s strategy is smart.
Here’s why:
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Conservative news outlets pounced on the Barkin story, and rightly so given the tenor of the times. Most entertainment outlets ignored it.
Deadline.com. TheWrap.com. The Hollywood Reporter. Variety. Combined coverage? Nothing.
Without that pressure, or mainstream news outlets sharing the news far and wide, the story faded fast. Nothing to see here. Move along.
Barkin is a feminist and full-throated critic of President Donald Trump. Both qualities grant her limited immunity from the PC Police. Hart, who clings to an apolitical posture, didn’t have that defense. Barr, an ideological vagabond who recently backed President Trump, proved a sitting duck.
Macdonald appears to lean slightly right. At the very least he avoids partisan sniping and “Resistance” membership. He, like Hart, proved vulnerable, an easy target.
Barkin remains defiant on social media, repeating her “eye for an eye” mantra.
I would not blink of twitter shut me down. I’m very closely monitored all the time. Oh yes, I feel the same about unrepentant pedophiles.
— Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) January 2, 2019
The media has Barkin’s back … by letting her crazed statements slide sans commentary. She’d have to do far, far worse than wish rape on someone, let alone a comic who dared to mock liberal sacred cows, before Outrage Nation turned on her.