I wonder what Roseanne’s signature laugh sounds like right about now…
Earlier today, ABC announced the cancellation of the revival of the popular sitcom Roseanne, after the titular character, Roseanne Barr, posted a racism-fueled tweet against former Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett. In the tweet, Barr suggested that Jarrett was a product of the Muslim Brotherhood and The Planet Of The Apes. The comedian (appropriately) faced immediate backlash which caused her to delete the tweet and release a statement calling the tweet a “bad joke.” Well, Channing Dungey, the president of ABC Entertainment, wasn’t laughing and promptly decided to cancel Roseanne. Dungey released a statement which read:
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”
Many are praising the network’s decision to act so quickly especially considering the show’s success, with over 25 million people tuning in for the season premiere. Co-star and executive producer Sara Gilbert (Darlene), tweeted:
Before the cancelation occurred, Wanda Sykes, one of the consulting producers on the show, revealed that she quit the show after Barr’s tweet was posted:
A number of other celebs have also tweeted praises of the firm action taken:
The network was not the only one to act swiftly, the Twitterverse has already come up with some clever ways to reformat the show without having Barr play the lead:
It is still yet to be determined if ABC has any ideas involving the rest of the Connors, but for now the show is over. While they may be losing some fans of one show, they are sure to be gaining many more for doing what’s right.