Samantha Bee apologizes for 'inappropriate' Ivanka Trump comment but will not be fired by TBS, despite backlash
Just days after Roseanne Barr’s show was canceled because of a racist tweet she posted, comedian Samantha Bee was in jeopardy of losing her show due to an off-color comment she made — or at least that’s what some people on the internet petitioned. The outrage, however, didn’t work.
Full Frontal host Samantha Bee took some heat for her harsh commentary Wednesday night about first daughter Ivanka Trump. During a segment regarding the United States’ current practice of separating immigrant children from their parents this week, Bee referenced Trump and called her the nastiest of words.
“You know, Ivanka,” the host said, looking into the camera, “that’s a beautiful photo of you and your child, but let me just say, one mother to another, do something about your dad’s immigration practices you feckless c***!”
Bee has since apologized for her remark, tweeting: “I would like to sincerely apologize to Ivanka Trump and to my viewers for using an expletive on my show to describe her last night. It was inappropriate and inexcusable. I crossed a line, and I deeply regret it.”
TBS also released a statement, telling Yahoo Entertainment, “Samantha Bee has taken the right action in apologizing for the vile and inappropriate language she used about Ivanka Trump last night. Those words should not have been aired. It was our mistake too, and we regret it.”
While many likened Bee’s C word comment to Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet about former Obama aid Valerie Jarrett, the end result was not the same. Bee kept her show and her job, despite a slew of conservative critics demanding that Bee suffer the same fate as Barr.
The White House even demanded that TBS take harsh action against their host. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “the language used by Samantha Bee last night is vile and vicious. The collective silence by the left and its media allies is appalling. Her disgusting comments and show are not fit for broadcast, and executives at Time Warner and TBS must demonstrate that such explicit profanity about female members of this administration will not be condoned on its network.”
Several notable conservative leaders also chimed in, including Megyn Kelly of NBC’s Today show and former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain.
This is disgusting. How is this acceptable? And how are we expected to take any of these publications seriously if they gleefully repost something like this at the same time they (rightfully) condemn @therealroseanne? You know the saying Love is Love? Well Hate is Hate. https://t.co/YTjmZQ4zMV
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) May 31, 2018
Hey @TBSNetwork, shall I assume the Samantha Bee cancellation news will come later today? No? You don't care that this poor man's Jon Stewart is completely horrible? Ok, then… https://t.co/XPYlq0nzFw
— Herman Cain (@THEHermanCain) May 31, 2018
I agree. Disgusting low-life Samantha Bee should be fired immediately. https://t.co/7FhjjqllzA
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) May 31, 2018
Samantha Bee called Ivanka Trump a “feckless c*nt” and some are defending this? You’re the problem with Hollywood. What happened to civility? She needs to be fired.
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) May 31, 2018
Can you imagine if @iamsambee had made the same joke about Chelsea Clinton or the Obama daughters? ZERO chance @TBSNetwork would allow her disgusting show to continue.
— Brent Bozell (@BrentBozell) May 31, 2018
I have no problem calling for the firing of Samantha Bee. Her show is atrocious and her rhetoric is vile and revolting. TBS should get rid of her and we should demand they do so. I supported ABC firing Roseanne and I will call for TBS to be held to same standard.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) May 31, 2018
While many people prefer to see Bee canned for insulting Trump, others have been quick to point out that while shockingly vulgar, the TV host’s comment was not racist.
Hello conservatives,
Roseanne was racist
Samantha Bee was vulgar *while angrily standing up against the inhumane treatment of children by the Trump administration*
— Alice Rose (@JustAliceRose) May 31, 2018
Sorry, poorly educated…NOTHING will happen to Samantha Bee because she DID NOT disparage Ivanka's race or heritage. She used a dirty label to accurately described an unelected charlatan that's undermining our democracy…VERY DIFFERENT from being racist to black people
— James Walker II (@JWalkerII) May 31, 2018
The difference between Roseanne and Samantha Bee; Roseanne tried to utilize stereotype to attack someone who wasn't doing anything. Samantha Bee uses her platform to request the US stops separating families. You swing up when you can. I pity you if you think it's comparable.
— Burn the Comedian(sic) (@burnthecomedian) May 31, 2018
Right-wing America comparing harsh dissent over real issues from Samantha Bee to blatant antisemitism and racism from Roseanne shows that conservatives still don’t take bigotry seriously enough. Bee could’ve used a less offensive word, but this is an obvious false equivalency.
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) May 31, 2018
Samantha Bee calling Ivanka a cunt is not insulting to all women, just Ivanka. Roseanne insulted an entire race… If every male who called Trump a "dick" got fired, unemployment would be at 60%. #ThursdayThoughts
— Quiet Mike (@quietweishar) May 31, 2018
Watch: Twitter isn’t buying Roseanne Barr’s Ambien excuse for racist tweet:
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