Twitter Drags Roseanne for Absurd Ambien Excuse
Some of the actual side effects of Ambien are daytime drowsiness, memory loss, anxiety, and muscle weakness. What is most definitely not a side effect - as the sleep aid's pharmaceutical manufacturer wants to make very clear - is racism.
The reason a major pharmaceutical company had to make this distinction in the year of our lord 2018 is because of Roseanne Barr - who lost both her ABC sitcom and her agency after posting a racist tweet about former Barack Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett - blamed the since-deleted message on "ambien tweeting."
It is... a whole dang mess. Luckily, history has shown that one of the side effects of saying some truly dumb, dangerous nonsense on the Internet is getting dragged, immediately and without mercy, by social media.
The dragging commenced with, of all things, Dictionary.com, proving that the only thing more brutal than being called out by a pharmaceutical company is getting owned by the damn dictionary.
The name Ambien is thought to come from the word "ambient" or similar words in French. Ambient does not mean "prone to making racist comments," but it does mean "of the surrounding area or environment." https://t.co/UpYY5eKzIo https://t.co/XsPn8FthV5
- Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) May 30, 2018
Notable names started chiming in - both mocking Barr's excuse and coming to the defense of Ambien - including Pitch Perfect star Anna Kendrick and ABC's super-showrunner Shonda Rhimes.
When you are awake at 4:30 in the morning for no GD reason and you check Twitter to find that (on the day you need her most) your good pal Ambien is being dragged through the mud pic.twitter.com/Uw7OB4ZYy1
- Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) May 30, 2018
Omg. I used to take Ambien! How many times was I racist in my sleep?! GIRL BYE. #ownyouractions
- shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) May 30, 2018
(Chanting)
WE! JUST! TOOK! AMBIEN! pic.twitter.com/esu3IMj8gu- Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) May 30, 2018
I just took two ambien. Will report back in a few...Obama’s Kenyan
- h. jon benjamin (@HJBenjamin) May 30, 2018
*AMBIEN COMMERCIAL VOICE*
Side effects may include: nausea
vomiting, racist thumbs, loss of appetite, loss of TV show. You should not operate wifi connected machinery while using Ambien. Call a PR specialist if your racism lasts longer than 4 hours.- Jesse McLaren (@McJesse) May 30, 2018
Comedian Ron Funches just hoped beloved national treasure Betty White stays far away from any medication that might make you racist overnight, and we support him in that.
Morning Golden Girls Marathon has me cracking up. I hope Betty White never takes Ambien so I have to stop watching this show too.
- Ronald Funches (@RonFunches) May 30, 2018
Guardians of the Galaxy writer/director James Gunn rightfully pointed out that Ambien does, in fact, come with side effects. "I once spent 2 hours on Periscope while in Bogota, Colombia at 3 a.m. answering fans’ questions about the most intimate details of my sex life," he wrote. "I have since quit Ambien."
But Ambien can cause people to say the truth about themselves, as I once spent 2 hours on Periscope while in Bogota, Colombia at 3 a.m. answering fans’ questions about the most intimate details of my sex life. Some of you still love to bring this up. I have since quit Ambien. https://t.co/OfwFc1GU7J
- James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 30, 2018
For her part, Barr - who claimed she was quitting Twitter before returning to tweet about Ambien late Tuesday night - doubled back on her comments. "i blamed myself. not ambien, stop lying," she wrote.
i blamed myself. not ambien, stop lying
- Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018
no, i didnt i blamed myself. stop lying. Yes, I have had odd ambien experiences on tweeting late at night-like many other ppl do. I BLAME MYSELF OK? it's just an explanation not an excuse, Ok, bully?
- Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018
A full list of possible side effects from taking Ambien, both serious and non-life-threatening, can be found here. No, it won't make you constipated, but using prescription medication should never be taken lightly.
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