#ByeRoseanne
Did 'Roseanne' deserve to be canceled? | The Tylt
Did 'Roseanne' deserve to be canceled?
The "Roseanne" revival premiered with 18 million viewers. Despite mixed reactions, ABC picked up the series for a second season. That is until polarizing Trump supporter and titular lead Roseanne Barr went on a racist Twitter rant. Now, the show has been canceled. Some say the series is a successful representation of the Midwest, arguing conservatives are not fairly represented on television. Did the series really deserve the cancellation? 📺
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Did 'Roseanne' deserve to be canceled?
Roseanne Barr came under fire following a racist tweet towards one of Obama's former aides Valerie Jarrett. In her rant, Barr tweeted "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj."
Barr later apologized in a tweet, "I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me-my joke was in bad taste."
But disgusted detractors did not forget, and the ABC revival was ultimately canceled.
CNN Money reports:
ABC canceled its hit sitcom "Roseanne" on Tuesday after the show's biggest star, Roseanne Barr, went on a racist Twitter rant.
"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said in a statement.
Disney CEO Bob Iger added on Twitter that "There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing."
The cancellation was a shock in Hollywood. The revival of "Roseanne" premiered to huge ratings just three months ago.
Pre-production was already underway on a second season, which was scheduled for Tuesdays at 8 p.m. this fall.
Many argue the show's cancellation is overdue and point out that it's due to Barr's racism, not her being conservative.
Just take a moment to observe all the things Roseanne had to do to get canceled:
— Travon Free (@Travon) May 29, 2018
- Call Valerie Jarrett an ape
- accuse dems child sex trafficking
- tell Hillary Clinton to commit suicide
- accuse Chelsea Clinton of being part of a Jewish conspiracy
- call George Soros a Nazi
But some TV critics simply didn't like the revival anyways. The Atlantic's Megan Garber called the sitcom reductive:
They're on the nose. They're reductive. They're easy. They conflate partisanship with politics writ large. They suggest an American political situation that is a matter of performance and personality rather than of systemic crisis.
#BringBackRoseanne
But the series crushed in the ratings, was picked up for a second season, actually showcased different sides of America's political discourse, and successfully represented conservatives on TV. According to The Los Angeles Times:
Much of the credit goes to "Roseanne," whose success has surprised some analysts. The show, which showcases a struggling working-class family, has averaged more than 19 million viewers an episode, outpacing "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS.
"The last time we had the No. 1 show was 24 years ago," said Ben Sherwood, president of Disney/ABC Television Group. "If anyone came to play a drinking game for how many times we mention 'Roseanne' — you're welcome."
According to Variety, the second season was going to focus on family over politics.
“Roseanne” may not focus on politics going into the second season of the revival, ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said.
“I think that they’re going to stay on the path that they were on toward the end of last season, which is away from politics and toward family,“ Dungey said on a conference call Tuesday. The show has drawn both criticism and praise for its depiction of conservative views, most notably reflecting the political leanings of series star and creator Roseanne Barr.
