I am not afraid to admit it. I was pretty bumbed out to hear about Rosanne Barr's disgustingly racist Tweet about Valerie Jarrett today. Not only was it disgusting to make such a brazen and insulting statement about Jarrett (and this certainly disappointed me) but it was essentially a death sentence to Rosanne's career comeback. I loved her show as a kid and I really enjoyed the nostalgic feeling of watching the reincarnation over the last several weeks.
I won't go repeating what she said here or getting into any moral equivalency argument. There is no point and it is not even debatable that what she said was wholly inappropriate. I am NO FAN of Jarrett but this is when one's morals must come through. It's not acceptable to say something like that about someone regardless of how detestable the other person may be.
The thing is, Rosanne's blunder + hateful insult combo was dumb on an ever higher level than it might appear on the surface. There are a few points worth noting here:
- When you're politically aligned in the manner than Rosanne is, you're judged quickly and ruthlessly if you say something that might be deemed racist or otherwise bigoted. She knows this. She's not stupid.
- Anyone who has been paying attention for the last 10 years knows that making any sort of racial insult or even implying a racial insult regarding anyone or anything related to Obama is the ultimate kicking of the proverbial hornet's nest. Obama and his inner circle set some boundaries that everyone seemingly accepted in 2008 that basically saying, if you say anything that might possibly be racist, you will be prosecuted. Jarrett is basically Obama's closest confidant. You can't just slip a jab in about her and not expect to feel the repercussions. If Rosanne is as actively engaged in politics as she claims to be, she should know this.
- Aside from Obama, Jarrett is connected, resolute and ruthless. If she's not part of the Cabal, she certainly has a similar influence. She simply cannot be trifled with without consequence. Rosanne should know this.
I don't know if she had too many glasses of wine or was anxious to expose the double standard that so-called conservatives live under but she certainly managed to combine a horribly insulting statement with possibly the worst imaginable target (maybe Michelle Obama would have been worse but the result couldn't have been any worse) into the pinnacle of career damage.
I believe in apologies, forgiveness, second chances and redemption. I hope there is a path to redemption for Rosanne. If there is not, unfortunately, SHE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. This is a blunder far worse than it appears on the surface. And that is saying something.
CW