Mary Katharine Ham: Comparing Roseanne and Samantha Bee Is Not a False Equivalency

RUSH TRANSCRIPT STELTER Remember ░░░░░░░░ was what she was ░░░░░░░░ trying to talk about ░░░░░░░░ it was overshadowed by ░░░░░░░░ profanity Maria Roseanne bar ░░░░░░░░ bee two very different ░░░░░░░░ did you see folks ░░░░░░░░ to draw a false ░░░░░░░░ CARDONA Yes and I ░░░░░░░░ it a false equivalency ░░░░░░░░ Samantha bee had done ░░░░░░░░ same thing as Roseanne ░░░░░░░░ tweeted exactly the same ░░░░░░░░ perhaps about condoleezza rice ░░░░░░░░ she did it when ░░░░░░░░ was employed by a ░░░░░░░░ like ABC or Disney ░░░░░░░░ is very family oriented ░░░░░░░░ if you flip it ░░░░░░░░ Roseanne had done this ░░░░░░░░ a late night show ░░░░░░░░ used the same words ░░░░░░░░ Samantha bee did let ░░░░░░░░ say towards Chelsea Clinton ░░░░░░░░ probably would not have ░░░░░░░░ fired That s the ░░░░░░░░ to think about it ░░░░░░░░ one in its own ░░░░░░░░ and when you think ░░░░░░░░ each in its own ░░░░░░░░ it s easy to ░░░░░░░░ false equivalency And maybe ░░░░░░░░ will all get to ░░░░░░░░ conclusions anyway as opposed ░░░░░░░░ what I just said ░░░░░░░░ don t think people ░░░░░░░░ with me but if ░░░░░░░░ try to compare exactly ░░░░░░░░ circumstances each one I ░░░░░░░░ it s an a ░░░░░░░░ more honest conversation KATHARINE ░░░░░░░░ Let me just take ░░░░░░░░ completely opposite view on ░░░░░░░░ I think it sounds ░░░░░░░░ try hard to make ░░░░░░░░ completely different things these ░░░░░░░░ two women figures they ░░░░░░░░ have on autonomous TV ░░░░░░░░ You could argue that ░░░░░░░░ racism is a harsher ░░░░░░░░ because just because it ░░░░░░░░ racism you can also ░░░░░░░░ that Samantha Bee was ░░░░░░░░ by an entire staff ░░░░░░░░ a network STELTER Should ░░░░░░░░ have been fired KATHARINE ░░░░░░░░ I m in favor ░░░░░░░░ people being able to ░░░░░░░░ lots of crazy things ░░░░░░░░ I hart speech But ░░░░░░░░ m not surprised that ░░░░░░░░ racism got Roseanne fired ░░░░░░░░ this is roughly the ░░░░░░░░ and I m surprised ░░░░░░░░ she s still getting ░░░░░░░░ STELTER She got an ░░░░░░░░ the same night that ░░░░░░░░ apologized And she said ░░░░░░░░ we spend an entire ░░░░░░░░ debating one word than ░░░░░░░░ president s immigration policy ░░░░░░░░ HAM She also said ░░░░░░░░ I think she probably ░░░░░░░░ have been punished worse ░░░░░░░░ she was She s ░░░░░░░░ there saying in her ░░░░░░░░ speech for this award ░░░░░░░░ basically Trump supporters made ░░░░░░░░ do it because I ░░░░░░░░ so passionate It s ░░░░░░░░ no nobody made you ░░░░░░░░ the c word What ░░░░░░░░ m seeing here is ░░░░░░░░ politics it s my ░░░░░░░░ is different than the ░░░░░░░░ team The conservatives had ░░░░░░░░ long time said we ░░░░░░░░ discriminated against Even if ░░░░░░░░ take overt politics out ░░░░░░░░ it and just take ░░░░░░░░ entertainment that middle America ░░░░░░░░ In the 60s or ░░░░░░░░ you had a couple ░░░░░░░░ hit TV shows on ░░░░░░░░ acres and Beverly hillbillies ░░░░░░░░ were actually winning their ░░░░░░░░ slot and were cancelled ░░░░░░░░ the free market doesn ░░░░░░░░ exactly work these executives ░░░░░░░░ re not putting the ░░░░░░░░ line ahead so they ░░░░░░░░ not actually going with ░░░░░░░░ Roseanne was doing very ░░░░░░░░ with her show they ░░░░░░░░ her anyway Look I ░░░░░░░░ think though race is ░░░░░░░░ red line misogyny is ░░░░░░░░ bad and there s ░░░░░░░░ me too moment right ░░░░░░░░ But when you call ░░░░░░░░ you talk about Valerie ░░░░░░░░ and you talk about ░░░░░░░░ of the apes that ░░░░░░░░ you cannot do that ░░░░░░░░ I think rightfully so ░░░░░░░░ re apples and Oranges ░░░░░░░░ re both equally bad ░░░░░░░░ The c word used ░░░░░░░░ be bad as well ░░░░░░░░ s not anymore What ░░░░░░░░ the the networks both ░░░░░░░░ just ignored them they ░░░░░░░░ t engage at all ░░░░░░░░ think it s important ░░░░░░░░ think people in some ░░░░░░░░ are starting to ignore ░░░░░░░░ tweets because of Trump ░░░░░░░░ know when he tweeted ░░░░░░░░ Tommy Lauren was a ░░░░░░░░ model after she had ░░░░░░░░ incident in Minnesota I ░░░░░░░░ I first saw it ░░░░░░░░ said I m going ░░░░░░░░ leave this alone then ░░░░░░░░ tweets and I m ░░░░░░░░ okay I have to ░░░░░░░░ this because the president ░░░░░░░░ the United States is ░░░░░░░░ this person is a ░░░░░░░░ model and this person ░░░░░░░░ tweeted things about Black ░░░░░░░░ Matter and KKK that ░░░░░░░░ really racist and this ░░░░░░░░ to stop Most I ░░░░░░░░ a lot of people ░░░░░░░░ ignored the president on ░░░░░░░░ I still think because ░░░░░░░░ I believe this is ░░░░░░░░ The president and the ░░░░░░░░ House can still drive ░░░░░░░░ rhetoric the level that ░░░░░░░░ have our national conversation ░░░░░░░░ it can still drive ░░░░░░░░ imagery in this culture ░░░░░░░░ it can still drive ░░░░░░░░ American imagination for all ░░░░░░░░ our media platforms nobody ░░░░░░░░ match that and a ░░░░░░░░ of this goes back ░░░░░░░░ the way the White ░░░░░░░░ is driving all of ░░░░░░░░ in the public mind ░░░░░░░░ the look you can ░░░░░░░░ blame the White House ░░░░░░░░ something as ugly and ░░░░░░░░ as Roseanne did but ░░░░░░░░ can see how Trump ░░░░░░░░ rhetoric fed her and ░░░░░░░░ her feel justified in ░░░░░░░░ racism And you can ░░░░░░░░ see in a way ░░░░░░░░ it drives someone like ░░░░░░░░ bee and I m ░░░░░░░░ excusing her in any ░░░░░░░░ and I m not ░░░░░░░░ him for this But ░░░░░░░░ can see how it ░░░░░░░░ people to extremes It ░░░░░░░░ people to sink lower ░░░░░░░░ s the mistake listen ░░░░░░░░ when they go low ░░░░░░░░ go high which is ░░░░░░░░ we should do but ░░░░░░░░ culture is not doing ░░░░░░░░ They re going in ░░░░░░░░ other direction I want ░░░░░░░░ talk about the hurricane ░░░░░░░░ when I was on ░░░░░░░░ last week I am ░░░░░░░░ turning those cable channels ░░░░░░░░ 6 00 A M ░░░░░░░░ just want to walk ░░░░░░░░ dog and look at ░░░░░░░░ sunshine and then Roseanne ░░░░░░░░ tweet comes out and ░░░░░░░░ m on the phone ░░░░░░░░ the office and I ░░░░░░░░ writing it and I ░░░░░░░░ black in the hurricane ░░░░░░░░ Twitter is plowing up ░░░░░░░░ everything else It went ░░░░░░░░ longer because of the ░░░░░░░░ s comments about Disney ░░░░░░░░ iger What I wish ░░░░░░░░ would tweet about is ░░░░░░░░ actual hurricane because we ░░░░░░░░ right at the beginning ░░░░░░░░ hurricane season and there ░░░░░░░░ a lot of questions ░░░░░░░░ if Puerto RICO is ░░░░░░░░ for this It s ░░░░░░░░ fault for not talking ░░░░░░░░ this Harvard study why ░░░░░░░░ it that Roseanne overpowered ░░░░░░░░ story about the death ░░░░░░░░ in Puerto RICO We ░░░░░░░░ addicted to celebrities in ░░░░░░░░ sick way Celebrity culture ░░░░░░░░ re a celebrity culture ░░░░░░░░ s one thing what ░░░░░░░░ said so went to ░░░░░░░░ guts of the culture ░░░░░░░░ in this country and ░░░░░░░░ was so ugly even ░░░░░░░░ the standards of social ░░░░░░░░ rhetoric today it was ░░░░░░░░ shocking what she wrote ░░░░░░░░ then you and here ░░░░░░░░ the other part of ░░░░░░░░ It s also relatively ░░░░░░░░ to cover Everybody has ░░░░░░░░ interest in it I ░░░░░░░░ Brian but there s ░░░░░░░░ this deeper thing that ░░░░░░░░ saw her show and ░░░░░░░░ the character of Roseanne ░░░░░░░░ who s likable in ░░░░░░░░ ways That show spoke ░░░░░░░░ them in the same ░░░░░░░░ that Trump did And ░░░░░░░░ m not denigrating this ░░░░░░░░ think it was important ░░░░░░░░ m from Wisconsin For ░░░░░░░░ to say in Wisconsin ░░░░░░░░ Michigan and Pennsylvania we ░░░░░░░░ you we know how ░░░░░░░░ things are She did ░░░░░░░░ So you like her ░░░░░░░░ that artificially constructed Roseanne ░░░░░░░░ And then the real ░░░░░░░░ does something so repulsive ░░░░░░░░ so ugly that it ░░░░░░░░ you This was a ░░░░░░░░ moment in our culture ░░░░░░░░ grew up in Puerto ░░░░░░░░ my brother lives there ░░░░░░░░ is very personal to ░░░░░░░░ I talked about this ░░░░░░░░ morning and this should ░░░░░░░░ be overshadowed and I ░░░░░░░░ if it s because ░░░░░░░░ s Puerto RICO and ░░░░░░░░ the main land I ░░░░░░░░ sorry but Puerto RICO ░░░░░░░░ gotten the shaft in ░░░░░░░░ was not nearly to ░░░░░░░░ extent that it should ░░░░░░░░ been done and I ░░░░░░░░ if these were 5 ░░░░░░░░ American citizens state side ░░░░░░░░ if they weren t ░░░░░░░░ and if they didn ░░░░░░░░ speak Spanish I think ░░░░░░░░ would be talking more ░░░░░░░░ this I don t ░░░░░░░░ we ll ever really ░░░░░░░░ what the real death ░░░░░░░░ was the Harvard study ░░░░░░░░ that number it could ░░░░░░░░ much higher it could ░░░░░░░░ lower I was struck ░░░░░░░░ two headlines on CNN ░░░░░░░░ that summarized one Americans ░░░░░░░░ hurricane Maria as if ░░░░░░░░ was some other country ░░░░░░░░ Puerto RICO will be ░░░░░░░░ enduring stain on his ░░░░░░░░ But only if the ░░░░░░░░ takes it seriously Yes ░░░░░░░░ I think it is ░░░░░░░░ responsibility to continue to ░░░░░░░░ the light on this ░░░░░░░░ s think about this ░░░░░░░░ the death toll I ░░░░░░░░ talked to a lot ░░░░░░░░ people there anecdotally to ░░░░░░░░ administration down there to ░░░░░░░░ folks who have worked ░░░░░░░░ the field and they ░░░░░░░░ it probably will be ░░░░░░░░ higher than 5 000 ░░░░░░░░ a lot of these ░░░░░░░░ were not reported People ░░░░░░░░ having their loved ones ░░░░░░░░ died in their houses ░░░░░░░░ keeping them there in ░░░░░░░░ houses because they didn ░░░░░░░░ know what to do ░░░░░░░░ them So I think ░░░░░░░░ will go over 5 ░░░░░░░░ and that means there ░░░░░░░░ be more American citizens ░░░░░░░░ in the after math ░░░░░░░░ Maria than 9 11 ░░░░░░░░ Katrina combined.