In the wake of the Roseanne cancellation, Samantha Bee became the target for many on the right after she referred to Ivanka Trump as a “feckless c*nt” during a segment in the last episode of Full Frontal. While Bill Maher had been a trending topic in response to the Roseanne controversy, Bee managed to draw attention and was forced to apologize for her vulgarity while many called on TBS to cancel her show.
As many, many people pointed out on social media and elsewhere, it did distract from several issues that Bee was discussing during the segment and became news itself. The host addressed during the cold open of her show, once again apologizing for the remarks and inserting a few jabs at Ted Cruz in the process:
You know, a lot of people were offended and angry I used an epithet to describe the president’s daughter and adviser last week. It is a word I have used on the show many times, hoping to reclaim it. This time I used it as an insult. I crossed the line, I regret it and I do apologize for that.
The problem is, that many women have heard that word at the worst moments of thelr lives. A lot of them don’t want that word reclaimed. They want it gone. And, I don’t blame them.
I don’t want to inflict more pain on them. I want this show to be challenging and I want it to be honest, but I never intended it to hurt anyone, except Ted Cruz.
Many men were also offended by my use of the word. I do not care about that.
Cruz was a topic during the middle segment of Wednesday’s episode, addressing his absent mind on the subject of the president pardoning himself. That said, her apology wasn’t finished, and Bee did return to the real issues she tried to cover with her criticism one week prior:
I hate that this distracted from more important issues. I hate that I did something to contribute to the nightmare of 24-hour news cycles that we’re all white-knuckling through. I should have known that a potty-mouthed insult would be inherently more interesting a to them than juvenile immigration policy.
I would do anything to help those kids. I hate that this distracted from them. So, to them I am also sorry.
Not shown in the clip above is the newly edited theme song for the show that features several bleeps to censor out the words that might offend — essentially any reference to gender. She also made fun of TBS keeping a closer eye on her show by welcoming the panel of censors sitting off camera sent to keep her in line. Hopefully, this will put the issue to bed so we can focus on the real troubles, like IHOP changing their damn name.
(Via Full Frontal / Deadline)