As we all know by now, Samantha Bee made a profane remark about Ivanka Trump while discussing the Trump administration’s policy of separating mothers from their children at the border and, we later learned, continuing abuses of migrants that have been unfolding in America for possibly decades, through administrations of both political alignments. Although TBS can’t do anything about that issue, they’re acting in another way, namely overseeing how Full Frontal discusses these issues more closely.
The Hollywood Reporter has gotten word that Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, which has largely been left to do its thing to this point, will have to work with TBS executives going forward to avoid a replay:
Following the backlash, network management will have more scrutiny over Bee’s show, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Hollywood Reporter. The plan is for management to work with the show to prevent another incident that could potentially scare advertisers and draw condemnation from both sides of the political aisle. (TBS declined to comment on the record.)
For those wondering, the outrage from the right at Bee referring to Ivanka as a “feckless c***” for posting a picture of herself with her kids right as the scandal over forcibly separating families at the border hit fever pitch. The outcry didn’t have quite the effect opponents wanted, which was to get Bee canceled. Bee apologized almost immediately for her statement, which probably helped mitigate things. But it appears that some advertisers are concerned, so the show will need to discuss its content with the network going forward.
Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is up for debate. To some degree, C-Word-Ghazi was a distraction from the issue Bee brought up, although how much was distraction and how much was willfully ignoring this grave issue is an open question. But by the same token, Bee’s show has gone two years and over seventy episodes with this being the first controversy, and comedy, by its very nature, has to push the envelope to be funny. Does Bee deserve slack? Is it a slur coming out of a woman’s mouth, which some would argue against? And does it matter when faced with human rights violations so grave that the UN is condemning them? In the end, viewers will have to decide for themselves.
(via Hollywood Reporter)
