One of the original self-proclaimed victims of cancel culture is back in the limelight with a stand-up comedy special streaming on Fox Nation. Actress, writer, and television producer Roseanne Barr, who rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s with her eponymous television show, “Roseanne,” appeared on the “Brian Kilmeade Show” Monday to discuss how she views comedy in the wake of the events that got her cancelled several years ago.
Barr was fired from her rebooted television show in 2018 after she made an alleged racist comment on Twitter. Specifically, she tweeted that former President Barack Obama’s advisor Valerie Jarrett, was the product of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Planet of the Apes. According to media reports, ABC, the network that was airing her show, announced her immediate termination.
Her current special “Cancel This” was recorded in front of a live studio audience. It was Barr’s first live performance since the events of 2018 that led to her firing.
“I’m getting a lot of offers [to perform stand-up] and I am kind of fired up to do it,” she told Kilmeade. “Once I got in front of the audience, it kind of lit a fire back in me. It was exciting to have people in the audience, egging me on, that’s my favorite thing. So, I am looking to do some dates.”
In the aftermath of the 2018 controversy, Barr issued several apologies, but the damage had already been done. The reboot of her show was still on the air, just without her. It was rebranded The Conners.
She also discussed the difference between her and comedian Dave Chapelle. Chappelle has been criticized by some for his use of controversial topics in his comedy, including race, sexuality, and gender. Some have accused him of being insensitive and perpetuating harmful stereotypes.
“He’s very lucky because the people that he does his jokes for and performs for always back him,” said Barr. “That’s the difference between him and me and other comics. He always has the backing of the people on Netflix. That makes him different from all the rest of us. He’s very privileged that he does get that.”
Cancel culture has become a topic of much debate and discussion, with some viewing it as a form of accountability and a way to promote social justice, while others see it as a threat to free speech and the exchange of ideas. Critics argue that cancel culture stifles open discussion and creates a culture of fear, where people are afraid to express their opinions for fear of being “cancelled.”
