Disney learned there is MONEY selling beyond the trump base Re: Roseanne

[DonCoquixote]

http://www.indiewire.com/2018/04/will-avengers-infinity-war-beat-black-panther-box-office-1201956639/

I originally posted this in response to a thread EffieBlack did, but when I sat down to view these figures, I thought it deserved it's own OP.

Disney just made two billion dollars with two movies, both of which featured African Americans, one of which was perhaps the first all AfAM blockbuster, Black Panther. We are talking Two billion at the box office, NOT with merchandising like the Black panther T shirts that are being worn.

Where I jump off is this: what does it say about racism that you can literally rake in TWO BILLION DOLLARS CLEAN, and still feel you have to give shelter to Roseanne until she finally goes to the camera and self destructs? Let's face it, Roseanne made money back then, but she made it clear from the outset that she intended to be her true, bigoted self. She did not get fired till Wanda Sykes (an afam comedian who could have easily just sat back and collected a paycheck) and of course, Sara Gilbert, the producer of the show. The fact it took that much internal strife to kill the show is kind of like someone waiting till they hit the Iron Lung before they cut the cigarettes from two packs to one.

That, my friends, is the white privilege that is considered a myth by some: Roseanne had to agressively, publicly make a mess of herself, whereas if Will Smith did this, he would be lucky to get on Reality TV.

[sharedvalues]

1. No, it's that right wing propaganda has created a market for racism

There is now a market for racism and racists in America.

Ever since LBJ kicked the racists out of the Democratic Party by passing the Civil Rights Act (“I have lost the South for the Democrats for a generation.”), the Republican Party has nurtured and encouraged and courted racists.

Today, Fox and Limbaugh tell racists to be proud and to hate minorities and immigrants. And they have created a decent sized market for such hate.

THAT is why ABC hired Roseanne - to market to the Fox/Limbaugh viewers. Luckily for the country, ABC was unable to thread the needle: to pursue the racists while keeping everyone else from being outraged. The outrage of good people outweighed the value of ratings from racists.


And this is why everyone at DU - black and white and every other race - should be united against Fox and Limbaugh and Republicans. Because they are the most corrosive force amplifying racism and helping racists in America today.

White privilege exists. But it’s not why Roseanne was on TV. Roseanne was on TV to pursue the racist hateful Republican viewer segment.

[EffieBlack]

2. Hear hear

But you may need to duck incoming.

(I got your back if you do ...)

[GulfCoast66]

3. Well, not disputing all of your points...

But the Tweet came out this morning. She was gone by noon. Not seeing any internal strife.

The head of ABC entertainment is an African American female and Iger came out quick with a strong statement. I just read the timeline and the decision to can the show was made almost immediately and the producers were told about the time the starts started bailing.

Ironically, the time difference makes the whole thing confusing to follow.

No doubt ABC gambled in the show. I think they were hoping they could do a show with a nuanced look at both sides of the political spectrum leaving racism out of the issue.

They found out that racism is part and parcel of the modern Republican message. Without racism their party ceases to exist.

But I will give Disney credit. This is the fastest I have ever seen a decision like this made. Oh, and one of the main decision makers was an African American Female. I like that as well!

Have a nice evening.

[oberliner]

4. They fired her within an hour or two of the tweet

The strange thing is that they moved forward with the show in the first place (with those people you mentioned being on board) given her twitter history.

[tammywammy]

5. Her history was well known.

That's why I didn't watch the reboot.

[Gothmog]

6. Yeah for Disney