Let’s cancel ‘cancel culture’
We无毛视频檙e now deep in the thralls of a full-blown Dr. Seuss conspiracy.
That无毛视频檚 according to Fox News and assorted Republicans.
It无毛视频檚 supposedly the result of overzealous liberal thought-police, with their hopes of canceling stuff that makes them feel uncomfortable.
Problem is, that无毛视频檚 a lie.
Liberals didn无毛视频檛 cause the folks at Dr. Seuss to stop selling certain books they felt weren无毛视频檛 appropriate for the times. The folks at Dr. Seuss did that all by themselves.
That hasn无毛视频檛 stopped Fox News from trafficking in the nonsense that Dr. Seuss is proof positive that 无毛视频渃ancel culture无毛视频� not only exists but that it无毛视频檚 everywhere.
It doesn无毛视频檛, and it isn无毛视频檛.
During one broadcast day (March 2), Dr. Seuss was mentioned on Fox News a whopping 85 times, according to the watchdog group Media Matters for America. (I have to give that fellow who performed that daylong count a tip of the hat. Watching Fox News more than 10 minutes at a time gives me hives.)
Predictably, Republicans took their cues from Fox News, by being quite vocal about the link between Dr. Seuss and liberals.
There is no link.
But that hasn无毛视频檛 stopped Republicans from bringing up Dr. Seuss whenever they could point out that 无毛视频渃ancel culture无毛视频� stuff, while on Fox News, or in the halls of Congress.
It became such an irritant that one Democratic congressman, Tim Ryan of Ohio, exploded during a debate over worker无毛视频檚 rights.
无毛视频淣ow stop talking about Dr. Seuss and start working with us on behalf of the American workers,无毛视频� he shouted during his floor speech.
That probably won无毛视频檛 work. Republicans and Fox News have dug in their heels.
They无毛视频檝e worked overtime to convince America that liberals are at the roots of any changes that have been made to the things they无毛视频檝e held dear in their lives.
For instance, Hasbro recently rebranded their Mr. Potato Head.
Were you alarmed by that? Really?
When was the last time you even thought about Mr. Potato Head? Why would you even be alarmed about something you haven无毛视频檛 even thought about in decades 无毛视频� and probably didn无毛视频檛 even know still existed?
Fox News wants you to know you should be outraged by Hasbro无毛视频檚 decision.
This entire 无毛视频渃ancel culture无毛视频� thing has become absurd. Not because it exists, but because it doesn无毛视频檛.
That fellow who just left the presidency used to 无毛视频渃ancel无毛视频� stuff all the time. But it wasn无毛视频檛 part of any 无毛视频渃ulture.无毛视频�
When NFL players expressed their antipathy toward the treatment of Black people at the hands of rogue police officers, he engaged in his own personal brand of 无毛视频渃ancel culture.无毛视频�
无毛视频淕et that (expletive) off the field right now. Out. He无毛视频檚 fired. Fired,无毛视频� he bellowed during a 2017 speech.
Republicans have forgotten all of those times when they无毛视频檝e 无毛视频渃anceled无毛视频� people.
You only have to look back a few weeks, when those Republicans in Congress were censured, because they voted to convict the former president during his second impeachment proceedings.
Or, you can look to March 2003, when there were Republicans who got so incensed by the French government无毛视频檚 reluctance to join the U.S. during the run-up to the Iraq War, they decided to rename a certain food in the congressional cafeteria.
French fries officially became 无毛视频渇reedom fries无毛视频� (if only temporarily) in the most ridiculous instance of fake outrage in history.
While the world is desperately attempting to climb out of the throes of COVID-19, and the economic spoils that it caused, there are right-wingers hard at work finding ways to blame liberals for the changes in the world that they aren无毛视频檛 happy with.
They无毛视频檝e nearly elevated the removal of a few Dr. Seuss books to 无毛视频済ate无毛视频� status (Dr. Seussgate).
Remember when Republicans 无毛视频渃anceled无毛视频� the Dixie Chicks back in 2003?
I do.
Remember when mostly Republicans stormed the U.S. Capitol building attempting to 无毛视频渃ancel无毛视频� a presidential outcome?
I do.
Remember when a private citizen tried to have a sitting president canceled because he claimed he无毛视频檇 found evidence that the president hadn无毛视频檛 been born in the United States?
I do.
Don无毛视频檛 act like you don无毛视频檛.
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 20-year TV news veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.