As a display of contrition, this falls far short of the mark. After all, the original offending tweet wasn’t offensive because it was about Jarrett’s politics or looks. Rather, it was conspiratorial, racist, and Islamophobic.
But as insufficient as it is, Barr at least made a gesture of remorse, which throws into relief the utter silence of her employer, ABC. As New York Times reporter Sopan Deb tweeted:
Sopan Deb✔@SopanDeb
if i may: perhaps a more important story with Roseanne isn’t what she’s saying, because this is what she’s done for awhile….it’s about ABC’s silence on this.
As Deb suggests, Roseanne Barr making incendiary and conspiratorial comments is hardly a surprise.
CNN’s Brian Stelter offered a similar analysis:
Brian Stelter✔@brianstelter
My reporting from March holds true today: ABC execs hold their noses when Roseanne tweets. They know it’s problematic. They want her to focus on the show. But they say there’s no controlling Roseanne…
ABC knew her history when they gave her a new show and they’ve decided to keep their peace and enjoy the high ratings. Her racism and paranoia says as much about the network as it does about the star.
Update, 12:55 EST: Wanda Sykes, consulting producer on Roseanne, has announced she won’t be returning to the show.
Article Appeared @https://newrepublic.com/minutes/148586/roseanne-barr-apologizes-abc-keeps-quiet