During the most recent White House Correspondents Dinner, Michelle Wolf, know a well-known comedian, disparaging the appearance and work of White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Then a month later, comedian and actress Roseanne Barr boosted herself into the not-so-shiny limelight after tweeting an insensitive and racist remark about Valeria Jarrett, the former senior adviser to President Barack Obama.
Hailey Stewart | Argonaut
Just last week, host of the TV show “Full Frontal” Samantha Bee found herself in hot water when she referred to Ivanka Trump as a “Feckless” C-word.
All of these instances are vastly different, but the ways in which they were projected out through each respective media platform were all very similar.
The ways in which each of the women mentioned phrased and exhibited their feelings passed a line of bullying, one we are all pretty used to in this political climate.
Wolf was hired for the dinner to do what she knows best: comedy. Although these dinners are meant to provide comedic relief for an evening, it was apparent Wolf harbored a personal anger (not unlike many others) toward the Trump administration.
Wolf even went so far as to call Sanders the “Uncle Tom” of white women.
That hatred showed through in her monologue, but what hit worse was her verbal bullying of Sanders, who sat through the whole show. A comedic roasting of the current administration is to be expected, but the wording was not.
In recent years, Barr has been in the news for less-than-positive reasons. “Roseanne,” which has since been canceled by ABC caused a small stir with each new episode, similar to Barr herself.
Barr has never been one to seem completely stable on Twitter or in front of the press and her outbursts are often unexpected, but it was no excuse for her terribly racist comments for millions to see.
Bee’s planned monologue was in response to a photo Ivanka uploaded of her child, as information was released regarding the separation of migrant children from their families at the border. The photo may have been poorly timed, but Bee’s feelings would have been better executed on television had she chosen less crude language.
No matter the nuances of each incident, the culture of bullying via media begins with celebrities and politicians and people like them with the power to grab attention — fast.
It’s important to note that no incident is ever really equal, especially these three. But, occurrences like these showcase the deeply rooted culture of public personalities bullying other public personalities.
Media viewers are given a front row seat every morning when they wake up to the next Twitter feud or another negative comment from our commander in chief.
Countless public figures use their voices for positivity, and still, countless public figures forget how easy it can be to use language that invigorates bullies and antagonizers.
These personalities knew they had an audience that their comments would either resonate with or anger. Either way, their messages were received.
Using 280 characters and comedy as an excuse to say whatever comes to the mind does not work.
It’s not easy to stay positive within the media. It would make tuning in and log on pretty boring.
It is up to individual people to stay informed when big splashes appear on the media they use. But, it’s even more important to know that much of the time, the words we hear and see on a screen are still considered a form of bullying even from highly regarded people.
Next time a negatively pointed comment appears within the media, imagine the impact with what would have been better left unsaid.
Hailey Stewart can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @Hailey_ann97