Roseanne Barr, the 70-year-old actress and comedian of Jewish heritage, is under fire following her recent controversial remarks about Jewish individuals and the Holocaust.
The actor stirred up a storm during an attempt to discuss political propaganda on the podcast “This Past Weekend”. She alluded to the idea that certain norms dictate an unquestionable truth, referring to Joe Biden’s presidency as an example where challenging the “truth” could result in being ostracized from platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and more.
“We must adhere to truth and facts,” asserted Barr, with host Theo Von responding, “It’s frightening,” as reported by the Independent.
Barr carried on, stating, “That’s the real deal. And likewise, nobody perished in the Holocaust. That’s the genuine truth. It’s due to happen. Six million Jews should be annihilated right now because they’re the root of all global issues. However, it never occurred.”
While the podcast was published on June 14, Barr’s statements only recently caught public attention, inciting widespread outrage. Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights law organization, was among her detractors.
“Whether said in jest or not, Roseanne Barr’s assertions about Jews and the Holocaust are abhorrent and reckless. This isn’t humorous,” Greenblatt responded in a statement, as quoted by the Independent.
He added, “And Theo Von is equally to blame for not refuting it but instead indulging in conspiracy theories about Jews and Hollywood.”
Von defended his podcast guest on Twitter, sharing a segment of their dialogue and asserting that her comments were not to be interpreted literally.
Von wrote, “Here is the full clip of Roseanne Barr evidently employing sarcasm and satire. She is a ‘mensch’ [a Yiddish term meaning a person of integrity and morality] and one of the most humorous individuals I’ve encountered.”
Earlier in the week, John Goodman expressed his support for Barr, maintaining his stance on her after she was let go from the “Roseanne reboot” for a tweet comparing Valerie Jarrett, a former aide to ex-President Barack Obama, to an ape.
“I felt sorry for her,” Goodman confessed to Variety. “I’m just devastated by the entire situation. We had a great time together. And I care for her. She’s uniquely herself.”
