Let’s cancel ‘cancel culture’
We鈥檙e now deep in the thralls of a full-blown Dr. Seuss conspiracy.
That鈥檚 according to Fox News and assorted Republicans.
It鈥檚 supposedly the result of overzealous liberal thought-police, with their hopes of canceling stuff that makes them feel uncomfortable.
Problem is, that鈥檚 a lie.
Liberals didn鈥檛 cause the folks at Dr. Seuss to stop selling certain books they felt weren鈥檛 appropriate for the times. The folks at Dr. Seuss did that all by themselves.
That hasn鈥檛 stopped Fox News from trafficking in the nonsense that Dr. Seuss is proof positive that 鈥渃ancel culture鈥� not only exists but that it鈥檚 everywhere.
It doesn鈥檛, and it isn鈥檛.
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鈥檛 stopped Republicans from bringing up Dr. Seuss whenever they could point out that 鈥渃ancel culture鈥� 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鈥檚 rights.
鈥淣ow stop talking about Dr. Seuss and start working with us on behalf of the American workers,鈥� he shouted during his floor speech.
That probably won鈥檛 work. Republicans and Fox News have dug in their heels.
They鈥檝e worked overtime to convince America that liberals are at the roots of any changes that have been made to the things they鈥檝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鈥檛 even thought about in decades 鈥� and probably didn鈥檛 even know still existed?
Fox News wants you to know you should be outraged by Hasbro鈥檚 decision.
This entire 鈥渃ancel culture鈥� thing has become absurd. Not because it exists, but because it doesn鈥檛.
That fellow who just left the presidency used to 鈥渃ancel鈥� stuff all the time. But it wasn鈥檛 part of any 鈥渃ulture.鈥�
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 鈥渃ancel culture.鈥�
鈥淕et that (expletive) off the field right now. Out. He鈥檚 fired. Fired,鈥� he bellowed during a 2017 speech.
Republicans have forgotten all of those times when they鈥檝e 鈥渃anceled鈥� 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鈥檚 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 鈥渇reedom fries鈥� (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鈥檛 happy with.
They鈥檝e nearly elevated the removal of a few Dr. Seuss books to 鈥済ate鈥� status (Dr. Seussgate).
Remember when Republicans 鈥渃anceled鈥� the Dixie Chicks back in 2003?
I do.
Remember when mostly Republicans stormed the U.S. Capitol building attempting to 鈥渃ancel鈥� a presidential outcome?
I do.
Remember when a private citizen tried to have a sitting president canceled because he claimed he鈥檇 found evidence that the president hadn鈥檛 been born in the United States?
I do.
Don鈥檛 act like you don鈥檛.
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.