Last week, Samantha Bee called Ivanka Trump a C-U-Next-Tuesday. There was a particular context, and I thought Bee was completely justified. Others disagreed. But can we all agree that so much of the “rage” directed at Samantha Bee was performative anger and performative pearl-clutching from the same people who regularly defend the serial sexual assailant in the White House? In any case, Samantha Bee issued an apology within hours of the controversy blowing up. I thought apologizing was the wrong move (and so did Jon Stewart, surprisingly). Some advertisers still pulled their ads from her TBS show, and so Samantha issued another apology last night on Full Frontal:
“A lot of people were offended and angry that I used an epithet to describe the president’s daughter and advisor last week. It is a word I have used on the show many times, hoping to reclaim it. But this time I used it as an insult. I crossed the line. I regret it and I do apologize for it. The problem is that many women have heard that word at the worst moments of their lives, and a lot of them don’t want that word reclaimed, they want it gone. And I don’t blame them. I don’t want to inflict more pain on them. I want this show to be challenging and I want it to be honest but I never intended it to hurt anyone except Ted Cruz. Many men were also offended by my use of the word, I do not care about that.”
“I hate that this distracted from more important issues. I hate that I did something to contribute to the nightmare of 24-hour news cycles that we’re all white knuckling through. I should’ve known that a potty mouth insult would be inherently more interesting to them than juvenile immigration policy. I would do anything to help those kids, I hate that this distracted from them. So to them, I am also sorry.”
“And look if you are worried about the death of civility, don’t sweat it. I’m a comedian. People who hone their voices in basement bars while yelling back at drunk hecklers are definitely not paragons of civility. I am, I’m really sorry that I said that word, but you know what? Civility is just nice words. Maybe we should all worry a little bit more about the niceness of our actions.”
Yeah. It’s fine… to me. Again, if you were genuinely offended, so be it and I hope Bee’s multiple apologies and explanations help. I understood Bee’s anger and frustration and I’ve called every member of the Trump family a C-U-Next-Tuesday on multiple occasions too. And in case you were worried that poor, precious, complicit, traitorous Ivanka was somehow unable to function because someone called her the C-word, don’t fret! A source told People Magazine that Ivanka was “more angry than hurt” and “Ivanka tries to avoid reading or listening to negativity about herself or her family. It has been hurtful and was surprising to her at first. But now she is more resilient or even hardened to it and brushes off the comments by partisans who hate the administration.” This f–king a–hole.
Sam addresses the controversy from last week's show. pic.twitter.com/RtqBOhOCVf
— Full Frontal (@FullFrontalSamB) June 7, 2018
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, WENN.
I don’t approve of the “c” word under any circumstance. I find it lazy and vulgar, when there are so many other words that would appropriately define Ivanka Trump, without resorting to vulgarity.
I agree. Do we really want the c word bandied about and accepted as ok? I would hope we would aspire to better things. No need to get in the gutter with Trump.
Well she did also use the word ‘feckless’.
Again, it’s interesting to see Ivanka was ‘angered’ by the word, but unmoved by the sentiment. She’s just so darn resilient.
I LOVE swearing and I love the C word! We women have the right to take it back, as she says. I like this “apology” – which actually isn’t. Good for her for still putting the focus on why she called Complicit Barbie a C.
Taking it back would mean calling yourself that word, not calling another woman that word.
I agree that there’s never an excuse for the C-word, my issue isn’t the vulgarity, but that the word is sexist and degrading to women. Samantha Bee is a comedian and she’s on cable, I have no objection to her being vulgar, but it should be gender neutral.
Ivanka Trump is clearly deserving of all the criticism one can think to put on her, but her culpability is not tied to her being female, so there is no reason to tie the criticisms of her to her gender.
I also think that that those actually offended by the word is a tiny fraction of those criticizing Bee and probably the smallest voice in the criticism. I can’t take seriously outrage from those that have used or defended worse or from those that defend policies that actually hurt women.
LOL @ the headline.
You’re doing too much, Sam. Seriously.
I understand why she does it though. She and the writers prepared a segment about a very serious issue and all people know is that she called Ivanka “a feckless c-nt”. She basically drailed her own show.
She didn’t derail her own show–Trump supporters and the media did that for her. She was doing her job as a comedian. While I won’t overlook the reality that she handed the Deplorables something to get outraged about, I still don’t think that she’s somehow responsible for their overreaction. She can’t change the fact that Trump-supporters are more outraged about a naughty word than the fact that 53-week-old babies are being separated from their mothers at the border.
I don’t blame her for issuing the first apology for the purpose of putting an end to the shameless news cycle that her comments precipitated, but I really see no need for her to double-down on that apology.
Patato patato. Technically you are right but it doesn’t matter in the great scheme of things. At the end, using a highy offensive word has derailed the conversation she wanted to start. Although I will never understand the deal with that word, Ivanka is a c-nt so is Donald.
I just wish we could wipe that word out of our vernacular. Completely.
She shouldn’t be apologizing for truth. *shrug* I wish a lot less people were offended by the C-word and a lot more people were offended by the actions of this administration.
–I use the f-word, the c-word, the g-d combination, and a lot of other profanity. I’m still a good wife, an excellent mom, a fantastic boss, and a loyal and caring friend. Profanity doesn’t denote anything-and plenty of the old guard Southern right-wing set have mouths like truckers. Trust me. I know them.
I’m with you. And I wish Sam B would stop apologizing. I feel irked every time I look at Ivanka Trump and I’m not even American. Seeing her at the Olympics earlier this year enraged me, using it as a photo-op with the athletes. I still don’t get why she was even there.
To promote herself and Trump family business at taxpayer expense.
That had the ring of a studio mandated apology. Like, say this on the air and get this MAGAt poop storm of feedback off our phones and social media.
It was a great apology.
@Betsy
Exactly. She managed to apologize in a way that makes her bosses happy and still didn’t apologize for insulting precious Ivanka Trump – a strong business woman who takes no prisoners but apparently needs strangers to protect her from nasty, nasty words – but only for the word she used to insult her. It’s pretty perfect.
Meh the Brit’s use it like we say asshole, it’s just a freaking word and Ivanka is a feckless c*nt and I hate that Sam Bee apologized
I think it was more of a feckless stunt. Bee knew what would happen. Get better writers and move on.
I liked her apology and I valued that she gave it, because she understood the issue beneath. What it bothered me about it wasn’t that she called Ivanka that, but that she went to a cheap insult that derailed a very important point she was trying to make. I admit I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to language used in the media and I think you can express yourself without being vulgar.
Seriously, why do people have a problem with a word? You give the word power by “hating” it. I use it all the time and many other profanities, it does not make me a bad person.
Exactly. One also has the option of not letting it upset you. It’s just a word thrown by someone hoping to shock or hurt. Don’t let it.
I read someone’s response to being called that word by a guy. She walked right up to him and said, ‘at least now you can say you were close to one.’ I thought it was funny.
Hahaha That is great. I once told a woman, who was just being ridiculous over something petty making a big scene, that i would slap her but i was afraid I’d get C U next Tuesday on my hand, she was shook and had no response so I just walked away.
We live in a time in which the words we use really matter. People get criticized (rightfully or not, that depends on your views) for using words like “gypsy”, “prostitute”, “spooky”, choosing wrong pronouns, etc. In this case it’s even more poignant because she’s a communicator, with a massive platform. What makes one word worse than other and who gets to decide that? During this cultural shift, it’s important to not just impose your views but understand how others are receiving it, that’s how we grow as a society. So maybe to Samantha, or to you, the c word is fine, but she is showing she understands that to others it might not be acceptable.
Normally I’d agree with you and Elle who commented upthread. But this time I agree with that last sentence: “Civility is just nice words. Maybe we should all worry a little bit more about the niceness of our actions.” I just can’t summon up much concern about what 4-letter words someone actively being a part of the Trump administration does or does not want herself or other deplorables to be called by other members of her own sex.
Words matter. They just do.
Bee touched in that in her apology: that this word more than any other is used against women in some of the worst times of their lives. Words have power. I would never, ever, EVER utter the n word I’m the course of a song, a joke, a conversation because I “know” (I have read, I haven’t lived it) what that word means to African American people. Let’s not pretend that the c word is some meaningless word just because for some of us it no longer has those negative connotations (thank you, Inga Muscio).
@Furdurp — Some people are upset because it is a vulgar term for anatomy. Some people are upset because the world is strongly associated with rape culture and various debasements of women and Sam’s use gave fuel to that fire.
Will there be a post about the latest on harvey, Georgina and marchesa? I’m actually starting to think georgina is just pure evil.
it makes me want to start fires when the GOP and right wing in general scream “partisanship” any time they’re criticized. they never strengthen their arguments or iron out the assumptions/logical flaws….they just call you a liberal and carry on.
I don’t like that word but this is ridiculous. Her father is proudly unapologetic, but when someone says something against him or his family, he freaks out. They can dish it out but can’t take it.
@Kaiser, I really like the phrase “performative pearl clutching.” It captures that feeling of faux outrage from the deplorables.
Stop f*cking apologizing! They don’t actually care about women! Enough already trying to play the high ground. There isn’t one anymore. They’ve rotted out the floor boards at this point.
Preach, Veronica.
If Princess can’t handle the truth, she should remove herself from her public position in the White House, and STOP blatantly profiting off it (trademarks and manufacturing goods in China).
Profanity is cheap and never witty. I wanted her to take Jon Stewart’s spot instead of the dude they brought in. I just hope she doesn’t lose this show over this nonsense.
Ted Nugent called Hillary a Tuesday and he got invited to the Trump White House. So. 🤷🏻♀️
She was right. She should stop apologizing for the truth.