NBC is in extremely hot water today for making the bizarre choice to air a COVID superspreader town hall event with a talking evil pumpkin that calls journalists the enemy of the people. Their excuse is something about fairness since Joe Biden has an event over on ABC. Never mind that neither of these events would be happening if Trump wasn’t a big giant baby who wouldn’t play fair, so he took his corona ball and went home instead of participating in the actual presidential debate that was scheduled for tonight.
In light of their network’s terrible decision, over 100 NBC employees and actors, from Alec Baldwin and Aaron Sorkin to Sterling K. Brown and Richard Shiff, along with other high-profile names like Ava DuVernay, JJ Abrams, Joss Whedon, and Greg Berlanti, have sent an open letter to their network, decrying the choice to give this fascist free advertising. The letter reads in part:
By agreeing to air his town hall as counterprogramming opposite Vice President Biden’s town hall on ABC, you are enabling the President’s bad behavior while undercutting the Presidential Debate Commission and doing a disservice to the American public.
We believe this kind of indifference to the norms and rules of our democracy are what have brought our country to this perilous state,” the letter read. Rather than push to completely cancel the Trump town hall, the signees requested it shift time slots. “We are simply asking that NBC air the President’s town hall either before or after Vice President Biden’s so that American voters can have the opportunity to watch both
We understand the necessities of business, especially in this difficult time. But we believe there are larger issues of civic responsibility at stake here.
This letter isn’t the only thing that’s made #NBCBlackout a top trending topic on Twitter all day.
Trump bails on the Town Hall debate with Biden because he didn’t want another ass whupping so NBC decides to air a special episode of, “The Apprentice.” ? Nah. I’m BLACKING OUT NBC and MSNBC today! This does not support democracy, this supports a sideshow.
— Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes) October 15, 2020
NBC could give him equal time any other night. The ratings-grab is shameless. It is solely about corporate profit. pic.twitter.com/hifvNaWa6U
— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) October 15, 2020
dueling town halls won’t help inform Americans- it’ll create a ratings game at the expense voters for ad $. It’s an irresponsible cash grab. I wish I could say NBC’s acting in an un-American way but acting selfishly w/o concern for anyone else is Yankee Doodle dandy #NBCBlackout
— alan tudyk (@AlanTudyk) October 15, 2020
I can’t remember the last time I was this shocked by an NBC programming decision.
— Conan O’Brien (@ConanOBrien) October 15, 2020
NBC is going to the Bad Place. 👎🏽
— Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) October 15, 2020
NBC for their part have brushed off the critiques, claiming it’s about fairness. No one’s buying it.
Fuck you @nbc https://t.co/luUEzU4uXz
— 📎Lesley-Ann Brandt (@LesleyAnnBrandt) October 15, 2020
But what’s the worst part? (And yes this can get worse!) Trump spent the afternoon mocking NBC.
Congratulations, @NBC.
You entirely brought this on yourself.#NBCBlackout https://t.co/HwHHiCMb9a
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) October 15, 2020
Congrats, NBC, you played yourselves. As for tonight … I’ll be watching Supernatural.
(image: NBC, via: Vanity Fair)
Here are a few other things we saw today …
- The Flaming Lips actually had a concert with people in bubbles? (via Consequences of Sound)
- The Borat sequel and Sasha Baron Cohen are taking aim at Holocaust deniers. (via Deadline)
- Inside the scandal at America’s fastest-growing comics publisher. (via io9)
- Latinx TV writers are calling out Hollywood for their failures to represent them.
the latinx TV writers community is stronger than ever, and the time is here to make our mark on our own terms – listen up hollywood, you need us to make our stories! #nostoriesaboutuswithoutus #yabastahollywood pic.twitter.com/Fhy346xoCE
— javier grillo-marxuach (@OKBJGM) October 15, 2020
- Today DC announced a huge new event for 2021: DC Futures. And it sounds amazing.
- So, Trump made ASBESTOS legal again? (via Rollingstone)
- But, hey! The USPS has agreed to reverse recent changes. (via Associated Press)
- And to close out, the only content you really need today.
smol boy big energy pic.twitter.com/WGHul5Y8jG
— Oregoth Boo (@OregonZoo) October 15, 2020
What did you see today?
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