Ted Elliot Terry Rossio

Screenwriter Terry Rossio Compares “Anti-Vaxxer” Label to “The N-Word” in Offensive Tweet

Umm...those two things are not the same, dude.
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Hollywood screenwriter Terry Rossio shocked Twitter with an egregiously awful tweet where he compared being “anti-vax” to being called “the n-word” in a bizarre rant against vaccinations. Rossio’s tweet was responding to TV and comics writer Julie Benson, who had retweeted a humorous post about donating to UNICEF’s vaccine fund in the name of your anti-vax relatives for the holidays. The Pirates Of The Caribbean scribe (seen above on the right with his writing partner Ted Elliott) tweeted the following on Thanksgiving:

Hoo boy, there’s a LOT to unpack here. How can one man pack so much stupid into a single tweet? Having an ill-informed and unproven conspiracy theory belief is in no way, shape or form comparable to being called the n-word. And being anti-vax has absolutely zero to do with systemic racism that people of color face on a constant basis. People can’t change the color of their skin, yet anyone can change their ignorant, uneducated views on vaccines.

And as if this comparison weren’t already offensive enough, Rossio saw fit to spell out the n-word in full. Why? And what for? To inspire shock and outrage? To offend anyone scrolling through his Twitter feed on Thanksgiving? Leave it to an obscenely wealthy white man to bandy about hate speech in a rant about his own perceived discrimination. But then again, it’s a fool’s errand to expect coherence from the writer of the The Pirates Of The Caribbean sequels.

And this isn’t even getting into anti-vaxxer views themselves, which have been repeatedly scientifically debunked and have lead to the resurgences of previously eradicated illnesses threatening the entire population. Anti-vax views are not only ignorant; they are downright dangerous to the population and especially to children.

Twitter was quick to come for Rossio for his offensive tweet, as you would expect:

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to everyone but Terry Rossio.

(via Huffington Post, image: Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

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Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.