This infantile drive behind cancel culture in this country right now is as tiresome as it is insipid, but it is something that needs to be beaten back. It is not only about preserving culture and maintaining the integrity of our freedoms — deeply important aspects, those — it also is needed because the more these cranks win the more it means the stupid people gain control.
Jemele Hill is frequently lending her Karen-like voice to efforts at cancelling those who say something she finds objectionable. Her latest salvo in this culture siege was to join in with those going after Dave Portnoy, the president of Barstool Sports, a man who frequently bothers the squeamish-set by saying coarse things and not caring about the outrage.
Portnoy was discovered to have said some racially sensitive things about the cancel culture demigod Colin Kaepernick, and so a push is underway to damage both the man and his outlet. And any entity that may be connected to Barstool. Jemele saw this and decided to join the fray.
This is terrible, but then again, consider the source. https://t.co/1NzbNXP163
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) June 28, 2020
Portnoy, if you are unfamiliar, is not the type to cower and apologize over incidents like this. While the man can be crude and is not the type for everyone he is refreshing in his way of not apologizing to the torch-and-pitchfork crowd. He responded to Hill by noting how the segment for which he is under fire he also said some supportive comments of Kaepernick and how he understands his concerns.
Then he came back with an objectionable comment made by Hill from HER past. Jemele made what most consider an intolerant remark (their rules) about transgender individuals.
Jemele is transphobic. pic.twitter.com/myOGu6Yqv9
— cancel (@TheSmithuation_) June 29, 2020
Suddenly, as the hashtag #CancelJemele began trending, she shifted her standard. She began by explaining herself in that tweet. Offering up that context was needed to understand why she tweeted that comment.
Let me address this. I saw some folks circulating this tweet from 2009 in my TL after I criticized Barstool’s Dave Portnoy for a racist skit that went viral yesterday. Let me explain why I kept this tweet up when it was brought to my attention: https://t.co/Fdlwd2qF9u
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) June 29, 2020
For context, the tweet was in reference to Manny Ramirez testing positive for the woman’s fertility drug, gonadotropin. It was wholly ignorant, dumb, and offensive. I am ashamed that I was so uneducated about trans issues at the time. I stand with this community firmly today.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) June 29, 2020
Ah, so SHE is allowed to frame her comments as older and not applicable today, and is permitted to offer context as an excusal, but Dave was not afforded such. As Portnoy noted, they pulled select quotes from his appearance, not the entire interview, omitting the positive comments he had for Kaepernick. But Jemele is allowed to explain, and then apologize, so she is not held to the same standard.
I kept the tweet up because I welcomed the opportunity to apologize and to show growth. See, unlike some people, I’m not defensive about my moments of failure. I learn from them and own it.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) June 29, 2020
Except Portnoy was not defensive, and he did own his comments. He never excused them, but he also did not apologize. His stance was that this need to punish is the problem.
I don’t care about Dave Portnoy or any of the other Barstool sycophants RT’ing this into my TL, like it’s some gotcha moment. I care about the trans community I belittled and offended. If they don’t see me as an ally because of this, it’s my job to show them that I am.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) June 29, 2020
This is delusion of the highest order. The dredging up of an old podcast appearance by Portnoy in order to scorch him was the very definition of a ”Gotcha moment”. The Resist Programming account is all about that very practice, and Jemele jumped right in to encourage the digital ambush. Portnoy was just able to turn the tables on his accuser, and look at the result.
By playing by her rules Portnoy was accused of using a ”gotcha” tactic, had Jemele getting defensive as she accused him of being, and forced her into apology mode after insinuating that he should have done so.
The remarkable part of this is when Jemele was exposed as being guilty of what she charged she resorted to all types of defense and explanation to extract herself from the outrage mob’s focus. Those are the very things the mob does not allow for those they are targeting. This becomes a perfect lesson in how to expose the vacancy of the cancel culture crowds and in how to deal with their baseless accusations.
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