ROUND ONE
Boner Candidate #1: I HAVE NOT HATE IN MY HEART.
In the June 30 episode of “Cannon’s Class,” the actor and TV host interviewed Professor Griff, a rapper who was a part of Public Enemy before leaving the group after making anti-Semitic remarks. On the podcast, Cannon said Black people are the “true Hebrews” and talked about anti-Semitic conspiracy theories involving the Rothschild family. “It’s never hate speech, you can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people,” Cannon said. “When we are the same people who they want to be. That’s our birthright. We are the true Hebrews.” A ViacomCBS spokesperson released a statement to Variety, saying that the company’s relationship with Cannon is now terminated. “ViacomCBS condemns bigotry of any kind and we categorically denounce all forms of anti-Semitism. We have spoken with Nick Cannon about an episode of his podcast ‘Cannon’s Class’ on YouTube, which promoted hateful speech and spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. While we support ongoing education and dialogue in the fight against bigotry, we are deeply troubled that Nick has failed to acknowledge or apologize for perpetuating anti-Semitism, and we are terminating our relationship with him. We are committed to doing better in our response to incidents of anti-Semitism, racism, and bigotry. ViacomCBS will have further announcements on our efforts to combat hate of all kinds,” the company said.
Boner Candidate #2: IT’S THE BEER THAT COMES WITH A KLAN HOOD.
A Swedish beer designed to denounce the ails of racism and bigotry is facing backlash due to its packaging appearing to reflect the hood worn by Ku Klux Klan members. The beer, Yellow Belly Imperial Stout, a beer sold at various stores and restaurants across the country, has been pulled from the shelves at World of Beer, a bar and restaurant in Hartford, Connecticut. A customer wrote a scathing post on Facebook about the restaurant selling the beer Saturday, and by Monday, the beer was pulled. Customer Erika Davis-Pitre wrote a review on Facebook about the establishment with concerns about the beer being sold and promoted on Facebook by World of Beer. “I literally thought it was someone posting in support (of) the KKK & I was perplexed, wondering who would do such a thing,” she wrote. “Presenting this packaging to any customer, let alone a Black customer, is insensitive at best or just downright racist.” World of Beer responded to her post Monday, stating the beer had been pulled “from further sale.” “Please accept our apologies for the lapse in judgment in serving. While we can’t speak for the intent of the brewer, the visual representation does not have a place at our establishment. We appreciate you bringing it to our attention and welcome the opportunity for discussion.”
Boner Candidate #3: THAT CAN ISN’T THE ONLY THING THAT’S FULL OF BEANS.
Ivanka Trump weighed in on the Goya Foods controversy Tuesday night, publicly backing the brand in a now-viral social media post after liberals called for a boycott of the canned bean producer. The first daughter and senior advisor to President Trump tweeted a photo of herself holding up a can black beans with the caption: “If it’s Goya, it has to be good.” “Si es Goya, tiene que ser bueno,” she added in Spanish. The food brand has faced a backlash supported by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Latino leaders after CEO Robert Unanue praised the president last week. “We’re all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump, who is a builder,” Unanue said at an event in the Rose Garden at the White House, where the president signed an executive order on the “White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative.” Fierce criticism and threats of a boycott ensued on Twitter, with users reminding Unanue of Trump’s history of controversial comments, such as calling some Mexican undocumented immigrants “rapists” in 2015 — and his hardline policies toward illegal immigration from Mexico. But a defiant Unanue defended his right to free speech and refused to apologize.
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ROUND ONE
Boner Candidate #1: WELCOME HOME… NO, STAY HOME.
In retrospect, maybe “Haunted Hotel” was the wrong vibe. Walt Disney World Jobs On Saturday, the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, opened to guests for the first time since closing on March 15. To mark the occasion, the official “Disney Parks Jobs” Twitter account posted a short video promoting the park’s reopening. In the video, shots of various park attractions—Cinderella Castle, the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride, Spaceship Earth at Epcot, and so on—are intercut with shots of Disney park employees welcoming guests back to the parks. Those employees, including hotel housekeeping staff, cooks, concierges, and costumed cast members, all wear surgical masks and say “Welcome home!” directly into the camera, except for the First Order stormtrooper at the end, who says, “Welcome, citizens.” The whole thing is set to upbeat orchestral music. The Disney Parks Jobs account soon deleted the tweet, but the video is still up on Instagram. Neither the dystopian vibes of the promo nor the possible risks of visiting an amusement park during a pandemic were lost on the internet at large, and the video will now live on forever in a million parodies. Some people took advantage of the fact that you can dub anything you’d like over footage of someone wearing a mask, since their lips aren’t visible. This trick came in simple public service varieties like this one.
Boner Candidate #2: IN THE TRUMP WHITEHOUSE, WE DON’T CARE FOR SMART PEOPLE.
WASHINGTON — White House officials this week have denied trying to undermine Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, for his stark analysis of the coronavirus pandemic. But Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff for communications, undercut that message by posting a cartoon mocking Dr. Fauci by an artist whose work has been criticized for its anti-Semitic imagery. Mr. Scavino on Sunday posted on Facebook a rendering of Dr. Fauci that likened him to a faucet drowning Uncle Sam — in the case, representing the economy — with water drops labeled with mock public health warnings considered antithetical to White House policy: “Schools stay closed this fall!” “Indefinite lockdown!” “Shut up and obey!” The post from Mr. Scavino, one of Mr. Trump’s most trusted advisers, is another example of the Trump administration treating Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases as another political opponent, though Mr. Scavino refers to him as a colleague. “Sorry, Dr. Faucet!” Mr. Scavino wrote in a caption accompanying the post. “At least you know if I’m going to disagree with a colleague, such as yourself, it’s done publicly — and not cowardly, behind journalists with leaks. See you tomorrow!”
Boner Candidate #3: IT’S PRETTY EASY TO PRANK THE UNINFORMED.
“Tiger King” star and animal activist Carole Baskin fell prey to a comedian’s prank — and ended up wishing a happy birthday to a high-profile Australian pedophile. The founder of Big Cats Rescue — who shot to fame as Joe Exotic’s nemesis on Netflix’s “Tiger King” documentary — blew disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris a kiss in a birthday video message on Cameo, The Sun reported. “Hi Rolf Harris, all your kids wanted to get together and tell you that you have really touched them and that they love all that you have done for them,” Baskin says in the clip. “I hear there’s a lot of great stories about you and your best friend Jimmy Savile,” Baskin continued, apparently unaware that Savile was an English radio personality accused of sexual abuse by hundreds of people after his 2011 death. “Can’t wait to hear those,” Baskin adds. “Happy birthday Rolf.” Australian comedian Tom Armstrong said he was behind the practical joke, and posted the video on TikTok. “Surely I couldn’t get another American celebrity to shout out Australia’s most notorious sexual predator,” Armstrong said.
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