Hey, did you hear? President Shitferbrains said some profoundly racist things in a meeting about immigration: namely asking “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” And when asked about Haitians, “Why do we need more Haitians? Take them out.” Additionally: “Trump then suggested that the United States should instead bring more people from countries such as Norway, whose prime minister he met with Wednesday. The president, according to a White House official, also suggested he would be open to more immigrants from Asian countries because he felt that they help the United States economically.”
Can we all finally agree that this man is a racist? Why are we still arguing about this? What more evidence is necessary?
Oh lord, y’all, I did not want to talk about this story. The fact is I try to limit my criticisms of Dummy on this blog to his attacks on the First Amendment and the media because the truth is he does so many awful things every day that if I were to pay attention to all of them here, this would turn into whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com and that site already exists.
But this particular bit of assholery on his part has itself turned into a media story in its own right. For instance, “shithole” is not exactly a word that the FCC is cool with being uttered on network TV, and yet, it’s news when the President says it, particularly when it involves international policy. So what to do? NBC Nightly News warned parents before broadcasting the story; ABC refused to repeat the word; CNN and MSNBC used it and did not spell the word with asterisks on their chyrons, whereas Fox News did.
The media also responded to these racist comments, CNN quite furiously:
Please spend the two and a half minutes to watch Anderson Cooper’s emotional comments about Haiti:
Don Lemon has had enough of your shit, Trump supporters, and for those of you who call people who point out racism the real racists, he’d like you to go fuck yourselves:
When cable news panelists are threatening to gut each other like fish (at about the 1:54 mark), things have really spun out of control:
Later, Don Lemon cut the fish off after the fish called him lazy:
Morning Joe also had some thoughts, namely: “Our president is not only racist, not only stupid, he’s not only imbalanced, he’s evil.”
Meanwhile, over on Fox News, Tucker Carlson wondered why you can’t call black and brown countries shitholes, while The Five claims that this is just how “real” Americans talk: “If you are in a bar in Wisconsin and you are thinking they are bringing in a bunch of Haiti people or El Salvadorians [sic] or people from Niger, this is how some people talk,” he continued. “Is it graceful? No. Is it polite or delicate? Absolutely not. Is it a little offensive? Of course it is. But you know what? This doesn’t move the needle at all. This is how Trump is. He doesn’t care. He shoots from the hip. And if he offends some people, fine.”
The White House initially did not deny that President Grand Wizard made the comments, but after reportedly calling his allies to see how it was playing in what one White House official referred to as “a victory lap,” President Jackass tweeted the following lies:
And, in fact, here is Senator Dick Durbin, who was in the room, calling the President a liar:
Alright, GOP, you’re in charge. So what do you have to say about this, and what are you going to do about it?
In other President Chuckles and the TV news, Trunk becomes very defensive when it is suggested that he watches a lot of TV — WHICH HE OBVIOUSLY DOES — so Matthew Gertz is doing the Lord’s work comparing Tink’s tweets to Fox & Friends’ segments to pin down where and when the President is being spoon-fed his nonsense:
This moment of senility and incompetence also led to these tense exchanges with Sarah Huckabee Sanders, in which she tries to claim that the President does not take his marching orders from Fox & Friends EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THE RECEIPTS:
Meanwhile, at Fox News, some are uncomfortable at being considered state news. (Sure they are.)
Oh and Stephen Colbert is going to broadcast live on the night of the State of the Union Address because God only knows what horrible shit Tinkles going to spew that night.
I need a drink and it’s only noon.
HBO had their turn at the TCAS yesterday; here’s what we learned:
No, the Game of Thrones prequel(s) will not be ready in time to be launched by the final season of Game of Thrones, so stop asking. Also, no, no current Game of Thrones characters will be in the prequels, so stop asking. But there will be some “familiar bloodlines” which, you know, no shit, Sherlock, of course there will be. The history of Westeros is the history of these “familiar” bloodlines, so this isn’t exactly news. And it is sounding more and more likely that there will only be one prequel series, boo.
Sounds like Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen will start filming later this year. This will be a series I will have to blog, I’m afraid.
The Deadwood movie will hopefully start filming in the fall. But it probably won’t lead to a reboot of the series.
Neither Big Little Lies 2 nor True Detective 3 will air in 2018.
Ronan Farrow signed a three-year deal to make investigative documentaries for HBO.
The upcoming series Succession is NOT about the Murdochs. ABSOLUTELY NOT. DEFINITELY NOT.
Fahrenheit 451 is not going to be about Donald Trump according to the writer and executive producer: “…because I don’t want to excuse the 30 to 40 years prior to that; he’s just an exaggeration of it now. I don’t want us to forget what Bradbury said — that we asked for this. We elected [politicians] over many decades, we’re electing this thing in my pocket [pulls out his cellphone]. Between the technological advancements in the last 20 years and politics, Bradbury’s biggest concern about the erosion of culture is now.”
Jon Stewart, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Tituss Burgess are going to guest on 2 Dope Queens.
Paterno is being described as a #MeToo story six years ahead of its time.
Whoa, producer Brad Grey sounds like a dick.
HOORAY, JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS!
In Other TV News
You can watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for free on Amazon right now if you don’t have a Prime membership, but why on Earth wouldn’t you have a Prime membership? How do you function?
Arrested Development has wrapped filming, but we don’t have word on when it will stream on Netflix just yet.
There are 200 streaming services which is too many streaming services.
Bryan Cranston deliberately looked for female voices for Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams because Bryan Cranston gets it.
The Alienist is already thinking about a second season, even though it’s considered a “limited series” at the moment.
Wait, there were rumors of a Harry Potter TV series?!
If you were hoping to hear Obama and David Letterman’s thoughts on Trump on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, you’re going to be disappointed.
Netflix is being accused of glamorizing sex trafficking.
I don’t love LA to Vegas, it’s fine or whatever, but it will be worth watching next week:
Jessica Chastain and Will Ferrell (yay!) are going to host Saturday Night Live this month.
Daily Groper Report
Steven Seagal is being investigated for rape.
Stan Lee is being accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women.
Johnathon Schaech has accused director Franco Zeffirelli of molesting him.
Paul Haggis’ ex-wife is defending him against the allegations against him, and with details.
President Oprah hosted a panel with Reese Witherspoon, America Ferrera, Natalie Portman, Tracee Ellis Ross, Shonda Rhimes, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, and attorney Nina Shaw to talk about the Time’s Up movement.
Dear Men: Take notes from Dan Harmon. Signed, Women.
What are you going to do about James Franco, HBO?
Mira Sorvino is worried that the Times Up movement is worrying too much about equal pay. MIRA, IT’S ALL A PART OF THE SAME PROBLEM, GIRL.
Oh, Italy’s Donald Trump agrees with Catherine Deneuve? You don’t say. BUT ALSO, WHO ASKED SILVIO BERLUSCONI?
Renewals
- Full Frontal with Samantha Bee has been renewed for two more seasons.
- American Dad! has been renewed for two more seasons by TBS.
- Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker’s Wild has been renewed by TBS.
- Drop the Mic has been renewed by TBS.
- Adult Swim has renewed Mr. Pickle for a third season.
In Development
- Bryan Fuller is working on a Vampire Chronicles series with Ann Rice. (!!!!)
- Hulu has ordered a pilot for Search and Destroy, a comedy based on Carrie Brownstein’s memoir.
- The Wangs vs. the World is being turned into a series for Hulu.
- TruTV has greenlit Paid Off, a comedic game show.
- Nickelodeon is working on a bunch of projects with John Cena.
- Producer Richard B. Lewis is developing adaptations of The Fifth Letter, The Boss Of It All and a series about monsters and their creators for Universal Cable.
Casting News
- Brad Garrett is joining the cast of I’m Dying Up Here.
- Brooke Shields is going to do a guest arc on Jane the Virgin.
- Nancy Travis is going to co-star in Netflix’s The Kominsky Method.
- Fiona Gubelmann is joining The Good Doctor.
- Jack Huston and Maximiliano Hernandez are joining the cast of Mr. Mercedes.
Mark Your Calendar
HBO dates:
- Last Week Tonight returns on February 18.
- Barry will debut on March 25.
- 2 Dope Queens will debut on February 2.
- A Flight of the Conchords special will air in the spring.
- Fahrenheit 451 will debut in the spring.
- Paterno will debut in the spring.
- Elvis Presley: The Searcher will debut on April 14.
- Atomic Homefront will air on February 12.
- Arthur Miller: Writer will air on March 19.
- The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling will air on March 26 & 27.
- King in the Wilderness will air in April.
- Traffic Stop will air in April.
- I Am Evidence will air in Aril.
- The Final Year will air in May.
- Succession will debut in June.
- Jane Fonda in Five Acts will debut sometime later this year.
- Elementary will return on April 30.
- Code Black returns on May 2.
- Talk Show the Game Show debuts on February 1.
- Adam Ruins Everything returns on March 20.
- The Chris Gethard Show returns on March 20.
- Condor will debut on June 6.
- Ice returns on March 28.
- You Me Her returns on March 20.
- Refuge will premiere on February 14.
- The Pitch will premiere on February 14.
The Last O.G. will debut on TBS on April 3.
Love & Hate Crime will debut on Investigation Discovery on February 25.
R.I.P.
Doreen Tracy, Original Mouseketeer
Carole Hart, Writer and producer of children’s programming, including Sesame Street
Alan Bleviss, Voice-over artist
WATCH THIS
FRIDAY
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams: Burned through Black Mirror already? Amazon’s got you covered with their own dystopian anthology series. Series premiere. Amazon
Taken: Places you don’t want to be: Mexican prisons. Season premiere. 8 p.m., NBC
The Polka King: Jack Black stars in this Netflix film based on a true story about a polka star who may have committed some financial shenanigans. Netflix
SATURDAY
Saturday Night Live: Sam Rockwell & Halsey 10:30 p.m., NBC
The Blues Brothers: There are 106 miles to Chicago, we have a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark and we’re wearing sunglasses. 8:45 p.m., The Movie Channel
Blue Velvet: In keeping with the “Blue” theme. 9:30 p.m., Indie
SUNDAY
Victoria: Burned through “The Crown” already? PBS’s got you covered with their own series about a British queen. Season premiere. 8 p.m., PBS
Divorce: Frances battles insomnia in the season premiere. Welcome to the club, Frances. 9 p.m., HBO
Crashing: Penn Jillette will fuck your shit up. Season premiere. 9:30 p.m., HBO
Wisdom of the Crowd: BYE. Season (series) finale. 7 p.m., CBS
Late Night: Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (Friday): James Spader, Camila Cabello, Pete Lee The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: (Friday): Laurie Metcalf Watch What Happens Live (Sunday): Bob Harper, Sheree Whitfield
| FRI. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | Child Support (new) |
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (new) |
20/20 (new) |
| CBS | MacGyver (new) |
Hawaii Five-0 (new) |
Blue Bloods (new) |
| CW | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (new) |
Penn & Teller: Fool Us (repeat) |
Local |
| FOX | Hell’s Kitchen (new) |
The X-Files (repeat) |
Local |
| NBC | Blindspot (new) |
Taken (new) |
Dateline (new) |
—
| SAT. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 | 11:00 | 11:30 |
| ABC | Flushed Away | 20/20 (repeat) |
News/Local |
| CBS | NFL Football (live) |
News/Local |
| FOX | The Four (repeat) |
News/Local |
| NBC | Will & Grace (repeat) |
Superstore (repeat) |
Saturday Night Live (repeat) |
News/Local | Saturday Night Live (Sam Rockwell & Halsey) |
—
| SUN. | 6:00 | 6:30 | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | America’s Funniest Home Videos (repeat) |
America’s Funniest Home Videos (new) |
Shark Tank (new) |
Shark Tank (new) |
| CBS | 60 Minutes (new) |
Widom of the Crowd (new) |
NCIS: Los Angeles (new) |
Madam Secretary (new) |
| FOX | Football (repeat) |
The OT (repeat) |
The Simpsons (new) |
Ghosted (new) |
Family Guy (new) |
The Last Man on Earth (new) |
Local/News |
| NBC | Dateline (new) |
Ride Along |
I’m glad that 451 will be about more than just Trump. There are so many more aspects in that book about society and how it led to where they were in the book. I need to re-read that book again.