Rosie O’Donnell’s in the news for a Tweet in which she promotes an online game, “Push Trump Off A Cliff Again.” At first glance, it seems right up my alley: Yes, she’s a stand-up comedian. Yes, her public speech is creating a bit of a stir. Yes, there’s a parody in there that’s amusing.
However, she neither conceptualized nor made the game. She also didn’t name the game. Promoting a game that already exists is perhaps cringe-worthy, but hey, this post does it too, so…
Further, she wasn’t joking. Her Tweet wasn’t a joke – it was a bona fide statement that she enjoyed a game, that it amused her. Perhaps she hoped the game would amuse others, but that’s not the same as making a joke.
Nevertheless, her Tweet has provoked outrage, providing more evidence that the actions of all celebrities – even comics – must be policed because comics are dangerous, they have ideological power, the power to change ideas [a concept I’ll address very soon].
