“Late Night with Seth Meyers” writer Amber Ruffin took aim at “Roseanne” for its controversial episode on May 8 where the title character is suspicious of her new Muslim neighbors.
During her “Minute of Fury” segment on Thursday’s “Late Night,” Ruffin took the ABC sitcom to task for it’s “tired a– episode,” saying, “Roseanne is back and better than ever… at being racist.”
“She didn’t like these people until they proved to her that they were ‘one of the good ones’ by giving her their WiFi password,” Ruffin said. “So what would’ve happened in this episode if they had been mean to her? Which was their right to do. She’d have called the cops and they’d have gone to jail, that’s what the f— what.”
The episode sees Roseanne spying on her new neighbors, who are of Middle Eastern descent, because she thinks they might be building a bomb. Her character also refers to the country she thinks her Muslim neighbors are probably from as “Talibanjistan,” when they’re actually from Yemen. The episode ended with Roseanne realizing her new neighbors weren’t actually that much different than her all since their WiFi password was “Go Cubs.”
The episode has been criticized for being Islamophobic and promoting harmful, racially-insensitive stereotypes.
https://twitter.com/ekhatami/status/994207199957274624
“That’s what’s wrong with this episode,” Ruffin concluded. “The minorities have to prove themselves to her.”
Barr, for her part, has defended the episode and shot back at reports this week that said ABC was trying to reign her in for next season.
ABC has been nothing but supportive to me and my show and all of our ideas. The press has misrepresented what ABC President said about our new season.
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 16, 2018
ABC has supported my work, has NOT silenced me will NOT censor me or any of that BS. I have NOT been 'put in my place' or any of that stuff ppl r saying. ABC supports our new season-unlike anything EVER on TV b4. #Roseanne
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 17, 2018
Watch the video above.