Norm MacDonald Canceled, Why Me Too Has Gone Too Far
Norm Macdonald's appearance on the Tonight Show was canceled because he made tepid comments about the MeToo movement. All he simply said was that it was good that things slowed down because some innocent people have faced the brunt of false allegations. Some say this is Social Justice Warriors going to far and others say he made rude and "ton-deaf" comments and should have his Netflix show canceled. But for me, This story , Aziz Ansari's Story, Hardwick's story, and The Asia Argento Scandal say to me that things have gone too far and need to be criticized.
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Comedian Norm Macdonald was set to appear on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to promote his new Netflix show, but that appearance was cancelled by The Tonight Show due to controversial statements made by Norm Macdonald about the MeToo movement.
A few months ago, I asked, has the MeToo movement gone too far?
And this was in response to what happened with Aziz Ansari.
He was essentially involved in a bad date, but this turned into an actual case of sexual impropriety.
Norm Macdonald gave an interview where he brought up Chris Hardwick, somebody who wasn't even really accused.
His ex-girlfriend wrote a blog, didn't name him, but people knew who she was probably talking about.
And then Hardwick was removed from his show.
Recently, he got his show back.
And Norm Macdonald brought this up saying, hey, maybe it's good that things slow down because some innocent people are being affected by this.
Today, I think it's fair to say that there are several examples showing the MeToo movement has gone too far.
Most notably, the fact that Norm MacDonald would be cancelled from an appearance on a TV show for simply suggesting MeToo has slowed down is rather shocking.
But we have some other examples.
We have the instance of Chris Hardwick, and we have the instance of Asia Argento.
So today, let's look at some examples of where I think the MeToo movement has gone too far, but I want to point out first and foremost, I think the MeToo movement has done great things.
I think it's very important that certain people who are committing these acts against innocent people, committing sexual impropriety, are being found out, are being punished, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't criticize it.
So first, let's start with today's news.
From USA Today, The Tonight Show cancels Norm Macdonald's appearance after controversial Me Too comments.
The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon pulled the plug on Norm Macdonald's appearance following the comedian's controversial remarks on the Me Too movement.
Out of sensitivity to our audience and in light of Norm Macdonald's comments in the press today, The Tonight Show has decided to cancel his appearance on Tuesday's telecast, a spokesperson said in a statement to USA Today.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Tuesday, McDonald, 58, admitted he was happy the MeToo movement has slowed down a bit.
He continued, It used to be, 100 women can't be lying.
And then it became, one woman can't lie.
And then it became, I believe all women.
And then you're like, what?
Like, that Chris Hardwick guy, I really thought he got the blunt end of the stick there.
McDonnell told The Hollywood Reporter that derailing the life's work of a celebrity who admits to any wrongdoing isn't healthy, referring to close friends Louis C.K., who was accused by five women of sexual misconduct, and Roseanne Barr, whose namesake TV series reboot was abruptly cancelled following her racist tweet about former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett.
Bar was just so broken, and just crying constantly.
There are very few people that have gone through what they have, losing everything in a day, MacDonald said.
Of course people will go, what about the victims?
But you know what?
The victims didn't have to go through that.
The story ends by saying MacDonald's new interview series, Norm MacDonald Has a Show, is launching on Netflix September 14th, but only time will tell if the comedian faces further blowback from his comments.
One Twitter user said, So I'll say it again before moving on, the MeToo movement has done some pretty great things.
lose everything like CK did, the title should be changed to, Norm Macdonald doesn't have a show for much longer.
So I'll say it again before moving on, the MeToo movement has done some pretty great things.
However, when Norm Macdonald can't even criticize MeToo a little bit without having an appearance
cancelled, I think it's fair to say the movement has gone too far.
It's one thing to say, listen, workplace abuse, sexual violence against women, and this kind of culture is a bad thing.
It's another thing to say that there is something bigger, that the MeToo movement is more of an ideology outside of just calling out bad behavior.
Norm Macdonald didn't say MeToo was bad.
He just said it's good that it's slowing down because Chris Hardwick got the blunt end of the stick.
And because of that, he's being punished.
And people have actually said he should lose his show because he dare criticize the bad aspects of the MeToo movement.
And there are bad aspects.
I brought up Aziz Ansari.
But let's take a look at what happened with Chris Hardwick.
The most recent news was that Chris Hardwick got his show back, and this is from People.
Chris Hardwick gets emotional during TV return after sexual abuse allegation.
Following the mid-season premiere of Fear of the Walking Dead, Hardwick, 46, returned to host AMC's Talking Dead for the first time since allegations of emotional and sexual abuse were levied against him by ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra.
Yvette Nicole Brown was originally slated to replace him as a host, but the network reinstated Hardwick after completing an internal investigation into the allegations.
Hardwick teared up while opening the episode saying, I really just want to take a minute and I want to say that
I'm so appreciative to be standing here right now according to Entertainment Weekly. And I want to
thank you, the Walking Dead community, for all your support over these past couple months.
This show is not just a job to me.
This is a vital part of my life.
This has been a sanctuary these last seven years we've been here.
In June, Dykstra29 wrote about her painful experience with sexual assault at the hands of a former boyfriend in an emotional first-person essay titled, Rose-Colored Glasses, A Confession.
Though she didn't name Hardwick as the subject, certain key details led many fans on Twitter to believe that she was referring to him.
They dated for three years before announcing their split in July 2014.
July 2014.
Hours after Dykstra's claim went public, Hardwick issued a statement denying that he ever sexually
assaulted her.
I was heartbroken to read Khloe's post, he said.
Our three-year relationship was not perfect.
We were ultimately not a good match, and argues, even shouted at each other.
But I loved her and did my best to uplift and support her as a partner and companion
in any way and at no time did I sexually assault her.
Hardwick's wife, Lydia Hurst, and two former girlfriends, Andrea Savage and Jacinda Barrett,
have all defended him against the allegations.
In late July, AMC announced Hardwick's return.
Following a comprehensive assessment by AMC, working with Ivy Kagan-Beerman of the firm Loeb & Loeb, who has considerable experience in this area, Chris Hardwick will return to AMC as the host of Talking Dead and Talking With Chris Hardwick, the network said in a statement obtained by EW.
We take these matters very seriously, and given the information available to us, and after a very careful review, including interviews with numerous individuals, we believe returning Chris to work is the appropriate step.
Chris Hardwick should not have been removed from the show in the first place because Chloe Dykstra published an unnamed accusation about a relationship.
There's not even much to go on to point the finger at Chris Hardwick, but people did.
And it turns out that his wife, his former girlfriends, and even an investigation cleared his name.
Thus, you can say, yes, Me Too has done good things, but in that instance, it did go too far.
In the case of Aziz Ansari being criticized for a bad date, it also went too far.
But now for one of the larger stories.
When I ask the question, has the Me Too movement gone too far?
There is a debate here, but I think with what we've seen with Aja Argento, the answer is absolutely.
Because not only did she pay out after abusing a minor, she is now accusing the minor of abusing her.
From The Gothamist, Asia Argento releases lengthy statement claiming underage accuser sexually attacked her.
After initially denying reports that she had sexually assaulted or even had relations with a former underage co-star, Argento is now on the offensive.
In a long, somewhat rambling statement posted to her attorney's website, Argento has now claimed that accuser Jimmy Bennett attacked her and calls for a phase two of the MeToo movement.
It reads, Ozzio believes that all victims, whether or not they have led a blemishless life, should have the courage to come forward and not be afraid that the abuse that they are complaining of will be colored by any negative dynamics in their history.
The New York Times reported last month that Argento had paid $380,000 to Bennett, who once played her son in a movie, after he claimed she assaulted him when he was 17, which is under the legal age of consent in California.
Argento adamantly denied they ever had sex.
I have never had any relationship with Bennett, she said in a statement, adding that her late boyfriend Anthony Bourdain was involved in the decision to deal compassionately with Bennett's demands for help, and Bourdain personally undertook to help Bennett economically.
Argento now says in her statement, that wasn't a contradiction.
They never had a sexual relationship, just sex one time.
Her relationship with Bennett was never sexual, but rather the relationship was a long-distance friendship over many years.
As revealed in text messages published by TMZ, Asia stated, The horny kid jumped me.
I had sex with him.
It felt weird.
She went on to relate that she became frozen when he was on top of her, and he told her that she had been his fantasy since he was 12 years old.
Asia chose at the time to not prosecute Bennett for attacking her.
Argento is one of the most prominent faces of the MeToo movement.
She's considered to be one of its leaders.
And according to the New York Times, she paid out nearly $400,000 after she was accused of abusing a minor.
When one of your leaders is accused of abusing a minor and then tries to claim the minor abused her, I have to say, your movement is going too far.
And there are many people within MeToo who have called her out, and by good measure.
But Argento is now trying to use her status to launch Phase 2 of the MeToo movement, but she's victim-blaming.
This is a case where an underage person has accused her, and she is claiming the underage person actually assaulted her.
The classic defense, I guess.
The child came on to me.
And it just doesn't work.
At some point, you have to say, look, The MeToo movement is worthy of criticism.
Did it do good things?
Yes.
Does it still do good things?
Absolutely.
But nothing is perfect.
And that doesn't mean the MeToo movement is entirely bad, but it certainly means it's going too far when Norm Macdonald simply criticizes some of the bad aspects of the MeToo movement and has his appearance cancelled on Jimmy Fallon.
Is the Fallon audience so sensitive they couldn't hear a rational criticism of things that have gone too far, of innocent people being accused, and of one of its leaders being a predator?
What's really fascinating is that the interview with Norm Macdonald wasn't even really that controversial from a rational point of view.
He says, I live in LA where I'm always faced with the lunacy of the left.
I didn't know that the same lunacy existed on the right, so I never really bought into this notion that everybody is racist.
Because there was a black president, you know.
But the Sacha Baron Cohen show has also been a frightening eye-opener.
I was also in a bubble in a different way.
I guess everyone is an effing idiot, everyone is an ideologue, hopefully the pendulum will slow down in the next four years.
Norm Macdonald was actually criticizing the right.
And so he was asked.
And swing back towards liberalism.
Not necessarily, Norm Macdonald says.
I'm happy the MeToo movement has slowed down a little bit.
It used to be 100 women can't be lying, and then it became one woman can't lie, and that became I believe all women, and then you're like, what?
Like that Chris Hardwick guy.
I really thought got the blunt end of the stick here.
He says, The model used to be admit wrongdoing, show complete contrition, and then we give you a second chance.
Now it's admit wrongdoing and you're finished.
And so the only way to survive is to deny, deny, deny that's not healthy.
That there is no forgiveness.
I do think that at some point it will end with a completely innocent person of prominence sticking a gun in his head and ending it.
That's my guess.
I know a couple of people this has happened to.
We need to create space for forgiveness.
We need to give people second chances, sometimes even third chances.
And I've explained this, but I'll explain it again.
If someone does something wrong, if someone embraces some kind of bad politics, or actually just does something really terrible and get called out for it, If you do not give them a chance to be forgiven, one of two things will happen.
They're going to deny it and try and claim it never happened, and their fans will double down and defend them, saying you're the liar.
The other thing is, the only option you give them is to go in the other direction.
You will end up driving people into the hands of those you do not like, into the hands of political factions that you think are bad, if you don't give them an opportunity.
Norm Macdonald was correct.
And the fact that his appearance was cancelled for this tepid criticism, it's not even the worst criticism I've heard, I think I've been more critical than he has been, shows that, in my opinion, Me Too has gone too far.
It's getting crazy.
Aziz Ansari, Chris Hardwick, Asia Argento being a predator, and now Norm Macdonald's getting cancelled for this?
This is ridiculous, if you were to ask me.
But let me know what you think in the comments below, and we'll keep the conversation going.
How do you feel?
Obviously, we're on YouTube, so we're gonna get a lot of people who think the MeToo movement has gone too far, but I think I've given some rational arguments as to why it has, and needs to be pulled back a little bit.
I'm in agreement with Norm Macdonald, that it's a good thing it's slowing down a little bit because of the problems that have been caused by it.
But what do you think?
Comment below, we'll keep the conversation going.
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