In case you did not tune in for the Emmy’s on Sunday night, there was an appearance during the show that left many people watching at home as well as the actors within the crowd surprised: Sean Spicer. Yes, the former White House press secretary came on during the event. He came out at the end of host Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue. While standing on a podium he seemed to poke fun at himself by saying, “this will be the largest audience to witness the Emmys, period — both in person and around the world,” seemingly a reference to what he said back in January when reporters asked him about the Trump inauguration crowd numbers.
The reactions to Sean Spicer were better than Sean Spicer #Emmys pic.twitter.com/KTBZwVwXCM
— Emily Longeretta (@emilylongeretta) September 18, 2017
It comes as no surprise that (most of) the members of the crowd immediately found this brilliant and hysterical. Many celebrities were shown laughing and pointing, looking as amused as ever. Melissa McCarthy, Julie Bowen, and Sarah Hyland were some of the ones shown to be entertained by Spicer’s short cameo. This appearance follows another previous unusual appearance from Sean Spicer after he joined Jimmy Kimmel for an interview. The host along with the crowd laughed at his comments about Trump’s tweeting habits, fake news, and Melissa McCarthy’s SNL impersonation of him.
While Sean Spicer seems to be doing what every other public figure with a tainted image has done, the problem is not that itself but more the way that hollywood has seemed to enable him. It seems that all it took was less than average jokes on Jimmy Kimmel and an Emmy appearance for these celebrities to forget the comments that he made that gave him the image that he is so badly trying to repair in the first place. Many celebrities who spoke out against him are the ones who seemed to be the most amused. Celebrities that constantly criticize Donald Trump and his administration seemed to have forgotten that this man is not only a racist himself but also worked for the person that they so constantly speak out against.
It is definitely upsetting that Spicer has been able to so easily become a source of amusement instead of a source of anger within merely two hollywood-esque appearances. James Corden, host of the Late Late Show With James Cordon, recently condemned Trump’s trans military ban on his show. However, he is a prime example of the wishy washy attitude people within hollywood possess as he was photographed jokingly giving Spicer a kiss on the cheek backstage at the Emmy’s. When confronted with criticism he had this to say:
“And I just want to say, I think people are forgetting that this man lied to the American people, and should not be embraced. These Hollywood phonies kissing up to Sean Spicer are disgusting. I mean, who did this? Who are we talking about here?!”
He goes on to say that he does not really know why he did it but that he was not the only one. He also says that he has read what all the people have been tweeting him and that he “truly” understands. Although he did basically laugh off the criticism he received without giving a real apology, Corden does point out something that further proves the gross way in which Spicer is being normalized by hollywood. A tweet shows various celebrities lining up to take a picture with him backstage on Sunday night.
What pariah? Sean Spicer getting mobbed in #Emmys lobby. Posing for pics, drinking beer, soaking up all attention after onstage appearance pic.twitter.com/WqJpaRtAvK
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) September 18, 2017
It really comes as no surprise that an industry that is majority white and wealthy sees no problem in cozying up to a man that has become as infamous as he has because of his insensitive comments and participation in an administration designed to oppress those who are not white nor wealthy. It is easy to do when the administration of which he was a part of does not affect you and your 2% circle. Hollywood needs to do better, their influence could be used for so much more if only it were to be put to use for the right things…instead of entertaining racists.
