• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

So Sean Spicer went to the Emmys today...

V

V_Arnold

Member
ironichaos said:
This is a terrible point of view and is what has caused the genocide of millions of people throughout history (ex. Germany during WWII). If the task of your job is not moral or not legal, you shouldn't do it.
Click to expand...

I hope you extend this to insurance companies, loan collectors, bank workers bordering on fraudulent activities (like allowing you to take loans that they suspect you wont be able to pay back), prosecuturs pushing for plea bargains, etc.

Waitress in a casino? Working in gun factory? Cruel animal meat factories?
You might think that I am defending Sean here, but I am not. I hated him with a passion just like the rest of the gaf, when he did his job without a spine. But there are plenty of spineless jobs out there who get way less scrutiny around here. IF anything, hate him for the things the did WHILE he went in front of the press, not this.

Stock trading? Speculation? Lobbying? Plenty of immoral things on the foundation of govement, pre-Trump too. Drone strikes on civilians in Pakistan?

Seriously, there is pretentious bullshit, but this...this is some next level faux outrage.
 
C

CloudWolf

Member
Zolo said:
In an ideal world, politicians lying to the press and the public should be punishable with jail time.
Click to expand...

Spicer isn't a politician though, he was the PR guy. Was he a spineless PR guy who works for a shitty human being? Yes. Was the stuff he had to say harmful? Very much so. But does he deserve jail time for being a PR guy for terrible people? Hell no. Otherwise pretty much every spokesperson for big companies should be in jail.
 
Z

Zolo

Member
CloudWolf said:
Spicer isn't a politician though, he was the PR guy. Was he a spineless PR guy who works for a shitty human being? Yes. Was the stuff he had to say harmful? Very much so. But does he deserve jail time for being a PR guy for terrible people? Hell no. Otherwise pretty much every spokesperson for big companies should be in jail.
Click to expand...

There's a difference between representing a company seeking profits and representing the government that's supposed to take care of its citizens.

Only bright side is the hope it at least pissed Trump off.
 
R

royalan

Member
snausagesUK said:
While I agree that the Trump admnin is troubling a lot of the histrionics about fascism and the Nazis in this thread feels deeply disrespectful to actual victims of the Nazis
Click to expand...

It has nothing to do with disrespecting the victims of Nazism, and everything to do with learning the lessons of history.

Nazism didn't start with genocide. It started small.
 
C

CloudWolf

Member
Zolo said:
There's a difference between representing a company seeking profits and representing the government that's supposed to take care of its citizens.

Only bright side is the hope it at least pissed Trump off.
Click to expand...

He's still not to blame for the things he said though, his entire job consisted of him saying things other people want him to say and wrote for him. His only 'crime' is not quitting or standing up because he was obviously saying morally wrong and most of the time very stupid stuff.
 
R

Real Hero

Member
It's not that he should arrested but there should be some political or social cost to doing what he did. But Hollywood is amoral and indifferent so there isn't
 
F

fanboi

Banned
V_Arnold said:
I hope you extend this to insurance companies, loan collectors, bank workers bordering on fraudulent activities (like allowing you to take loans that they suspect you wont be able to pay back), prosecuturs pushing for plea bargains, etc.

Waitress in a casino? Working in gun factory? Cruel animal meat factories?
You might think that I am defending Sean here, but I am not. I hated him with a passion just like the rest of the gaf, when he did his job without a spine. But there are plenty of spineless jobs out there who get way less scrutiny around here. IF anything, hate him for the things the did WHILE he went in front of the press, not this.

Stock trading? Speculation? Lobbying? Plenty of immoral things on the foundation of govement, pre-Trump too. Drone strikes on civilians in Pakistan?

Seriously, there is pretentious bullshit, but this...this is some next level faux outrage.
Click to expand...

My man Arnold here is spot on how I feel.
 
C

CloudWolf

Member
Real Hero said:
It's not that he should arrested but there should be some political or social cost to doing what he did. But Hollywood is amoral and indifferent so there isn't
Click to expand...

There is though. People are clapping and laughing because Sean Spicer actually showing up is unexpected and, dare I say, pretty hilarious considering the nature of the joke, not because they're happy to see him. As multiple other people have said in this thread (including me) Sean Spicer was the joke, socially and polically there's nothing worse than literally becoming a joke.
 
S

SliceSabre

Banned
I've never been the kind of person to sit up and hate on spokesmen for people/companies because I realize they are simply doing a job in a sense. Once you start hating people like that the list gets really long about all the other people in this world you should hate who have similar jobs to his. Hell to an extent many of us posting on this board right now have to spew the bullshit company line to people as part of their jobs whether of not you realize it.

Do I think he's a bit of a tool? Yes, but you have to be a bit of one to decide to be the mouthpiece for someone regardless of who they are. Do I believe he's committed some awful act worthy of scorn forever and jail time? No. The only sin he's committed is that he chose to be the mouthpiece for an asshole.
 
R

Real Hero

Member
CloudWolf said:
There is though. People are clapping and laughing because Sean Spicer actually showing up is unexpected and, dare I say, pretty hilarious considering the nature of the joke. As multiple other people have said in this thread (including me) Sean Spicer was the joke, socially and polically there's nothing worse than literally becoming a joke.
Click to expand...

I disagree, he clearly doesn't mind so whats the joke? He's there, the centre of attention and playing into it. He's in on the joke even if it is him. Reducing it all to a joke is the issue tbh
 
D

Dr.Acula

Banned
V_Arnold said:
I hope you extend this to insurance companies, loan collectors, bank workers bordering on fraudulent activities (like allowing you to take loans that they suspect you wont be able to pay back), prosecuturs pushing for plea bargains, etc.

Waitress in a casino? Working in gun factory? Cruel animal meat factories?
You might think that I am defending Sean here, but I am not. I hated him with a passion just like the rest of the gaf, when he did his job without a spine. But there are plenty of spineless jobs out there who get way less scrutiny around here. IF anything, hate him for the things the did WHILE he went in front of the press, not this.

Stock trading? Speculation? Lobbying? Plenty of immoral things on the foundation of govement, pre-Trump too. Drone strikes on civilians in Pakistan?

Seriously, there is pretentious bullshit, but this...this is some next level faux outrage.
Click to expand...

You responded to "If the task of your job is not moral or not legal, you shouldn't do it" with "insurance companies, loan collectors, bank workers bordering on fraudulent activities"

Uh, yeah, if you work at a place like this and commit fraud, then you should probably be fired your bosses should be fined/jailed.

"Cruel animal meat factories?"

If a factory is unnecessarily cruel, as in ignoring laws around cruelty, then they should be fined/face criminal charges as well.

I get that there are shades of grey, but people aren't atomatically absolved of ethical responsibility if they perform an act under the guise of maximising shareholder profits.
 
S

StrangeRoboMemory

Member
Funny from a certain perspective...but at the same time, if you're willing to make fun of it all, have the guts to come out and spill just how depraved, ignorant, dishonest, and arrogant this administration really is. Tell people what you were ordered to lie about. I assume that Spicer has some sort of NDA so he can't immediately go into specifics, but he can do way more than he's doing. If he can recognize that it's all funny and ridiculous, he can also recognize that it's disgraceful and as serious as a heart attack.
 
P

Plover

Neo Member
I thought it was pretty cute and good-natured of him. It doesn't excuse the things he said but it's okay to let him be human once in a while, isn't it? A joke like this wouldn't work for almost anyone else in the administration but Spicer seems to be one that a lot of people have some level of sympathy for. I can understand why some people are annoyed though.
 
O

Ozigizo

Member
V_Arnold said:
I hope you extend this to insurance companies, loan collectors, bank workers bordering on fraudulent activities (like allowing you to take loans that they suspect you wont be able to pay back), prosecuturs pushing for plea bargains, etc.

Waitress in a casino? Working in gun factory? Cruel animal meat factories?
You might think that I am defending Sean here, but I am not. I hated him with a passion just like the rest of the gaf, when he did his job without a spine. But there are plenty of spineless jobs out there who get way less scrutiny around here. IF anything, hate him for the things the did WHILE he went in front of the press, not this.

Stock trading? Speculation? Lobbying? Plenty of immoral things on the foundation of govement, pre-Trump too. Drone strikes on civilians in Pakistan?

Seriously, there is pretentious bullshit, but this...this is some next level faux outrage.
Click to expand...

What is this post, lol.

Some amoral garbage. People quit all the time over this shit, so I'm not sure you have a point.


Please remember, this defense DID NOT work for the Nazis.
 
A

Arkeband

Banned
I think there's actually a multi-tiered joke behind the joke that people aren't grasping.

The first joke is Sean's appearance - a surprise, that would be comedy if it wasn't tacit approval of what he's done. This is entry level.

The second joke is ON Sean Spicer. He thinks he's somehow being cute when he is a laughingstock. He may not get it now, but someday it will dawn on him that he was played.

The third joke is on the room, that they are complicit in allowing this fool to do his and Trump's dirty work. How many trophies did SNL get off of their Trump and Spicer impersonations? They stay winning the more chaos persists.

The fourth joke is on the American people. Spicer lied to the public and is now riding McCarthy's podium and is repeating his lies but now as jokes. The joke is that the masses largely ignore Spicer's lies and then tune in every Saturday to laugh at McCarthy as Spicer.

And this is a very Colbert move, whose comedy leans a bit alternative and is always reaching for something beyond jokes at face value.
 
Kibbles

Kibbles

Member
Eh it was job to be full of shit, press secs always are, at least he admits it now. I don't get the outrage. Nobody ever took him seriously. It was lame but does it really matter? lol @ Melissa tapping her nose. Indeed..
 
R

Real Hero

Member
Arkeband said:
I think there's actually a multi-tiered joke behind the joke that people aren't grasping.

The first joke is Sean's appearance - a surprise, that would be comedy if it wasn't tacit approval of what he's done. This is entry level.

The second joke is ON Sean Spicer. He thinks he's somehow being cute when he is a laughingstock. He may not get it now, but someday it will dawn on him that he was played.

The third joke is on the room, that they are complicit in allowing this fool to do his and Trump's dirty work. How many trophies did SNL get off of their Trump and Spicer impersonations? They stay winning the more chaos persists.

The fourth joke is on the American people. Spicer lied to the public and is now riding McCarthy's podium and is repeating his lies but now as jokes. The joke is that the masses largely ignore Spicer's lies and then tune in every Saturday to laugh at McCarthy as Spicer.

And this is a very Colbert move, whose comedy leans a bit alternative and is always reaching for something beyond jokes at face value.
Click to expand...

Colbert just falls into the third joke.
 
O

Oersted

Member
V_Arnold said:
I hope you extend this to insurance companies, loan collectors, bank workers bordering on fraudulent activities (like allowing you to take loans that they suspect you wont be able to pay back), prosecuturs pushing for plea bargains, etc.

Waitress in a casino? Working in gun factory? Cruel animal meat factories?
You might think that I am defending Sean here, but I am not. I hated him with a passion just like the rest of the gaf, when he did his job without a spine. But there are plenty of spineless jobs out there who get way less scrutiny around here. IF anything, hate him for the things the did WHILE he went in front of the press, not this.

Stock trading? Speculation? Lobbying? Plenty of immoral things on the foundation of govement, pre-Trump too. Drone strikes on civilians in Pakistan?

Seriously, there is pretentious bullshit, but this...this is some next level faux outrage.
Click to expand...

I do.

And in defense of those who don't.

Everyone has to draw a line somewhere.

Even someone as morally bankrupt as V_Arnold.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
I'm fine with this. I feel like a lot of posters here forget that not every institution has this For Or Against Mentality, where everyone on the other side needs to be ostracized and shunned from society.

We do live in a very politically fractured time, but they are still a part of society and are going to be found in elite circles like these. You may believe that shouldn't be part of public life, but that's not realistic and not how the world operates.

This doesn't endorse their actions. Or free them from criticism. I'm just saying the ideal that some want here (total ostracization from public life) is a pie in the sky dream.
 
C

CloudWolf

Member
Real Hero said:
I disagree, he clearly doesn't mind so whats the joke? He's there, the centre of attention and playing into it. He's in on the joke even if it is him. Reducing it all to a joke is the issue tbh
Click to expand...

It's good on him that he's thick skinned enough to work with the Emmy team for the joke, but that doesn't mean that he still isn't considered a joke (at least in his line of work). He's probably never working as a high-level PR guy anymore, that should be punishment enough.

As for 'reducing it all to a joke', we're talking about an Awards show dedicated to things that happened in television in the last year, that's not the right place to go looking for a serious discussion about the ethics of Trump's administration.

Also, humour is one of the best ways to deal with a situation like this. The point is to draw the people in with jokes about very serious subject matters to make people subconsciously more aware of these problems. Pretty much every late night show does this: Last Week Tonight, Colbert (both shows), Daily Show, Conan O'Brian, Jimmy Kimmel, Full Frontal, etc. all talk about serious subjects (mostly Trump-related this year) while also making jokes about them because it's a very effective way of making people aware something is up.
 
V

Vincent Alexander

Member
Socivol said:
It just shows that the shit that his administration is pulling is hilarious to those that don't have to deal with the outcome of it. I can't believe people were laughing it wasn't funny and he isn't funny. He is reaping benefits for being a liar for that man and people think it's hilarious.
Click to expand...
Stinkles said:
My favorite thing about this was the look of incredulous disbelief on Melissa McCarthy's face. She was like, nervously smiling and thinking, "You guys know he fronted for an actual treasonous rapist and scolded the fourth estate and helped launch a massive assault on basic facts? Right?"
Click to expand...
These sum up my thoughts. Fuck Sean.
 
D

danm999

Member
rocketskates said:
Whoa. Wow. Holy crap.

Especially after seeing his whole entirety on Jimmy Kimmel's show, I kinda feel for him. He was plainly asked whether or not he believed what Trump was preaching. And he responded that as his job, he was responsible for relaying the President's ideas/thoughts to the media.

You have a job to do and you have to do it.

Enough said, dunno why the majority of GAF is acting as they are. A person is supposed to do their job, whether or not you agree with it. Get over it.
Click to expand...

Yeah it's a shame at birth the great job computer assigned him that job and there was no not accepting it or changing it or anything.

Probably bums all those people out who have to work at gay conversion camps. Oh well, just doing their jobs.
 
F

fanboi

Banned
CloudWolf said:
It's good on him that he's thick skinned enough to work with the Emmy team for the joke, but that doesn't mean that he still isn't considered a joke (at least in his line of work). He's probably never working as a high-level PR guy anymore, that should be punishment enough.

As for 'reducing it all to a joke', we're talking about an Awards show dedicated to things that happened in television in the last year, that's not the right place to go looking for a serious discussion about the ethics of Trump's administration.

Also, humour is one of the best ways to deal with a situation like this. The point is to draw the people in with jokes about very serious subject matters to make people subconsciously more aware of these problems. Pretty much every late night show does this: Last Week Tonight, Colbert (both shows), Daily Show, Conan O'Brian, Jimmy Kimmel, Full Frontal, etc. all talk about serious subjects (mostly Trump-related this year) while also making jokes about them because it's a very effective way of making people aware something is up.
Click to expand...

Very good post!
 
M

Messofanego

Banned
A lot of people are now disappointed at Colbert. Being all buddy buddy with these shits. Trevor Noah with Tomi Lahren, Fallon with Trump, and now Colbert with Sean Spicer.
https://twitter.com/_chloi/status/909643713298567168
ZfjiR1E.png
 
R

Real Hero

Member
CloudWolf said:
Also, humour is one of the best ways to deal with a situation like this. The point is to draw the people in with jokes about very serious subject matters to make people subconsciously more aware of these problems. Pretty much every late night show does this: Last Week Tonight, Colbert (both shows), Daily Show, Conan O'Brian, Jimmy Kimmel, Full Frontal, etc. all talk about serious subjects (mostly Trump-related this year) while also making jokes about them because it's a very effective way of making people aware something is up.
Click to expand...

It can be in this situation it just comes across as 'it's doesn't really matter what you say and do' it's just a big joke
 
G

Glass Shark

Banned
Socivol said:
It just shows that the shit that his administration is pulling is hilarious to those that don't have to deal with the outcome of it. I can't believe people were laughing it wasn't funny and he isn't funny. He is reaping benefits for being a liar for that man and people think it's hilarious.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Fuck Spicer. Fuck the people who came up with this lame “joke.” Fuck Colbert for going along with it.
 
D

danm999

Member
V_Arnold said:
I hope you extend this to insurance companies, loan collectors, bank workers bordering on fraudulent activities (like allowing you to take loans that they suspect you wont be able to pay back), prosecuturs pushing for plea bargains, etc.

Waitress in a casino? Working in gun factory? Cruel animal meat factories?
You might think that I am defending Sean here, but I am not. I hated him with a passion just like the rest of the gaf, when he did his job without a spine. But there are plenty of spineless jobs out there who get way less scrutiny around here. IF anything, hate him for the things the did WHILE he went in front of the press, not this.

Stock trading? Speculation? Lobbying? Plenty of immoral things on the foundation of govement, pre-Trump too. Drone strikes on civilians in Pakistan?

Seriously, there is pretentious bullshit, but this...this is some next level faux outrage.
Click to expand...

Yes if you commit an act of fraud you should face consequences.

How fucking broken are some people's moral compasses?

And get some perspective. You are trying to portray Sean Spicer, an extremely wealthy, powerful individual who accepted a role as White House Press Secretary for political reasons to a waitress in a casino. They are not in the same galaxy in terms of culpability.
 
A

Arkeband

Banned
Messofanego said:
A lot of people are now disappointed at Colbert. Being all buddy buddy with these shits. Trevor Noah with Tomi Lahren, Fallon with Trump, and now Colbert with Sean Spicer.
https://twitter.com/_chloi/status/909643713298567168
ZfjiR1E.png
Click to expand...

Kimmel actually had Spicer on his program last week - these outraged Twitter handles apparently don't consume any late night television to understand this didn't happen in a vacuum. This was Colbert exposing the farce on top of the farce.

This is seriously #cancelcolbert levels of dumb.
 
D

daviyoung

Banned
Arkeband said:
Kimmel actually had Spicer on his program last week - these outraged Twitter handles apparently don't consume any late night television to understand this didn't happen in a vacuum. This was Colbert exposing the farce on top of the farce.

This is seriously #cancelcolbert levels of dumb.
Click to expand...

What level of farce mockery is Colbert at now? Is it the snow level or the bridge level deep now?
 
M

Massive Duck. C.M.

Banned
tbm24 said:
Hard for me to equate Colbert with what Fallon and even SNL did by having Trump host with this spicer gag. Spier gag should have never happened however.

Equating any of these to Noah having Tomi on is nonsense.
Click to expand...

Why the reflexive defense then when you yourself acknowledge it was stupid
 
R

Real Hero

Member
tbm24 said:
Hard for me to equate Colbert with what Fallon and even SNL did by having Trump host with this spicer gag. Spier gag should have never happened however.

Equating any of these to Noah having Tomi on is nonsense.
Click to expand...

what's the difference really?
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
Messofanego said:
A lot of people are now disappointed at Colbert. Being all buddy buddy with these shits. Trevor Noah with Tomi Lahren, Fallon with Trump, and now Colbert with Sean Spicer.
https://twitter.com/_chloi/status/909643713298567168
ZfjiR1E.png
Click to expand...


Trevor Noah incredulously questioned Lauren's very existence. It was a somewhat condescending exposure that did her zero good and put a spotlight on her professional incompetence. There's a reason she's only on Fox digital.

Fallon with Trump was a ham handed disgrace though, and Spicer I believe to be complicit in actual treason among other things.
 
L

Lois_Lane

Member
Real Hero said:
what's the difference really?
Click to expand...

Spicer is an actual politician who had a real hand in shaping the awful narratives Trump expected us to swallow while Tomi Lahren is a 20-something daytime tv host.
Heck of a difference.

Stinkles said:
Trevor Noah incredulously questioned Lauren's very existence. It was a somewhat condescending exposure that did her zero good and put a spotlight on her professional incompetence. There's a reason she's only on Fox digital.

.
Click to expand...
HOLD.
THE.
FUCK.
UP.

Are we really doing this again?

Really?

Tomi lost her job because of pro-choice statements she said off the show. Her fanbase turned on her because she was pro-choice. Noah did shit all to make her lose her job.

Fuck. Right wingers saw her appearance on the show as a win.

First Milo, now Tomi. Y'all just love rewriting history.
 
J

JustenP88

I earned 100 Gamerscore™ for collecting 300 widgets and thereby created Trump's America
Plover said:
I thought it was pretty cute and good-natured of him. It doesn't excuse the things he said but it's okay to let him be human once in a while, isn't it? A joke like this wouldn't work for almost anyone else in the administration but Spicer seems to be one that a lot of people have some level of sympathy for. I can understand why some people are annoyed though.
Click to expand...

He can be human in his own private life. There's no need to boost his ass at the fucking Emmys and help normalize him so that he can profit off the fact that he worked as the propoganda mouthpiece for a white supremacist administration.

It's gross and shows that, when push comes to shove, people don't give as much of a shit as they act like they do on Twitter.
 
A

Arkeband

Banned
daviyoung said:
What level of farce mockery is Colbert at now? Is it the snow level or the bridge level deep now?
Click to expand...

If you find yourself agreeing with random Twitter outrage that equates Fallon and Trump with Tomi Lahren and Trevor Noah, you're already astray.

Colbert was looking to provoke during the Emmys and he did it brilliantly. He also publicly shamed Bill Maher which was probably being applauded by that same twitter account.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Is The Song "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas Racist/Cultural Appropriation?
2
85
5K
FunkMiller replied
MVG: The PS5 Jailbreak is here - and its looking good!
2
64
16K
Pejo replied
Chance Perdomo, ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ and ‘Gen V’ Star, Dies at 27
7
1K
Neon Xenon replied
Digital Foundry: Inside Alan Wake 2: How Remedy Delivered A Visual Masterpiece
1
528
Insane Metal replied
LTTP: Killzone 3 (PS3)
21
1K
Beer Baelly replied
Top Bottom