Meet the latest candidate for the 2014 Weiner Awards
Comedian Artie Lange, best known for his time on the Howard Stern Show, is the latest in a long string of celebs to create trouble for themselves via social media, and to land in the running for a 2014 Weiner Award.
Last week, Lange sent a vulgar and racially-charged series of tweets describing a fantasy about ESPN anchor Cari Champion. Although this type of comedy may have been acceptable to Lange’s own fanbase, it clearly isn’t to many others, and he faced quick repercussions. First, Comedy Central canceled a scheduled appearance, then ESPN announced that Lange was no longer welcome on any of its networks, releasing the statement below:
“His comments were reprehensible and no one should be subjected to such hateful language. They objectify and demean one of our valued employees under the thin guise of “comedy” and are offensive to all of us. We will not dignify them with any other comment.”
Inappropriate behavior isn’t exactly a new thing for Lange, which means his fans will still be his fans. The worrisome part for anyone who’s trying to make a living is that bad behavior scares the big names away, and with those big names goes opportunities for big money.
Especially for comedians, many of whom consider it their job to point out things that make us all a bit uncomfortable, social media can be a balancing act, constantly asking, “how far can I go without going ‘too far’?” and paying the price if you miss the mark.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com