
Some people are racist.
We know this - it is a fact. But, surprisingly, a lot of these people have strange justifications for their racism.
Take Roseanne Barr, for example. Just days ago, the American comedian had her self-titled sitcom cancelled following a string of deeply offensive tweets, one of which was an extremely racist insult levelled at former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett.
In a now-deleted - for obvious reasons - tweet, Barr wrote:
Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.
After predictably pointing out that the show's cancellation had left many of her "liberal" cast mates without a job, Barr then went on to offer the bewildering explanation that she was "Ambien tweeting" at 2am. She followed up this statement by claiming that she's absolutely, definitely "not racist", despite the fact that her Twitter history suggests otherwise.
The implication here was that the popular medication had seemingly caused her racist outburst. Drug manufacturer Sanofi responded to the incident, clarifying:
People of all races, religions and nationalities work at Sanofi every day to improve the lives of people around the… https://t.co/FC7SiQpQuk— Sanofi US (@Sanofi US) 1527688667
Jarrett has also spoken out on the incident, stating that TV network ABC was right to cancel Roseanne.
In a town hall discussion, entitled Everyday Racism in America, she claimed:
First of all, I think we have to turn it into a teaching moment.
I'm fine. I'm worried about all the people out there who don't have a circle of friends and followers coming to their defence.
ABC president also issued a statement condemning Barr's remarks, describing them as "abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with [ABC's] values".
Naturally, the racist saga has offered plenty of opportunities to weigh in with hilarious takes - and they haven't disappointed, with many choosing to share their own experiences of Ambien. Spoiler: none came with the side effect of bigotry.
I once took a sleeping pill too soon before getting on a flight and sent more than a hundred emojis to a WhatsApp g… https://t.co/3UgKCo6TDR— Richard Hall (@Richard Hall) 1527661151
I've taken Ambien and all I did was eat a quesadilla cooked inside another quesadilla.— Elizabeth Hackett (@Elizabeth Hackett) 1527655665
I’ve never taken Ambien but I just popped my birth control and am feeling VERY racist towards babies— audrey grewe (@audrey grewe) 1527722216
Listen as someone who's taken ambien before all I've done is stolen my wife's identity, robbed the graves of WWII s… https://t.co/i8DMizipjv— Jonny 😁😜💪😎 (@Jonny 😁😜💪😎) 1527691347
Just so we're clear - sleeping pills aren't an excuse for racism.
These aren't the only Roseanne jokes going viral either; this vintage TV Guide cover is also making the rounds online, for obvious reasons.