Last week Samantha Bee, host of TBS’s Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, called first daughter Ivanka Trump a “feckless c**t” during her monologue. Trump had tweeted a photo of her son and herself earlier amidst the nation’s ongoing migrant children crisis. Bee called her post an “oblivious tweet,” and she urged Trump to “do something about [her] dad’s immigration practices…” before uttering the slur.
Social media immediately erupted over the situation with celebrities like Kathy Griffin, Sally Field and Minnie Driver defending Bee, while the program’s sponsor, Autotrader, alerted the public that they would no longer support Full Frontal. TBS apologized for the remark citing Bee’s “vile and inappropriate language” and will now exercise greater control over the program’s content.
Although vulgar speech has been a part of the current presidential administration from the beginning, like the President’s infamous “grab her by the p***y” remark, Bee’s comment remains out-of-line even in this political climate. Many comedians and television hosts have already come forward and apologized for inappropriate jokes this year, so Bee’s situation is not unique and both she and her network have provided suitable regret. The host is expected to make a statement about the situation on this week’s episode of Full Frontal.