Samantha Bee: Republicans and Fox News don't understand or actually care about 'Critical Race Theory'
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
It's already mid-June, and "Republicans are celebrating their fun in the sun by melting down over yet another bulls--t made-up controversy," Samatha Bee said on Wednesday's Full Frontal. Outrage from stories on "Critical Race Theory" is "Fox's main source of income after ads for reverse mortgages and a life-sized theme park of Noah's Ark."
"While conservatives have recently appropriated critical race theory as a catch-all scare term for basically any conversation about teaching the history of race in America, the actual concept of it has been around for decades, and — big surprise — it's really not scandalous at all," Bee said. "The current debate and conservative hand-wringing about critical race theory started in 2019, when The New York Times published 'The 1619 Project,'" hurting "the feelings of one truly oppressed group," racist jerks.
"All this nonsensical outrage does have real consequences," Bee said. GOP state legislatures have passed or are considering laws limiting discussion of race in schools, but because Republicans can't be bothered to learn what critical race theory actually is, their bills are "so vague that teaching the Civil War, Trail of Tears, and even civil rights could be considered a violation," she said. "Naturally, none of this has anything to really do with education, history, or saving the children," it's just the latest in a long series of "scare tactic wedge issues" Republicans have perfected for political gain over the past 50 years.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Republicans have help. "Fox News, OAN, and Newsmax transform even the thinnest controversies into headline news to gin up ratings," Bee said. "Republicans don't just love these non-scandals, they need them, especially right now when the GOP is having a genuinely hard time demonizing Joe Biden." Seriously, she said, "you know it's hard for Republicans when the biggest scandal so far in Biden's administration is whether or not his dog Major is a good boy." Republicans and their media allies don't actually care about critical race theory, trans athletes, or any other "controversy" that gets wall-to-wall coverage on Fox News, Bee argued. "They only care about making their mostly white base feel attacked and depressed." There is some NSFW language.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Health insurance: Premiums soar as ACA subsidies endFeature 1.4 million people have dropped coverage
-
Anthropic: AI triggers the ‘SaaSpocalypse’Feature A grim reaper for software services?
-
NIH director Bhattacharya tapped as acting CDC headSpeed Read Jay Bhattacharya, a critic of the CDC’s Covid-19 response, will now lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-
NIH director Bhattacharya tapped as acting CDC headSpeed Read Jay Bhattacharya, a critic of the CDC’s Covid-19 response, will now lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-
Witkoff and Kushner tackle Ukraine, Iran in GenevaSpeed Read Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations aimed at securing a nuclear deal with Iran and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine
-
Pentagon spokesperson forced out as DHS’s resignsSpeed Read Senior military adviser Col. David Butler was fired by Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is resigning
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
