So, the Left is quite upset that former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer appeared at the Emmys. “How could he be normalized so?” they ask. “Isn’t that making light of the lies he told? Why grant him that sort of credibility?”
This, of course, is insipid.
Here are five reasons why.
1. Spicer Is Already Normalized. The notion that Spicer is uniquely dissembling or that he did some sort of grave damage to the national character is absurd. If anything, Spicer actually lent credibility back to the podium by being absolutely terrible at lying — we could see directly from his wounded eyes when he was fibbing on behalf of his boss. Jay Carney lied repeatedly on behalf of President Obama, as did Robert Gibbs. Nobody batted an eye, or suggested that these two fellows be barred from Hollywood events. Furthermore, if we’re going to worry about dishonesty in politics generally, we can’t exactly praise Hillary Clinton, who was essentially worshiped at the Emmys last night.
2. Admitting Dishonesty Is Good. At least Spicer has the good grace to mock his own silly dishonesty. The whole point of that exercise at the Emmys was that Spicer was mocking his “Trump had the biggest inauguration crowd ever” shtick. He wasn’t talking about how great it was. He was usurping Melissa McCarthy’s joke, and mocking himself. He was essentially apologizing for his role in dishonesty. That’s not a bad thing.
3. Is Hollywood Now The Arbiter Of Honesty? It’s not just that Hollywood has rewarded some of the worst people alive (see Polanski, Roman). It’s that Hollywood has made a habit of lying routinely about politics, and spending millions of its own dollars to do so. Hollywood produced a film about Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame filled with debunked falsehoods about their supposed heroism. Hollywood produced a movie attempting to rehabilitate Dan Rather. Hollywood made a movie about JFK being assassinated by Cuban refugees and the CIA. Hollywood traffics in lies — but allowing Spicer on the air to laugh at his own fibs is somehow taboo now?
4. This Is Partisan Stupidity. Somehow, I don’t remember the same level of animosity when Joe Biden — a guy who accused Mitt Romney of wanting to put black people back in chains — appeared at the 2016 Oscars. I don’t remember people from Hollywood freaking out when Michelle Obama appeared at the Oscars in 2013, even though she’d once stated that she was only proud of her country after her husband’s nomination for the presidency. Hollywood doesn’t get to play political favorites and pretend that it’s upholding some sort of higher standard.
5. Entertainment And Politics Are Already Merged. For those in Hollywood concerned that we’re turning politics into entertainment, get your own house in order. Donald Trump is the president. Ashley Judd tried to run for Senate. Hillary’s campaign was studded with Hollywood stars. The merger between entertainment and politics is already complete, unfortunately. Spicer is merely a rather tepid sign of that truth.
So, everybody should calm down. Spicer at the Emmys is just the beginning. Just wait for The Mooch on Oscar night.