Samantha Bee’s Ratings Are Terrible. So Why Exactly Is She Still On TV?

Fresh off of ABC firing pro-Trump Roseanne Barr for a racially charged tweet about a former Obama adviser, TBS defended comedian Samantha Bee for her vile comments about Trump’s daughter. While the two fireable offenses are not the same — Barr’s had racist implications while Bee’s was just plain tasteless; Barr’s was off-the-cuff while Bee’s was scripted — many have drawn comparisons for obvious reasons: Two networks were faced with a decision about what to do with two female stars who made repugnant comments.

One of the striking differences between the circumstances of the two infamous remarks is the state of the two stars’ shows. After starting off with record-breaking ratings, Barr’s show had leveled off but was still bringing in strong numbers. Bee’s, however, has been struggling mightily for months. In fact, her ratings declines are so dramatic, one might ask why exactly TBS still has her on, vile Ivanka comment aside.