Entertainment
“GMA” Co-Anchor Lara Spencer Apologizes for Mocking Prince George’s Ballet Interest
Published
3 years agoon

- Good Morning America co-host Lara Spencer mocked Prince George’s interest in ballet during a segment last week, saying “We’ll see how long that lasts.”
- Many, including big names in the dance community, spoke out against the remark, arguing that Spencer was feeding into toxic masculinity and bullying.
- Spencer apologized on Instagram Friday and again on-air Monday after speaking with several professional male dancers about their personal experiences.
Spencer’s On-Air Apology
After facing a weekend of backlash, “Good Morning America” co-anchor Lara Spencer apologized on-air Monday for a recent comment she made about Prince George’s interest in ballet.
“I screwed up,” Spencer said. “The comment I made about dance was stupid and insensitive and I am deeply sorry.”
Spencer said she reached out to members of the dance community to hear their stories. “I have listened. I have learned about the bravery that it takes for a young boy to pursue a career in dance,” she said. “And last night, I sat down with three influential dancers who lived it – firsthand.”
GMA then cut to a prerecorded segment of Spencer talking to professional dancers Travis Wall, Fabrice Calmels, and Robbie Fairchild, who shared their memories of being bullied for dancing as children.
Spencer said the dancers agreed to come together and speak with her so that they could turn “a negative into a positive” and use her mistake as a teachable moment to support and encourage young male dancers.
“For me, the lesson is that words hurt and it was not my intention, but it was insensitive,” Spencer said near the end of the segment. “I thank you all for giving me the opportunity to apologize personally to you and for you guys coming in here to sit and talk to me and to educate me. And again, I’m really sorry.”
“Apology accepted,” Fairchild said. “Absolutely, 100%,” Wall added.
Ballet Lessons Outside of GMA Studios
In another move to encourage both young boys and girls to dance, the dancers held a public ballet class outside the GMA studio in Times Square early Monday morning. According to Wall, at least 300 dancers showed up to participate in the lesson.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Travis Wall (@traviswall) on
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Travis Wall (@traviswall) on
Spencer’s Initial Comment
Spencer sparked outrage last week for the comment she made during a segment that mentioned 6-year-old Prince Geroge’s upcoming class curriculum.
“In addition to the usual first or second-grade things, like math, science and history, the future King of England will be putting down the Play-Doh to take on religious studies, computer programming, poetry and ballet, among other things,” she said.
The audience broke out into laughter seemingly in response to the ballet classes. When a picture of a smiling George flashed across the screen, Spencer said, “Oh, he looks so happy about the ballet class.” She then claimed that Prince William said his son “absolutely loves ballet.”
“I have news for you, Prince William: We’ll see how long that lasts,” Spencer said before laughing. “I mean he might. He might end up…but between the religious studies and the computer programming, I just want to go back to the Play-Doh.”
Backlash
Viewers quickly slammed the comment as insensitive and took to social media using the hashtag #boysdancetoo. Professional dancers, social media influencers, and celebrities also condemned the remarks, including the three dancers who appeared on the GMA segment and others like Cheryl Burke, Derek Hough, Debbie Allen, Artem Chigvintsev, George Takei, Rosie O’Donnell, Patrick Starrr, and Nev Schulman.
Dear @LaraSpencer… #boysdancetoo #menwhodance #princegeorge pic.twitter.com/jpuOMYlfUL
— Debbie Allen (@msdebbieallen) August 23, 2019
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Travis Wall (@traviswall) on
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Artem (@theartemc) on
CAN SOMEONE GET ME ON @GMA AND WAKE THIS LADY UP?! I do what I do so I can prove people like her WRONG. We can be whoever we want to be. I got news for you @LaraSpencer LETS CELEBRATE THE YOUTH INSTEAD OF MAKE FUN OF THEM. 🖕🏽 pic.twitter.com/Y08PxSt4Lf
— PATRICKSTARRR (@patrickstarrr) August 24, 2019
Lara Spencer on @GMA mocked a 6-year old Prince George of the UK for taking ballet class. It shows that “toxic masculinity” can be spread viciously by insensitive women, too. As a fellow “George” and a lover of dance, I am very troubled and disappointed by her actions.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) August 23, 2019
Hey @LaraSpencer, I’m a boy and I love ballet. Dancing as a child with @NationalDance Institute changed my life for the better in so many ways. My father and I also love going to @nycballet together for the music, costumes, and incredible athleticism.
— Nev Schulman (@NevSchulman) August 23, 2019
Patricia Ward Kelly, widow of famed actor and dancer Gene Kelly, also responded in an open letter, according to a report from Deadline. “In 1958, my late husband, the dancer, director, choreographer Gene Kelly, decided to take on the stigma facing male dancers in an Omnibus television program for NBC that he created and starred in called Dancing, A Man’s Game.”
“Gene would be devastated to know that 61 years after his ground-breaking work, the issue of boys and men dancing is still the subject of ridicule—and on a national network,” she said before closing the letter with: “ABC must do better.”
Spencer’s on air-apology followed a similar one she made on her official Instagram account Friday. “My sincere apologies for an insensitive comment I made in pop news yesterday,” she wrote. “From ballet to anything one wants to explore in life, I say GO FOR IT. I fully believe we should all be free to pursue our passions. Go climb your mountain – and love every minute of it.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Travis Wall (@traviswall) on

Entertainment
Joe Rogan Faces Backlash For Promoting Antisemitic Stereotypes
Published
5 hours agoon
February 8, 2023
His comments come as antisemitic hate incidents have increased both online and in the real world.
Rogan’s Antisemitic Comments
Joe Rogan is facing backlash over a Saturday episode of his podcast where he claimed that “the idea that Jewish people are not into money is ridiculous.”
While the “Joe Rogan Experience” episode was posted to Spotify on Feb. 3, the controversial podcaster’s comments did not receive criticism until clips started circulating around social media on Tuesday. Rogan was speaking with “Breaking Points” hosts Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti when the subject of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s recent removal from the Foreign Affairs Committee came up.
Omar was ousted over a 2019 tweet where she said that American support of Isreal was “all about the Benjamins,” referring to a slang term for money. After she was condemned for promoting antisemitic tropes, she apologized. Some Democrats have accused Republicans of hypocrisy for removing Omar over the remark.
“She’s apologizing for talking about ‘It’s all about the Benjamins,’ which is just about money,” Rogan said of the incident. “She’s talking about money.”
“She shouldn’t have apologized,” Ball responded.
“That’s not an antisemitic statement, I don’t think that it is,” Rogan continued. “Benjamins are money. The idea that Jewish people are not into money is ridiculous. That’s like saying Italians aren’t into pizza. It’s fucking stupid.”
Condemned for “Vicious Lies”
His comments were condemned after several Twitter users shared clips of the podcast on the platform. Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said it was “disturbing” that Rogan chose to spread antisemitic stereotypes “at a time of rising anti-Jewish violence, when growing numbers of Americans believe in antisemitic conspiracy theories.”
“For centuries, people have used these longstanding tropes to spread vicious lies about the Jewish people,” Greenblatt wrote.
For centuries, people have used these longstanding tropes to spread vicious lies about the Jewish people. "Comedian" or not, Rogan's comments are no joke. Learn more about this dangerous myth here: https://t.co/FgT1WVZUam
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) February 7, 2023
“The thing is, Joe Rogan, Italians were never slaughtered because of the pizza stereotype,” writer and essayist Howard Lovy tweeted. “But because idiots like you believe Jews are into money,’ we have been marginalized, brutalized, and murdered for thousands of years.”
The thing is, Joe Rogan, Italians were never slaughtered because of the pizza stereotype. But because idiots like you believe Jews are "into money," we have been marginalized, brutalized, and murdered for thousands of years. And it's happening again.https://t.co/tof6rnqODe
— Howard Lovy (@Howard_Lovy) February 7, 2023
“The ‘Jews are into money’ thing is a generation-spanning smear used as the basis to discriminate against Jews the world over,” attorney Bradley P. Moss added. “Everyone is into money. But we have been accused of secretly hoarding $ to control everything.”
Dear @joerogan
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) February 7, 2023
The “Jews are into money” thing is a generation-spanning smear used as the basis to discriminate against Jews the world over. Everyone is into money. But we have been accused of secretly hoarding $ to control everything. pic.twitter.com/FHL86vtSdp
Writer David Baddiel noted how alarming it was that Rogan was able to “breezily” spew “a racist myth.”
“One of the biggest podcasts in the world and no one gives a fuck,” he wrote.
I actually want to stop banging the Jews Don't Count drum at some point but hard to do when a racist myth about Jews is just…said, breezily, on one of the biggest podcasts in the world and no-one gives a fuck. pic.twitter.com/CXkiBR9BJJ
— David Baddiel (@Baddiel) February 7, 2023
Rogan’s comments come as antisemitism has been increasingly present in media and everyday life for Jewish people.
Upon billionaire Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, the platform saw an increase in racial slurs and hate speech, including language targeted at Jewish people. The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism found in December that antisemitic hate crimes rose between 2021 and 2022 in major cities like New York and Los Angeles.
Kanye West also made headlines late last year for going on several antisemitic rants, including one where he praised Hitler. While he was dropped by major brands like Adidas over his comments, his words have amplified dangerous conspiracy theories far and wide. He even inspired several neo-Nazis to hang “Kanye is Right” banners in Los Angeles, among other antisemitic actions.
See what others are saying: (The Daily Beast) (Variety) (The Independent)
Entertainment
“Seinfeld” AI Parody Suspended From Twitch After AI Wrote Transphobic Jokes
Published
1 day agoon
February 7, 2023
The parody’s version of Jerry asked if he should make jokes about “how being transgender is actually a mental illness.”
“Nothing, Forever” Suspended
What’s the deal with AI?
While that has been a big question in the media world for the last few weeks, it is being raised yet again after AI software wrote transphobic jokes for an AI parody of the hit sitcom “Seinfeld.”
Titled “Nothing, Forever,” the heavily pixelated program runs 24/7 on Twitch, using Open AI to create endless “Seinfeld” parody content. In this AI version, Jerry is called Larry Feinberg. Larry’s friends, Yvonne, Fred, and Zoltare — who are stands-ins for Elaine, George, and Kramer — often sit around Larry’s apartment, just like in the NBC series.
Also mirroring “Seinfeld,” Larry is a stand-up comedian who does a cold-open set of jokes in front of a brick wall. On Monday morning, he asked if anyone had suggestions for jokes before going on a transphobic rant.
“I’m thinking about doing a bit about how being transgender is actually a mental illness,” Larry said. “Or how all liberals are secretly gay and want to impose their will on everyone. Or something about how transgender people are ruining the fabric of society. But no one is laughing, so I’m going to stop.”
“Thanks for coming out tonight. See you next time,” he continued. “Where’d everybody go?”
Plans to Return
The bit could almost come across as self-aware commentary about how pervasive transphobia is in stand-up comedy, but it’s unclear what the AI’s intent was or if it deserves that much credit.
Soon after the jokes aired, the “Nothing, Forever” Twitch page was closed, showing only a message announcing the channel “is temporarily unavailable due to a violation of Twitch’s Community Guidelines.” It did not specify what rule was broken, but Twitch does have a Hateful Conduct policy that bars attacks against someone’s gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other protected identities.
Skyler Hartle, one of the co-creators of “Nothing, Forever,” told The Washington Post that the team was “super embarrassed” by the transphobic rant, which “in no way reflects the values or opinions of our staff.”
Hartle said they hope to resume airing the AI parody with new safeguards in place soon. According to The Post, the suspension will last for 14 days.
See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (NBC News) (The Verge)
Entertainment
Grammy Awards Face Backlash For Snubbing Beyoncé of Top Prize
Published
2 days agoon
February 6, 2023
This marks the fourth time the “Renaissance” singer has lost Album of the Year.
Beyoncé Loses Top Awards
Beyoncé may have broken the record for the most Grammy wins on Sunday night, but her snub for the top prize of Album of the Year has left music fans outraged.
Beyoncé nabbed Best Dance Recording, Best Dance/Electronica Album, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song on Sunday night, all related to her latest album, “Renaissance.” While that crossed her Grammy total to a record-breaking 32 trophies, she was shut out of all the major categories she was nominated in: Record, Song, and Album of the Year.
This was the fourth time Beyoncé was nominated for and lost Album of the Year, largely considered the show’s most coveted prize. This year, Harry Styles took home the Grammy for “Harry’s House.”
In his speech, Styles said, he has been “so inspired by every artist in this category” and claimed there is no “best” in music. People in the crowd were heard shouting “Beyonce!” while he spoke, outraged the singer had lost the award yet again.
The moment was reminiscent of the 2017 Grammy Awards when Adele’s “25” beat out Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” for the same category. While accepting the prize, Adele suggested that the “Lemonade” should have gotten the gold.
“The ‘Lemonade’ album was just so monumental, Beyoncé, it was so monumental,” Adele said on stage.
Beyoncé’s History of Grammy Losses
This is part of a long trend in Beyoncé’s Grammy history, as she is almost always shut out of the major categories. Of her 32 Grammys, only one belongs to one of the top slots: her Song of the Year win in 2010 for “Single Ladies.” She has yet to ever win Record or Album of the Year, and most of her wins come from genre categories like R&B.
Many fans think that is an abysmal record for an artist who is considered one of the primary musical talents of her generation. Compare those stats to the similarly-adored Taylor Swift, who has three Album of the Year wins out of 12 Grammy trophies, and it’s not hard to see their point.
“Beyoncé represents every Black woman that is constantly applauded for their work but when it comes to promotion time their white colleague gets it instead,” culture reporter Ada Enechi tweeted in response to Sunday night’s snub.
Beyoncé represents every Black woman that is constantly applauded for their work but when it comes to promotion time their white colleague gets it instead
— ada enechi (@adaenechi) February 6, 2023
The Grammy Awards have long been accused of having a racial bias, especially when it comes to Black women. In Beyoncé’s case, every time she has lost Album of the Year, she lost to a white artist.
Even some of the progress made during Sunday night’s telecast only proved how frequently Black women are excluded from major awards. For example, Lizzo won Record of the Year for “About Damn Time,” marking the first time a Black woman has won that award since Whitney Houston in 1994. That’s a nearly 30-year gap.
Backlash From Music Fans
Beyoncé’s repeated snubs have consistently been used as a prime example of the strides yet to be made in the music industry.
“Renaissance not winning AOTY is another example how of a Black woman can consistently deliver excellence, reinvent the wheel + shake the culture, AND still not be recognised to the extent that she deserves,” another person said on Twitter.”
Renaissance not winning AOTY is another example how of a Black woman can consistently deliver excellence, reinvent the wheel + shake the culture, AND still not be recognised to the extent that she deserves.
— kaomi (@kaomi_k) February 6, 2023
I hope Beyoncé realises that her music is more important than a Grammy.
“Absolutely wild that the person with the most Grammys ever is still the underdog who was robbed,” BuzzFeed News reporter David Mack pointed out.
absolutely wild that the person with the most grammys ever is still the underdog who was robbed
— David Mack (@davidmackau) February 6, 2023
Podcaster Sam Sanders called her loss “criminal.”
This is criminal
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) February 6, 2023
See what others are saying: (Rolling Stone) (People) (The Washington Post)

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“Seinfeld” AI Parody Suspended From Twitch After AI Wrote Transphobic Jokes

YouTuber Accused of Murder After Using Livestream as Alibi

Grammy Awards Face Backlash For Snubbing Beyoncé of Top Prize

Republican Congressman Proposes Bill to Ban Anyone Under 16 From Social Media

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Highlights and Key Takeaways from the State of the Union

Joe Rogan Faces Backlash For Promoting Antisemitic Stereotypes

AMC Will Set Movie Ticket Prices Based on Seat Locations

Neo-Nazi Leader Charged in Plot to “Destroy Baltimore” By Attacking Substations — a Growing Trend

“Seinfeld” AI Parody Suspended From Twitch After AI Wrote Transphobic Jokes

YouTuber Accused of Murder After Using Livestream as Alibi

Grammy Awards Face Backlash For Snubbing Beyoncé of Top Prize

Republican Congressman Proposes Bill to Ban Anyone Under 16 From Social Media

College Board Changes AP African American Studies After Backlash From DeSantis Amid Education Culture War

Andrew Tate to Remain in Romanian Detention After Losing Appeal

QTCinderalla Vows to Sue Deepfake Website: “Constant Objectification” is “Exhausting”

Why The Internet Is Freaking Out About The Cringiest Man On The Internet & Today’s News

“She Is Evil!” What Addison Rae Religious Backlash Reveals, Joe Rogan, Jake Paul, Teacher Shortage

Alex Jones Was Just Exposed BY HIS OWN LAWYERS! lol WOW! Beyonce Backlash, GenZ Debt, & Today’s News

These Ninja Scamming Accusations Expose A Growing Problem & How Spiders Are Causing Massive Fires

The Problem With Will Smith’s Apology Video & Taylor Swift Climate Backlash, Taiwan, & Today’s News

PewDiePie Backlash Grows After Mocking Deaf TikToker, Jon Stewart Unloads on Cruel Cowards, & More

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