Red Sox Chairman, “Roseanne” Executive Producer Tom Werner Releases Statement
An offensive tweet from comedian Roseanne Barr, in which she made racist comments regarding former President Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, sent shockwaves throughout the Hollywood community Tuesday. ABC quickly did their best to separate themselves from the 65-year-old Barr’s comments and even canceled the highly-rated reboot, Barr’s agency dropped her, and more than one station decided to pull the plug on airing reruns of the beloved 90s sitcom.
It also prompted a statement from Red Sox chairman Tom Werner, who served as the executive producer of “Roseanne” during its original run from 1988 to 1997 and its reboot in 2018, late Tuesday.
“I support ABC’s decision to cancel the show in the wake of Roseanne Barr’s most recent reprehensible tweets,” Werner, involved in television since 1973, said in a statement. “Our goal was to promote constructive discussion about the issues that divide us. It represented the work of hundreds of talented people. I hope the good work done is not totally eclipsed by these abhorrent and offensive comments, and that Roseanne seeks the help she so clearly needs.”
Werner’s Tuesday tune is a lot different than the one he sang just a few months ago, when he claimed that the characters were ‘relatable’ as people and speaking to the common person despite Barr’s penchant for controversial opinions.
Werner even went as far as to say that the “Roseanne” reboot likely would not have happened without Donald Trump’s election, with Werner feeling that the show would have been able to bring light to those ‘divisive’ social issues.
“I’m still quite cautious,” Werner told The Boston Globe in March when asked about the show’s potential success in 2018. “I do feel like most of television is escapist. The idea of revisiting these characters, who are so relatable and living paycheck to paycheck, is a worthwhile endeavor and I think the audience has responded.”
It’s been a tough run Werner’s most popular shows of yesteryear, too, as Bill Cosby has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Werner, of course, served as the executive producer of “The Cosby Show” during its iconic run.
Werner, who has been involved in Major League Baseball for close to 30 years (Werner was part of the group that purchased the San Diego Padres in 1990), has served as the chairman of the Red Sox since 2001. Given his background, Werner’s primary work comes with the television broadcasts of the Red Sox, but he has been a force in Fenway Park’s countless renovations for the last 17 years, and is also responsible for helping create the Red Sox Foundation.
