Despite President Donald Trump bragging the high ratings of the Roseanne television show revival are because "it was about us," NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writes in a column in The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday that it actually "relentlessly criticizes him and his policies more ruthlessly than almost any other program on television."
Abdul-Jabbar said while other shows many openly pontificate their anti-Trump bias, Roseanne "is more subversive in its presentation of class struggles, healthcare, gender identity, and other issues that reflect the failures of the Trump administration."
He praised the show, saying its popularity is due to its "searing wit, satirical commentary, and profound insight," and it is funny "in a way that never panders and touching in a way that is never schmaltzy."
Although Abdul-Jabbar admits the show articulates the feelings and frustrations of Trump loyalists to some extent through the character of Roseanne Conner and that actress Roseanne Barr is a brilliant comedian deserving of the praise she gets for her artistry, "Unfortunately for Trump supporters, Roseanne is like that cinnamon roll in which some people claim to see the face of Jesus. If you're looking for saviors in your pastry, you'll eventually find them. If you're looking for pro-Trump proselytizing in Roseanne, you'll be feasting on your own imagination."
Abdul-Jabbar said instead of presenting any substantive arguments or facts to support the Trump administration, instead the show, by highlighting "a powerful reflection of the oppressive daily struggles that many Americans deal with . . . makes clear to those who follow legitimate news sources that the Conners' problems, which have existed through previous administrations, have been exasperated by the Trump administration."
He argued, for example "Trump's attacks on healthcare, including Medicaid, have worsened the Conners' ability to afford necessary medication. Trump's support of legislation targeting the LGBTQ community will affect the Conners' gender-fluid grandson, not just regarding clothing choices but in legitimizing public animosity against him, [and] administration rollbacks on social welfare programs could impact the Conner children fighting to make ends meet."
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