By Lizzy Stocks
Redemption – probably the last thing on the minds of many attending and watching the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 17.
In his opening monologue, Stephen Colbert spent several minutes poking fun at President Trump and his failure to win an Emmy, despite three nominations in previous years. Colbert goes on to ask, “Is there anyone here who can say how big the audience is – Sean, do you know?” cueing Spicer’s entrance.
Celebrities and fans alike watched with their mouths agape as Sean Spicer, former White House Press Secretary to President Trump, took center stage with his iconic presidential podium.
Spicer rolled onto stage with a podium, repeating almost word-for-word a statement he made during his first press conference after Trump’s inauguration.
It’s unclear what Colbert’s true intentions were by inviting Spicer to the Emmys, but regardless of true intentions, the surprise appearance is problematic. In his seven months as Press Secretary, he perpetuated many of the president’s lies and false reality.
Continuously berating journalists for reporting “fake news” about the Trump administration, Spicer created his platform as an angry individual, complacent with spreading lies.
Journalists have an obligation to verify facts before releasing information. Spicer, on the other hand, did not have that obligation. Rather, it was just the opposite from that. Spicer’s obligation was to convey the feelings and thoughts of President Trump to the American people regardless of the verification of facts.
Spicer went as far to lie about the size of Trump’s inauguration, claiming it was the largest inaugural crowd in history. He even attempted to downplay the executive order on immigration, stating it was not a travel ban, although many of President Trump’s tweets stated otherwise.
It’s problematic for a talk show host such as Colbert, who has made his opposing views on the Trump administration very clear, to perpetuate this idea that Spicer can earn redemption and make light of his actions and behaviors while serving the White House.
The Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are a prestigious event, “TV’s highest honors. Us celebrating us,” says Colbert in his opening monologue. So why invite Sean Spicer?
If I’m not mistaken, Spicer willingly lied to the American people in order to please President Trump – and he is not apologizing for it. Including a liar in TV’s “highest honors” is one way to show Americans that lying for the president is not only OK, but that it’s a laughing matter.
It is not a laughing matter.
Spicer should be condemned for his willingness to lie, not praised on a stage surrounded by Hollywood elites. Rather than laughing with Spicer, Hollywood and Americans should be laughing at Spicer for believing he can so easily get away with pushing President Trump’s fake news agenda.
As Khaled Hosseini once wrote, “There is a way to be good again,” but one should feel remorse before earning such redemption.”