Comedian Roseanne Barr sparked outrage after she made blatantly antisemitic comments on the This Past Weekend podcast while denying the atrocities of the Holocaust.
During her guest appearance on the podcast, Barr engaged in a discussion about the 2020 election and truth in America. She made sarcastic remarks about the election results and the perception of truth, suggesting that people prefer to believe in falsehoods rather than face "the real truth."
Barr abruptly veered into a wild and offensive tangent, denying the Holocaust and expressing disturbing sentiments. She stated that nobody died in the Holocaust and shockingly added that "Six million Jews should die right now" as they allegedly cause problems in the world.
Barr concluded her remarks by claiming that her statements were mandated, before mentioning her Jewish heritage.
You can hear what Barr said in the video below.
Holocaust denial, or the belief or assertion the Holocaust did not happen or was greatly exaggerated, is perhaps the most prominent antisemitic conspiracy theory out there.
The event, which was the genocide of European Jews during World War II, cost more than six million lives, not including the lives of millions of others, including ethnic Poles, the Roma, the disabled and gay men, who were persecuted under the Nazi regime.
Barr began by criticizing and denying the results of the 2020 election, which she and many conspiracy theorists who've backed former President Donald Trump have continued to falsely allege was stolen:
“Nobody wants to hear the real truth. They’re horrified of it, rather go with bulls**t. It’s easier."
“Like for the real truth that, you know, and I’m glad that they did set up all these guidelines so that we only are allowed to speak the truth. And the truth is that [Democratic President Joe] Biden got 81 million votes by winning 36 counties. And that is just incredible. It really is." ...
“That’s the truth and don’t you dare say anything against it or you’ll be off YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and all the other ones because there’s such a thing as the truth and facts and we have to stick to it."
After Von acknowledged this was a "scary" thought, Barr very boldly and suddenly expressed Holocaust denial:
“And that is the truth. And nobody died in the Holocaust either. That’s the truth."
"It should happen. Six million Jews should die right now cause they cause all the problems in the world. But it never happened. But it never happened — Mandated."
After a clip of Barr's remarks began circulating on Twitter, it triggered a swift and strong backlash.
Left-wing activist Brian Krassenstein condemned Barr's remarks by saying that he fully endorses her being "cancelled," which is to say she should be held accountable for her statements.
He added:
"The Nazis would be proud."
"And to those using this as an attack on Trump because Roseanne supports him, stop! That solves nothing and just takes away from her own responsibility in making these statements."
You can see his post below.
Many social media users condemned her comments as offensive, dangerous, and deeply insensitive.
Barr's controversial statements have ignited a broader discussion about the responsibilities of public figures and the importance of historical accuracy and sensitivity.
Denying the Holocaust, a well-documented and universally recognized historical event, not only undermines the suffering of millions but also perpetuates harmful ideologies. Such remarks have far-reaching consequences, including the potential to promote hate speech, anti-Semitism, and the revisionism of historical atrocities.
The controversial comedian has become a favorite on the far-right circuit after her hit show Roseanne—which had been revived to great acclaim—was canceled amid backlash to a tweet she authored referring to former Obama administration aide Valerie Jarret as "the offspring of the Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes."