WORST OF 2021: Celebrity Freak-Outs Award

It was a challenging task but an esteemed panel of NewsBusters editors led by MRC President L.Brent Bozell and MRC’s Vice President for Research and Publications Brent Baker boiled down all the biased outbursts from lefty hack hosts, anchors, reporters and pundits in 2021 and on December 15 announced The Chris Cuomo Memorial Award for Quote of the Year .  

Of course, every year there is too much bias for just one category. So Baker led a panel of NewsBusters editors to break down the Worst of 2021 into seven additional categories (The Damn Those Conservatives Award; The GOP Wants To Bring Back Jim Crow Award; The Joy of Hate Award for Joy Reid Rants; The Praising and Protecting Old Joe Award; The Media Heroes Award; The Craziest Analysis Award and the Celebrity Freak-Outs Award). 

Today we present the WORST OF 2021: The Celebrity Freak-Outs Award. 

Without further ado here is the winner (followed by the top runners-up):  

 

WINNER

 

Soulless Celeb Reacts to Limbaugh’s Passing

“#RushLimbaugh has gone to his reward. Bet it’s hot.”
…
“NO, #Newt, his BIRTH was a tragic moment. He was one of the vilest reptiles who ever trolled the planet. And of course, birds of a feather, Newt. Mend your ways, lest YOUR death bring the outpouring of joy so many feel at his demise.”
— February 17 tweets by singer/actress Bette Midler. Second tweet is in response to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich calling Limbaugh’s passing a “tragic moment.” 

 

RUNNERS-UP

 

If It Is An Awards Show, There Must Be At Least One “Trump Is Hitler” Reference

“This president Agent Orange will go down in history with the likes of Hitler.”
— Film director Spike Lee in a pre-recorded acceptance speech at the New York Films Critics Circle Awards, January 24. 

 

CNN and MSNBC Don’t Perpetuate “Lethal” “Dangerous” Lies Like Fox News

“I would say that there is something lethal that’s wrong with Fox News….They lie and they perpetuate lies, dangerous lies….I recognize that the enemies of Fox News: CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, NBC News, you. I recognize that there might be a liberal tone to it, but they don’t lie, they don’t make things up.”
— Screenwriter and film director Aaron Sorkin to host Ashleigh Banfield on NewsNation’s Banfield, March 1.

 

Ted Cruz = Deadly “Fascist”

 

 

“Ted Cruz is a fascist! He denies the reality of the election. His words caused people to die, and I’m making jokes about it. Is that a feud? I don’t know. To me, it doesn’t seem like a feud. To me, seems like I’m pointing out the fact that he is a terrible man whose words have resulted in death.”
— Actor Seth Rogen on CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, May 13.

 

Time to Replace Old Glory 

“The Confederate battle flag, which was crafted as a symbol of opposition to the abolishment of slavery, is just recently tired. We don’t see it much anymore. However, on [January] 6th, when the stormers rained on the nation’s most precious hut, waving Old Glory — the memo was received: the American flag is its replacement….Like the Confederate, it is tattered, dated, divisive, and incorrect. It no longer represents democracy and freedom. It no longer represents ALL of us. It’s not fair to be forced to honor it. It’s time for a new flag….Let’s look to the stars. There are 50, where there should be 52. D.C. and Puerto Rico have been lobbying for statehood for decades. Both have been denied….What if the stars were the colors of ALL of us — your skin tone and mine — like the melanin scale?”
— Singer Macy Gray in a June 17 column for MarketWatch.

 

Rupert Murdoch Should be “Shot” for Fox’s “Doing Great Harm to the Human Race”

“There are a lot of really stupid people in the world and that many of them are in power and that the rest are being fed a whole shitload of absolutely untrue shit. Rupert Murdoch should be taken out and shot. The people on Fox are doing great harm to the human race. What can I say? They’re lying for money. So, it feels hopeless.”
— Singer David Crosby in July 27 Daily Beast interview.