Sean Spicer at the Emmys, or the Normalization of Awfulness
I’m glad I’m not the only one who felt deep revulsion about the Emmys putting up Sean Spicer as “entertainment.” The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake has a good piece on this.
When Spicer exited as press secretary, I wrote about how this kind of thing should not be normalized. Spokesmen have a duty to represent their bosses and toe the company line, but they also have a duty to do so believably and with some regard for the truth. There are shades of gray, and then there is laughing at flouting the truth, which is what Spicer did Sunday night. When spokesmen do that, dismissing their falsehoods only serves notice to other spokesmen that they needn’t worry about being credible.
Spicer served Trump for more than six months — a period in which he was repeatedly dispatched to say things that strained credulity and were found to be false. When the media and the American people give spokesmen no compunction about doing that — and suggest that one day it could all be laughed off — the falsehoods will only multiply.
It should also be noted that Spicer didn’t start being awful when he worked with Trump; he’s been a hard core right wing liar for years, as communications director for the RNC.
Now he’s supposed to be amusing.
What pariah? Sean Spicer getting mobbed in #Emmys lobby. Posing for pics, drinking beer, soaking up all attention after onstage appearance pic.twitter.com/WqJpaRtAvK
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) September 18, 2017