Fox Showrunners are Speaking Out Against Fox News in the Midst of the Family Separation Crisis

In the midst of the Trump administration’s family separation horror show, showrunners and producers who work for Fox are speaking out against the network’s news channel. In a series of tweets, Judd Apatow called on people in power to speak out against their parent company and Rupert Murdoch for engineering a network of propaganda and dishonest reporting. Apatow tweeted:

Apatow continued, saying “Fox stars and show runners should speak up! Journalists and athletes should speak up! Maybe their executives should speak up! @SethMacFarlane can’t be the only one with a conscience. If EVERY Fox Star and show runner said this policy was evil and protested to the Murdoch family it would make a huge difference in this national debate.” Apatow was referring to MacFarlane’s tweet about being embarrassed to work for Fox, the home of Family Guy and The Orville.

Following Apatow’s call to action, Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan joined the conversation, saying:

Director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters) chimed in as well to condemn Fox news.

These statements are an important step in condemning the Murdoch family and the Fox News cabal, but is it empty virtue signaling? It’s hard to sympathize with multi-millionaires who tweet with one hand and cash checks with the other. But they are in an impossible position: while these men have the clout and resources to walk away, they are still beholden to the contracts they’ve signed with Fox. Furthermore, their actions can jeopardize the livelihoods of the hundreds of employees working for them, whose survival depends on these productions.

Talk is just talk without action. I would love to see these very wealthy men put their money where their mouth is and donate to RAICES, the ACLU, or the campaigns of democrats looking to unseat republicans in the midterm elections. Many already are. The bottom line is, money talks, and democrats need their own counterparts to the Koch brothers and the Sheldon Adelsons of the world. To the giants of Hollywood and tech, we’re looking at you.

(via The Hollywood Reporter, image: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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