Toxic culture at 'America's Got Talent' led to Gabrielle Union, Julianne Hough departures

That's too bad. I liked them as judges, much better than Heidi Klum and Mel B.

Personally they need to get rid of all the judges, these two in particular were boring and offered absolutely nothing. Not that it matters, this show is too staged

I went to a taping. Gabrielle was Simon-level MEAN to a talented friend of mine who tried out (producers cut the segment).

[quote] According to sources, Hough and Union were critiqued over their physical appearance. "Two insiders familiar with the set said Hough had received consistent criticism on hair, makeup and wardrobe, which impacted her morale and led to tensions," the report states.

[quote] Hough, who has two upcoming Christmas specials with NBC, denied the claims to Variety.

[quote] "I had a wonderful time on America’s Got Talent, I loved working with the cast, crew and producers. I am happy to continue my working relationship with NBC," she said, expressing excitement for Holidays With the Houghs and Christmas in Rockefeller Center. "I’m looking forward to what the future holds."

Julianne Hough is such a chicken shit.

I never could stand the bitch.

Simon is a dick, this dose not surprise me.

It's offensive to joke about the use of dog meat in Korea?

well, that's an inappropriate joke but not enough to take it to the higher levels. That's OTT being woke, besides Leno is an old guy suffering from Dementia, probably.

[quote] that's an inappropriate joke but not enough to take it to the higher levels

That's probably why Gabrielle was fired.

It sounds like she's a trouble maker.

They seem like lovely ladies but definitely brought nothing to the table.

Click bait for the chronically offended.

R3 what did she do?

The joke would have landed if Leno said Vietnam. They’re very open about eating dog there.

Julianne Hough is probably the most useless celebrity in current existence.

Why do toxic whites like using Gabrielle Union as a get-out-of-racism-accusations-free card? First that stupid-ass show [italic]F(r)iends[/italic], then the [italic]Bring it On[/italic] movies, now this? Wake up, honey! They are just using you!

Wonder if Hough coming out as bi-sexual had anything to do with it.

It's ABC, and ABC is Disney. Draw your own conclusion.

Correction, R16, it's NBC.

R15 Nah, the fake pronouncements of bisexuality are par for the course with millennial starlets. None of these actresses seem to grasp that bisexuality includes wanting to have sex with the same sex, not simply finding them attractive from time to time. Now if this were a MALE performer with a female tween fan base that would be another matter.

[quote]Correction, [R16], it's NBC.

Sorry, I had it confused with [italic]Dancing with the Stars[/italic]. All those reality shows built around F-list celebrities run together in my head since all of them are crap.

Mental lightweight she may be, but at * least* Hough was a dancer. Besides, the idea of Leno, of all people, criticizing someone on their appearance is hysterical and hypocritical to say the least. His nose is so huge you could land a Supermax on it.

His nose is so big he uses it as a three-car garage.

Will Simon bring back Paula Abdul and Randy?

Julianne Ho is a Mormon, so she is NOT to be trusted. Remember when she tried to be an actress and made flop after flop? That was funny.

Gabrielle seems like a bitch and a troublemaker. She'll be fine. She's got her husband and she's got a huge social media following.

Klum, Mel B and Tyra Banks said nothing when they were canned.

I'm curious: I've never watching anything with Julianne Hough in it -- how is her last name pronounced? Ho? Huff? Hoff? Hew?

Huff.

r27: thank you!

I wonder if Gabrielle knows about Julianne doing blackface...?

r25 - they were not canned in a year. The ratings were down and they blamed it on Hough and Union.

Gee to be shitcanned from a show where people hit themselves in the head with a hammer. Oy.

Both of them seemed ill-suited to the show. I much prefer Mel B and Klum.

Gabrielle acts like her shit don't stink especially after snagging her husband.

[quote]Hough and Union were critiqued over their physical appearance

How in the hell were they expected to compete with this physical perfection?

I wonder if people just take notes on every little thing to gave ammunition in case they get fired. I don't know he any shows get made any more.

Theres a toxic cocaine culture over at NBC. I'm not surprised about anything that goes on behind the scenes of that network.

The same thing at E!, that being said. NBC and E! Are still great networks and great companies to work for.

NBC

Nothing But Cunts

Nothing But Cocaine.

Well the notes that her hair was too black seems...troubling.

R38 I said the same thing. Especially in 2019. What the hell is that about?

Honestly, the whole show is shady. Cowell could not do it when it started due to contractual obligations with Fox, so he got that human pimple Pierce Morgan. It was originally hosted by Regis Philbin, with Pierce, David Hasselhoff, and Brandy as judges. Regis was terrible and was dumped for Jerry Springer season 2 and 3. Brandy was replaced by Sharon Osbourne, and Hasselhoff eventually with Howie Mandel in season 5. Pierce got the Larry King job and AGT landed a coup and got Howard Stern. Howard, Howie, and Sharon were a good trio and the ratings were the best they ever were. Nick Cannon had taken on hosting in season 4. Sharon quit due to NBC firing Jack Osbourne from another NBC project and they brought in two women - Klum and Mel B. Once Simon was out of his American Idol contract, he was emailing NBC telling them to fire Stern and hire him so they could move the show back to LA and save money. Stern found out after the fact that he left the show the Simon was trying to get him fired. Cannon was fired for making questionable choices including suddenly embracing Hinduism and wearing turbans, doing racially charged beat poetry and raunchy racially charged comedy. He was replaced with Tyra Banks. She was vanilla enough and a friend of Klum. The rating dropped and they blamed Banks, Klum and Mel B and cleaned house.

r40 I just assumed that Ho and Union were budget Klum and Mel B because there's no way any producer would think those two would be more entertaining...right?

Bring in Mo'Nique.

Those who are hired for their looks, have to put up with producers commenting on their looks.

They know they’re in show business, right? How you look is a huge part of the job. Any newscaster will tell you they are constantly getting letters about their hair and clothes, it is part of the job.

Also, I seriously doubt that Gabrielle got notes about her hair being too black - not that NBC couldn’t think that - but they know better than to use those exact words in case of a law suit.

Interesting how a show called Americas got talent, has had so many foriegn born judges on it. Another reason the Brits annoy the fuck out of me.

America was formed to get away from imperial people such as the brits. Now there here in America calling the shots. I really don't like this at all.

What's wrong with England? Why are so many brits in America anyway? The more I see them in the American market, they more I get irritated with them. Their even starting to appear on cable news and network news a bit more now. But I've heard one of the reasons their not more prominent in the American news media, is because a lot of Americans end up complaining about the accents being to foriegn and wanting to see and here American news anchors over British ones. Which I completely understand. I've noticed that when you see British people in American media and journalism, its usually as contributors and in other very lesser positions. Because Americans will definitely complain about the accents. Americans usually like foriegn accents in small doses, especially in news and media.

But yeah, something definitely has to be done about Simon Cowell and his British friends taking jobs from Americans, in America.

There should probably be a thread on this very subject. "The brits taking jobs from Americans in entertainment and media."

R47 did you get lost on the way to Breitbart?

I fucking hate Simon Cowell. I think he's just a repulsive immigrant like Rupert Murdoch and Mark Burnett. They're the ones who have contributed to the demise of this country. They are the worst of immigration, not the best. Parasites.

I hope they all drop dead. And no, I'm not being harsh. I think they're all disgusting.

You're 55 years too late to complain about the English taking media jobs from Americans.

More and more is coming out. Apparently Cowell smokes on set, in violation of California law. Union is allergic to cigarette smoke complained day one and was told there was nothing they could do. Cowell continued to smoke on set. He then told Union if she had problems to come to him rather than official channels which she felt was no professional. She also was told to praise acts America could get behind. She was praising a 12-year-old rapper who was black and the show wanted her to praise a group of white guys. She also said in one meeting Howie suggested a south African choir should sing something from the Lion King.... I kind of believe her.

I actually liked watching Gabrielle each week for how her hair would be done and what she was wearing. JH was a bite. Like others said, she brought nothing to the show. In another story about this they said they couldn't find a single person to confirm the alleged racist note.

Has that show with Jessica Alba already aired??

R48 What the fuck are you talking about? I'm talking about English immigrants, not immigrants of color. I'm not the only complaining about the English. A lot of Americans are, and have been for a long time.

And they are very annoying. I'm also noticing, more and more people are starting to talk about the English in America in edition to the immigrants people have historically complained about.

Personally, my focus is on the English. By the the way, I'm a person of color myself. And when it comes to white immigrants, they seem to be the ones who influence the country negatively just as R49 sited.

And it's true too. I'm beginning to think there's a conspiracy to destroy America by these people. I'm not the only one who thinks so either.

[quote] It's offensive to joke about the use of dog meat in Korea?

You should have made a joke about eating cats in California!

[quote].... I kind of believe her.

After the Matt Lauer stuff I don't think there's any reason people shouldn't believe something was going down behind the scenes at that show. Furthermore, a lot of the stuff she she allegedly had a problem with can be easily verified.

[quote]Well the notes that her hair was too black seems...troubling.

That reminds me of when Maya Rudolph said the people at SNL used to make fun of the smell of her hair being straightened before the show which they had to do so she could wear wigs on the show.

R47, could not agree more. It got out of control obvious when that pos Three billboards over Ebbing Missouri won all the Oscars. All the Brits at the academy vote as a bloc and make sure their shitty shows and people win everything. How else do you explain fleabag and Succession sweeping the Emmys? And that fug John Boyega and that other horse’s ass James Corden?

Too many Brits in showbiz, get rid of them. I’ve never seen a country that was so fucking up its own ass.

I'm another one who agrees with you, R47.

It's very noticeable on the Walking Dead.

Andrew Lincoln, Lauren Cohan, Lennie James (Morgan), Tom Payne, Pollyanna McIntosh (Jadis), Samantha Morton, Eleanor Matsuura.

All British, playing Americans.

Interesting, R51.

My old boss used to smoke in the office, too. Nobody said a word, because he was a gruff old man. He would swear like a sailor, smoke in the office, and scream at people.

Everyone just dealt with it. Lol.

You can’t cast a black woman and then complain that she’s black.

She always looked appropriate for the show.

Yikes, that shade of lipstick on the blonde. Was the hippodrome in town? Clown red.

r52

No one will speak up because they don't want to lose their job. Even Julianne Hough isn't saying anything because she doesn't want to lose opportunities.

That's how toxic workplace culture works.

Maybe Gabby is a bitch but Simon Cowell seems 10,000X worse. And this is a show that had Piers Morgan on it, so you know the vileness starts from the top.

Gabby was never the right fit for this show. She's above this mess.

Gabby should sue. She has every reason to. She already was successful in a lawsuit against BET.

Those attacking her are part of the problem. You allow these people to get away with anything.

I'm disappointed in Terry Crews. This has revealed to me that he's just like other celebrities. Only exposing certain abusers, while protecting others.

[quote]Maybe Gabby is a bitch

There's no maybe about that. Gabby herself admits she was a mean-girl to her fellow black actresses, especially the ones who got better roles. She would trash talk them at industry events and parties to make herself feel better. She also pulled Julia Roberts-esque stunts on D. Wade's wife (yes, he was married when she was seeing him).

[quote]Gabby herself admits she was a mean-girl to her fellow black actresses, especially the ones who got better roles.

Like shows that didn't rip off black shows wholesale?

r65

None of that has anything to do with the topic at hand. She's in the right in this case.

[quote]Gabby should sue. She has every reason to. She already was successful in a lawsuit against BET.

Sue for what? She had a one year contract, NBC honored it but didn't renew.

BET has been a basket case ever since Viacom took it over. Before that, the worst you could say about them was sometimes they cut off the closing credits of [italic]What's Happening!![/italic] reruns.

[quote]None of that has anything to do with the topic at hand.

Who the fuck made you hall monitor?

[quote]She's in the right in this case.

And you know this how?

I've never liked Gabrielle Union and I don't know why.

Someone on this thread definitely has a gabrielle union agenda. My goodness, can we please get back to trashing the Brits please?

They annoy the shit out of me. Thanks R57 and R58, glad I'm not the only one who feel this way about the brits in American media and entertainment. Hell some of them are even helping to pass legislation in this country too. That's a little to involved for me.

LVP is the brit helping to pass legislation in America. The PACT act was just signed into law this week by Trump.

A law LVP pushed for, about cruelty to dogs. I understand the reasons behind it, but still to involved for a brit in American politics.

I'm so sick of people getting mad about jokes over how Asian countries eat dogs. It's literally true! Are we supposed to just turn a blind eye to how barbaric that is? This is why I hate cancel culture, it allows people that do horrible things to be excused for one reason while another person who does horrible things must be publicly stoned. Why do they get to pick and choose what's fucked up and what's not?Why do people get to protect the Hollywood uppers that do terrible shit because they're friends with them while "cancelling" others?

While we're at it, can we get like a ferret to finally get rid of that British Geico gecko?

r72

Do you not see the title of this thread? That’s not what this thread is about, bitch. Go make your own thread about the British you annoying ass idiot.

The Jay Leno joke was not inappropriate, insensitive or racial.

R76 Must be British.

R77, something tells me if the joke were about gays, you'd want him to lose an Oscar hosting gig if he made it. Introspection and empathy are lacking with a lot of you who only see "gay jokes" as inappropriate.

Exactly R79.

[quote]Someone on this thread definitely has a gabrielle union agenda. My goodness, can we please get back to trashing the Brits please?

She's literally the topic of the thread R72.

This is the strangest form of trolling.

r79

White gays still attack Eddie Murphy.

I especially love the ones who go off about "Woke" culture and then tell us "This is why Trump won" because they think those people who vote for Trump only target the minorities they (white gays) also hate. As if those same people who vote Trump think using "fag" is simply ghastly.

Either STFU about gay jokes if you plan on shitting on other groups complaining about jokes being made about them or learn not to be a fucking hypocrite who thinks being offended is only reserved for gay people.

[quote]Someone on this thread definitely has a gabrielle union agenda

And you have an agenda against the Brits.

That show has been on too long and it's time to shut it down.

I've never watched the show. Exactly how many winners have had huge success since?

I don't get the whole "we can't do anything about him smoking" If I am the fire marshal I will shut the whole fucking thing down if the hairy tittied brit cannot take his bad fillers and go smoke outside.

Yeah, I don't get how Cowell can overrule a fire marshal. Wouldn't that make NBC liable?

Although I remember Sean Penn pulled the same shit here in Toronto at the film festival. Lit up when smoking is banned. Like Cowell, he is a complete asshole.

They drink and were full. Fuck off filth

R88 Sean Penn smoked during his interview with Stephen Colbert a few years back which is a huge no no.

But certain people can get away with anything especially since it's technically Simon's show.

Somebody should've just called the fire marshall directly. Nobody is above the law.

I didn't realize how powerful Simon was until recently.

He was one of the people listed in the Panama Papers.

R91, as someone that worked on one of these kinds of sets and on one of these kinds of shows - there is a person that's responsible for handling this on the production doing double duty as probably a PA or AC. However, if someone like Simon, gets reported to a higher authority -- the show will usually get fined, pay the fine and Simon will go back to smoking.

and the person that reported it will be rooted out and terminated.

AGT would do better to hire people who are more focused on the success of the show and less on being militant and outraged. It was bad casting.

"Debra Messing Slams NBC for Alleged 'Disgusting Behavior' After Gabrielle Union's AGT Firing"

Debra Messing is joining Ellen Pompeo in publicly supporting Gabrielle Union following her America’s Got Talent firing.

Shortly after the Grey’s Anatomy star spoke out following Union’s recent and controversial departure from the NBC reality competition series after only one season, the Will and Grace star criticized the network in a group of scathing tweets.

“Thank you for this @EllenPompeo,” Messing, 51, wrote. “This is disgusting behavior from a network that has been my professional home for decades. Yes, women become ‘difficult,’ when their insistence on a respectful and professional working environment, is ignored.”

“Addressing a hostile work environment is inconvenient when there is a huge money making machine that is involved. It is cowardice, greed, and protection of the status quo revealed. Being ‘hands off,’ is inexcusable and reflects a laissez faire attitude toward systemic racism and sexism,” she continued, tagging Union.

NBC did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment regarding Messing’s tweets.

Messing has worked on numerous NBC shows over the years. In addition to her role in Will & Grace from 1998-2006 as well as its revival — which will end in 2020 — she also starred in The Mysteries of Laura from 2014-2016 as well as Smash (2012-2013).

In her own tweets, Pompeo praised Union’s “commitment to speaking up to injustice.”

“It’s unfortunate that @nbc the same network that protected disgusting men like Matt Lauer and punished women for speaking out or not putting up with it…has not changed their practices or culture,” she wrote, noting the former Today show anchor’s firing for allegations of sexual misconduct. “Workplace cultures will continue to be toxic until there is unity and solidarity among all women. If you go for self in these moments you undermine the work we are out here trying to do. Obviously this network feels like they can operate like this and it’s okay.”

Pompeo went on to acknowledge that there have been issues on her own show at rival network ABC.

“Also I feel important to mention our problems on the Greys set and every set has them…some kind of issue …there’s lots of people in a workplace.. point is… exec producers and the NETWORK @abc cared enough to help us make change support is crucial,” she tweeted, concluding by saying that this Thanksgiving, she felt “thankful for all the women out there who refuse to put up with bulls—. 💯 💯 💯 ❤️💋.”

In her own show of support, singer Ariana Grande added, “thank you for this @EllenPompeo. be better @nbc. we’re with you @itsgabrielleu. 🖤”

A spokesperson for NBC and production company Fremantle responded to such claims with a statement on Tuesday to PEOPLE, saying: “America’s Got Talent has a long history of inclusivity and diversity in both our talent and the acts championed by the show. The judging and host line-up has been regularly refreshed over the years and that is one of the reasons for AGT’s enduring popularity. NBC and the producers take any issues on set seriously.”

Please! If the smarmy grandstanding bitch was serious, she'd walk out in solidarity!

Debra Messing and Ellen Pompeo are exhausting and try way too hard.

Deb must be very confident that she's set for life (from her residuals from Will and Grace), that she can trash talk the network that has employed her for years.

She's lucky they gave her a re-boot of W&G, and not she's still trash talking them.

Save those coins, girl! You're gonna need them. You'll "never work in this town again."

She can go on tour with Constance Wu in [italic]Legends[/italic], except there's no more Burt Reynolds Dinner Theater to put up with their miserable, petty, unprofessional asses.

Why is Cowell given so much leeway in general?

I mean I don't watch this shit and I couldn't care less about Union or the other one, but who is this asshole as if television can't survive without him? And smoking with impunity. Fuck him. Deport his ass.

[quote]She's lucky they gave her a re-boot of W&G, and not she's still trash talking them.

They should give Punky Brewster her time slot just to spite her.

NBC will be fined because of this. And union can sue and receive a settlement offer. Why a network without any money would keep doing this, is beyond me?

Don't quote full articles.

r100

He's also in the Panama Papers. He should be in jail.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

I hate Ellen Pompeo just because that fucking stupid soap opera has made her so arrogant. She thinks she's the best thing since sliced bread.

r106 I agree. Bitch is the ultimate example of white privilege and yet she thinks she is so woke. I love how on Twitter people were bringing up her criticism of Kamala Harris and not to mention how Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew were basically fired to give her $20 million a year.

R105 Julianne would make a good Cousin Itt.

Lol R8. And her brother looks like the Wolfman.

They should star in their own horror series.

Btw, remember when Julianne did "blackface?"

They were fired because they were boring and had trite comments for the contestants.

r110

That would be easy to believe if they were the first. But look at what happened to all of the former judges, especially the women. Something clearly isn't right.

I had no idea this show had so many deluded fans...hm.

I think they were fired because they don't draw in viewers. They're boring judges with no social relevance and barely any celebrity. They were fired because having them on the panel doesn't bring in any viewership.

R112, then why wouldn't that be the case for Cowell himself? Isn't he there to be the draw? Shouldn't he be gone, too. I mean the show didn't need him before. He was desperate to get back on American television. He's irrelevant.

If Cowell can't obey the law, have him deported. Problem solved.

R113 People know who Cowell is. He brings in viewers and draws attention to the show. He's got celebrity. A random nobody dancer and has-been actress from late-90's teen comedies don't.

R115, he wasn't there for a couple of years and the show did fine. The papers in the SONY hack revealed that douchebag was desperate to get back on TV in the states. If he were to go again, they could easily get someone to replace him.

R116 I'm not saying Cowell's the next big thing, I'm just saying he has more celebrity than a nobody dancer and a has-been actress nobody's heard from in 20 years. The guy may be a prick, but he has name recognition.

Fuck cowell, he has way to much power it seems on American television. But everyone seems to love the financial prosperity of America.

You see a lot of Brits and Australians come to America to make their showbiz fortunes and live well. Most of Simons wealth was generated right here in America. That's probably the main reason he's so desperate to stay on American television as long as possible. He doesn't want his American capitalist gravy train to end.

But all good things end eventually. So will his gravy train.

Gabrielle Union must either have some dirt, or NBC is petrified of a lawsuit from her:

"AGT Producers and NBC 'working with' Gabrielle Union"

“America’s Got Talent” network NBC and producers Fremantle and Syco have released a new statement regarding former “AGT” host Gabrielle Union’s exit from the series.

“We remain committed to ensuring a respectful workplace for all employees and take very seriously any questions about workplace culture,” the group said Sunday in a joint statement. “We are working with Ms. Union through her representatives to hear more about her concerns, following which we will take whatever next steps may be appropriate.”

The statement comes five days after Variety‘s report that Union was let go from “America’s Got Talent” following complaints about a toxic workplace culture on the series.

Following the release of NBC’s statement, Union retweeted a tweet by entertainment and culture writer Joelle Monique, outlining the three steps to a “solid apology” and asserting that “anything less is covering your own ass.”

Union added, “This! This! AND THIIISSSSSSS!!!!!!”

Among the incidents Variety reported on, citing multiple sources with close knowledge of the series, was an offensive on-camera joke told by guest star Jay Leno that Union asked to be escalated to NBC human resources. Widely seen by people present as insensitive to Asian communities, many of the sources Variety spoke with said the matter went unreported. Union was also given constant notes that her rotating hairstyles were “too black” for the competition series’ audience, four people with knowledge of the critique told Variety.

Time’s Up and numerous Hollywood women have called for NBC to launch an investigation since the Nov. 26 report.

“Grey’s Anatomy” star Ellen Pompeo asserted that “workplace cultures will continue to be toxic until there is unity and solidarity among all women. If you go for self in these moments you undermine the work we are out here trying to do. Obviously this network feels like they can operate like this and it’s okay.”

She is starting to look crazy by that response.

I don't watch this shit and don't care for any of these people, but anything that gets Cowell out of the country or at least off TV and out of entertainment, is fine by me.

He's such a scumbag.

[quote] She is starting to look crazy by that response

Crazy like a fox.

This bitch is going to get settlement money, for sure.

Hilariously, Julianne Hough will get NOTHING, because she said she didn't witness anything, and everything on the show was fine and dandy.

Haha! Stupid coward.

It's now very, very easy for the marginally talented to gain the upper hand in the workplace by inventing abuse by exaggerating harmless nonsense like the "dog meat" crack by Leno. There's a certain theater actor who is a troublemaker and has tried, unsuccessfully to invent a narrative of workplace harassment to deflect from his own bad behavior. It's just the way it is right now.

Fuck Simon Cowell. He’s ruined tv and music with his shitty old man corporatized machine pop music. Both he and Mark Burnett should get bounced out of the country yesterday, and take your flared old man jeans and pointy toed shoes with you.

I hope Gabrielle Union stomps him into the dirt. He sounds like a fucking shitbag who the whole crew despises.

Joelle Monique's "Three steps to a 'solid apology'":

1. Sincerely admit wrong doing, directly to the offended party.

2. Be twice as loud correcting your mistake, as you were making the mistake.

3. Lay out steps to correct your behavior in the future.

That sounds more like "Three easy steps to get a corporation to admit they were at fault, so you can sue their ass for big bucks!"

This thread has been derailed by some troll who has an obsession with "The Brits".

Stop with your ridiculous agenda. It has nothing to do with this thread.

R119 They're terrified of a lawsuit and of the fallout this could bring form cancel culture. NBC's already a failing network, it doesn't need the woke crowd pissed off to rub salt in the wound. Think about how a big TV show firing a black woman for "speaking out" is going to look through the lens of twitter.

I want to know why that fuckface was allowed to break a law and get away with it and yes, it matters he's a fucking foreigner because if he weren't a white asshole, people would be in uproar if a foreigner merely wants to go to school here and learn, but this shithead and his filthy habit get to go unchecked.

I'm so fucking sick and tired of these outside foriegn white men coming to America and fucking everything up. Rupert Murdoch, Mark Burnett, Simon Cowell, and Peirs Morgan. Why do all of these toxic assholes keep coming to America? Is there not not enough opportunities in their own countries?

What the fuck.

Also, Gabrielle Union should do a site down interview with Oprah and cry her eyes out. And really tell what was going on behind the scenes of AGT. Maybe she can even get Megyn Kelly involved too. You Megyn has it out for NBC because of how she was let go from the network. The internet and Twitter would be all over NBC, and that'll probably be the final nail in the coffin for NBC.

LOL

This thread stopped being interesting at least 50 posts ago.

Newbie trolls always try too hard.

Simon Cowell and Gabby Union are both annoying. There's nobody to root for in this story.

But they were silly to fire Union because she has a huge social media following and is married to Dwayne Wade. They must have known that this wasn't going to be a simple "I appreciated my time on AGT and wish everybody well" exit.

Or maybe - foolishly - they did.

Team Union all day. I will always root for the black woman and man, no matter what.

Fuck the haters.

You're trying too hard R133

Actresses often have in their contract that they can't change their hair because it's important for continuity and look. Gabrielle may have been trying to provoke the producers by changing her hair styles. She should have been thankful that someone gave her a job.

Rumor has it Cowell will get Randy and Paula.

R129 Triggered, and boundaries set.

you have to hand it to NBC. It is a rare feat to piss off the African-American Community, Women, Country Music industry and fans and Dolly Parton Fans. Somehow, they managed to do just this.

"You see puppies, I see Korean bar-b-que!"

P.S. America's got talent -- but Gabrielle Union sure as shit doesn't.

NBC will get rid of Simon and Gabrelle will be blacklisted.

r135

Stop victim blaming. That goes for all of you.

Gabrielle Union will not be black listed.

Very true r143. She’s a solid talent, and has the weight of the NBA behind her during this time as well. I will worship her as a God if she rids North America of that STI in human form, Simon Cowell.

Crazy troublemakers now have PC/Woke talking points to shield their disruptive workplace behavior from criticism.

More franchised Snitching. Gotta love the MeToo "movement".

R145, but you're OK with Cowell literally breaking the fucking law, right?

She may be "woke" or whatever, but wasn't her complaining about Leno's joke because a staff member was offended? And I would hate it somebody just lit up a cigarette in my workplace.

Joking about the use of dog meat in Korea is racist? How does this woman function in daily life. She must be paralyzed with outrage. Who wants a pain in the ass like that in the workplace?

R149, maybe because younger generations of Koreans are tired of hearing that joke made by morons like you who haven't heard that it's the old people and poor people who still eat it.

The French eat horse meat. Do you hear jokes about that all of the time?

And BTW, R149. It's assholes like you who want everyone fired for gay jokes. Funny how hypocritical a lot of you are when it comes to whining about "pc culture" yet somehow, you think gay jokes should stop.

Either STFU and defend jokes made about everyone including gay people being "fudgepackers" if you think "dog eaters" is OK or you accept that it's not only about YOU and what you deem appropriate or offensive in your own fucking mind.

No but I'm all for making fun of the French eating horses.

r151 lives in a PC echo chamber and makes shit up

Howard Stern is chiming in: says AGT is the ultimate Boys Club. The women get replaced for someone hotter and younger while the men remain the same-- Howie and Simon--and can get older and uglier.

Simon’s PR interns have arrived.

Your boss is an ugly no talent shitbag who everyone wants deported.

Oh, and Dwayne Wade makes more money than he does and is better looking.

Union's fangurls have arrived. Your queen is a no-talent troublemaker who co-opts woke/PC/metoo for her own manipulations when things don't go her way.

[quote][R151] lives in a PC echo chamber and makes shit up

I've been on DL long enough to see how many of you assholes are easily triggered by gay jokes in the same breath as whining about "pc culture." You're thin-skinned hypocrites and you know it. You want people fired over gay jokes and then show your apathy towards other groups who you expect to just suck it up and take jokes. You lack introspection, that's why you can't see how full of shit you are.

Here's how it works with people like you: You don't want anyone making jokes about gays being (for example) "effeminate men" and then go off about how Koreans are whining about being called "dog eaters" and lazily chalk it up to how everything is just so "pc."

I don't live in the echo chamber, you do. Either STFU and take jokes "like a man" about gays along with every other group you tell to suck it up or don't attempt to tell other groups how they should react to jokes made at their expense because you lack empathy for them.

R156, just a note, dumbass: I've never seen a single episode of the show nor anything with Gabriel Union except that cheerleading movie years ago. How simplistic are you that you think it's about defending her or being some fangurl rather than how hypocritical a lot of you clearly are when it comes to your bullshit about "pc culture" when a lot of know how you'd react if the Leno joke was about gay people.

r14, Gabby was never on Friends you dumb piece of shit. That was Aisha Taylor. You oughta get yo shit pushed in, you bitch.

I think they should bring in Reese Witherspoon and Candace Cameron Bure as judges.

I don't watch AGT, so pile on me if you want. I have no idea how Simon Cowell behaves on that show.

But the reason he was so popular on American Idol -- I know, that was a generation ago -- is that he was mean. The same reason Trump is popular with his fans. A certain group of Americans likes meanness. They liked watching Trump tell someone, "You're fired." They liked watching Cowell belittle singers who at the very least were a thousand times more talented than he was or is. They really liked it when he eviscerated someone who wasn't talented at all.

That's who we as Americans are. We like to think we're the good guys who saved the world from the Nazis and the Russians, but we are mean, as a group. We (not me, and not all of us, but a lot of us) like capital punishment, even if the guy is not guilty. We like guns, we like racist cops who kill and bully, we allowed Donald Trump to put children in cages, for fuck's sake. Of course we like a mega-millionaire celebrity who is mean to young people trying to reach for their dreams.

R159

You’re wrong

Union played Kirsten Lang on Friends

A simple google search confirms the truth

Whose ‘shit should be pushed in’ now?

Howard Stern is basically on the girls side, calling Simon misogynistic but defended Leno even though he hates him.

[quote] “Let’s go on record as telling people that one million dogs are still eaten annually in South Korea, and if Gabrielle Union wants to effect positive change, maybe focus on the horrors of Korean dog farms and let the old irrelevant comic live in peace,” Stern said. “She wants Jay beaten in the streets. I think maybe Jay makes a point.”

Exactly. Leno is an old irrelevant man and you can't train an old dog new tricks. I'm Asian and not offended at all, I know some Asian people who have eaten dog.

Howard Stern hates Cowell for personal reasons, though. That's what I can't stand about him. I loathe Cowell, but Howard has always been about Howard. He's a selfish douche like Cowell. Even his hatred of Leno was ridiculous. It was about Howard's needs.

You mean the evil Jay Leno made a joke about Koreans eating dogs???

When you start cancelling comedians to become politically correct, you threaten their livelihood and free speech. That's what they do, they make fun of everybody and everything! As long as it's not done in a mean or malicious way like Donald Trump. There's funny observation and then there's outright meanness.

Didn't Family Guy claim they'd stop doing gay jokes and a lot of you cheered that and you're constantly going off about comedians who do gay jokes. So is it only "politically correct" when they stop targeting others, but it's not pc when they stop doing gay jokes?

Hough wants some black pussy.

R168 good for her.

Mocking Koreans eating dogs is no more racist than saying that Brits have bad teeth or that Frenchmen smell. It's not racist and it's an abuse of the word.

Cancel the fucking show. Problem solved. NEXT!

Her hair looks too black like this R44.

[quote]That's OTT being woke, besides Leno is an old guy suffering from Dementia, probably.

Jokes about Asian cultures eating dogs were outdated decades ago, they're considered racist and they're not the kind of thing you normally hear on primetime. It doesn't make any kind of sense to say that objecting to something like this is "too woke." You idiots call anything you don't like "woke," I swear.

And no, Leno does not have "Dementia." Good lord, where do you people come from?

[quote]When you start cancelling comedians to become politically correct, you threaten their livelihood and free speech.

There isn't a single comedian who has been "canceled" in a way that violated their Constitutional rights, and the only one who has had any financial impact is Louis CK and he's (a) already rich and doing just fine and (b) lucky he wasn't arrested because what he admitted to was a crime.

[quote]Jokes about Asian cultures eating dogs were outdated decades ago, they're considered racist and they're not the kind of thing you normally hear on primetime.

How is it racist if it's a true reference? That Asians would be insulted for it being called out?

Lychee and Dog Meat Festival

The Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, is an annual celebration held in Yulin, Guangxi, China, by the Chinese during the summer solstice in which festival goers eat dog meat and lychees. The festival began in 2009 and spans about ten days during which it is estimated that 10,000–15,000 dogs are consumed. Wikipedia

Is that Gabrielle Union? Damn she really is beautiful. I thought that was some random model at first.

Would Colin Kapernick in drag work well for the audience? maybe

I'd be happy if Gabrielle Union never appeared on television again.

She plays only one character ever: the smart-mouthed "tough" chick with attitude.

Give me a fucking break.

R162: Not only did she sell black people out by appearing on that vile show, she exposed why they had trouble getting black talent on there. She basically implied that the director treated her worse than the main cast.

Yeah, I really don't like her, but that doesn't mean Leno or NBC or the producers are in the right here.

Exactly r180. Who the hell cares about Gabrielle Union specifically? Nobody. They care that Badger Wig Simon is a prick and he’s a no talent hack who makes the women judges miserable. Jay Leno is a useless fat fuck and I’m glad Howard Stern went public with what he said.

I will bet a mean spirited shit like Simon hated the fact that Gabrielle Union’s husband is hotter, younger and makes a fortune. This show is idiotic and Simon Cowell is a turd who needs to get benched. He’s overstayed his welcome.

[quote]I will bet a mean spirited shit like Simon hated the fact that Gabrielle Union’s husband is hotter, younger and makes a fortune. This show is idiotic and Simon Cowell is a turd who needs to get benched. He’s overstayed his welcome.

First don't you think since he is in charge he would know who her husband is before he hired her? And do you have any idea how much Cowell is worth? His cut from record sales and tours of Susan Boyle and One Direction alone is a fortune.

Julianne Hough was judged by her appearance?! OMG--I wanted to hear her opinions on Proust and ancient Byzantine archaeology!

It appears that Julianne recently had a brow lift. Hmm.

The Voice is very similar in their treatment of the women & black judges. For years it was Blake and Adam while the women & black judges were forced to rotate each season. Christina Aguilera even spoke out about her treatment on the show. It seems like all of these shows are like this.

[quote] Leno quipped that the pets looked like something one would find "on the menu at a Korean restaurant," four people at the taping told Variety. When some people voiced concern about the inappropriate joke, Union supposedly urged producers to report the incident to human resources at NBC,

Oh FFS.

White liberalism have completely ruined the word "woke." That word is heavily used in black culture as it regards to being socially conscious and aware of the world and the system.

Then white liberals got their hands on it a have completely ruined it. It seems everything in black culture, white liberals find out about and decide they want to partake in. They always end up destroying it.

Once they catch on, it's no longer cool any.

Never fails.

[quote] There isn't a single comedian who has been "canceled" in a way that violated their Constitutional rights, and the only one who has had any financial impact is Louis CK and he's (a) already rich and doing just fine and (b) lucky he wasn't arrested because what he admitted to was a crime.

They tried to cancel Dave Chapelle recently with his observation of the LGBT movement on his recent Netflix show, Sticks and Stones. 90% of the media critics gave the show a thumbs down while 99% of the audience (thousands) loved his show. Rotten Tomatoes was not even displaying his show on their site-- talk about cancelled. Netflix made it hard to find his show which was extremely weird. It was like the show never existed, thanks to the Trans crowd.

Louis CK deserved the backlash but it wasn't anything he said, he did an obscene act in front of his fellow female comics.

r188, I just got Netflix and Sticks & Stones is front and center on the main menu. I watched it and his commentary on the "alphabet people" was spot-on accurate and hilarious.

And here's the listing at Rotten Tomatoes, where it has 35% from the critics and 99% from regular viewers.

R189, when it first came out and all the SJWs and the Trans were complaining about it, Netflix hid it. I would put in a search for Dave Chapelle and his other specials would come up except that. The only way I could find it was when I spelt out the entire title and his name.

I assume since the controversy has died down, Netflix is no longer hiding it.