UPDATE: David Remnick has disinvited Bannon from the Festival. He wrote to the staff: “”I don’t want well-meaning readers and staff members to think that I’ve ignored their concerns. I’ve thought this through and talked to colleagues––and I’ve re-considered. I’ve changed my mind. There is a better way to do this.”
EARLIER The New Yorker has made a big mistake, it turns out. They invited much hated neo Nazi and white supremacist ex Trump White House shit disturber Steve Bannon to be part of their New Yorker Festival, interviewed by editor in chief David Remnick.
Now, a bunch of celebrities have pulled out of the festival in protest of Bannon’s appearance. Jim Carrey, Jack Antonoff, Judd Apatow, John Mullaney have each notified the world via social media they are out. And that means more will follow. What a mess.
Carrey wrote on Twitter: “Bannon? And me? On the same program? Could never happen.”
Antonoff: “i’m no longer going to be speaking/performing at the new yorker festival as long as steve bannon is there.i always saw the new yorker festival as a wonderful moment to celebrate culture. so when they told me it would kacey musgraves, zadie smith and mike birbiglia etc – i was all in. steve bannon — respectfully that’s a full no for me and normalization of white supremacy ”
Social media is jumping with comments against Bannon. Personally, I’d go, except the event is at the Ethical Cultural Society, which seems to be a contradiction of everything Bannon stands for.
The New Yorker staff didn’t think this through, obviously. Remnick wrote to the New Yorker staff this note, which didn’t help:
But it’s not just celebs who are protesting. Subscribers are saying they’re cancelling their subscriptions. There’s an open revolt among staff, some of whom are posting criticism of Remnick.
Even the Ethical Culture Society is upset. “Our auditorium was rented for this outside event, and we’re just learning about the lineup ourselves. Rest assured we stand against everything Steve Bannon represents, and will issue a statement shortly.”
Stay tuned, keep refreshing…
