X/@RealJamesWoods
Veteran actor and conservative commentator James Woods ignited a combustible online debate with his comparing of CNN anchor Jake Tapper with the controversial Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff. Woods, known for his outspoken political views, tweeted simply, “Jake Tapper is the Adam Schiff of American journalism.” The tweet went viral within moments, receiving millions of engagements with both endorsers and opponents vehemently rebutting the statement.
Advertisement
The comparison arises from Schiff’s controversial role as the lead prosecutor during Donald Trump’s first impeachment, being accused by his detractors of making misleading statements about the Russian collusion claims. Woods, in the act of putting Tapper alongside Schiff, asserts that the CNN anchor is biased, just as Schiff was never interested in impartial journalism.
The tweet has gone viral and never ceased. An Austrian user issued one of the hottest comments calling Tapper ‘a lying worthless piece of prototype career politician human garbage.’ Such a comment from another part of the world is a testament to how far Woods’ criticism traveled; the user embarked on an inflammatory historical statement about Nazis being left-wing.
Some puns were made. Through a horribly inappropriate pun, one comment noted, “Tapper is definitely full of Schiff,” carrying a lot of traction. Another observation read simply, “OOF! Talk about a negative metaphor,” brilliantly encapsulating the heavy blow of the original insult by Woods.
The negativity was far away from one way. One of the dissenters indignantly replied with a Hitler comparison to Donald Trump. Forty seconds later, the grander warfare over politics erupted. “And Trump is the Hitler of these times. So…piss off!” the combative user jabbed into the fray, giving a glimpse into the heated battle that social media political discourse is.
Many of the comments concerned Tapper’s recent book release and hinted at money-related motives behind the reporting. “He’s talking to sell a book, trying to cover up his lies, for money. He’s disgusting,” one angry user wrote. At this point, skepticism is becoming a dominant public opinion towards media figures who profit from political commentaries.
The discussion took some pretty weird turns-including whether or not Tapper had “diddled a boy in a hotel”-a supposed nod to unproven conspiracy theories. Another gave him damn-comparison-level treatment to Jeffrey Epstein-in a particularly vile analogy. Those extreme comments paint a picture of just how fast serious criticism degenerates into wild personal attacks in any given online political debate.
Others widened the scope of criticism pertaining to media integrity. “Whoever said he was media. He’s a propagandist. For the Democrat Party. Nothing more,” which summed up so well the mistrust of conservatives towards the mainstream media. Another commented, “Jake Tapper has no journalistic integrity,” bringing the debate down to the central accusation.
This exchange is emblematic of a growing division in how Americans consume and characterize the news media. Woods’ original tweet and the passionate responses that followed represent how journalism itself has become one of the fronts of cultural warfare, while figures such as Tapper have, in turn, become surrogates for larger grievances about perceived media bias.
Advertisement
Celebrity stoked media attacks will only grow more common and fierce with the formation of the 2024 cycle in full and active motion. Who, with a mere two lines, gave voice to the swelling roar of conservative discontent against the mainstream media, thereby eliciting an equally potent counter-assault from those who stand by the vast majority of mainstream journalism. The storm unleashed by the tweet appears to be far from abating, let alone lessen, as the political tempo rises all across the nation.
No responses yet