Roseanne

In case anyone missed it, let me summarize my views regarding how businesses should handle freedom of speech. I believe that businesses shouldn't control the lives of their employees away from the job. If speech legitimately involves an employer, then there should be flexibility for action, especially when controversial speech occurs on the clock.



Roseanne Barr's situation puts a twist in all of this. What she Tweeted was definitely away from the job. Since she had a television show built around her and carrying her name, it is far more difficult to separate her personal life from her work life. Her Tweet was almost certain to have an impact on her show. We might be in a gray area here.

Even in a situation like this, an employer should try to provide leniency. She should not have lost her show for what she said. If her words would impact ABC's bottom line, such as viewers abandoning her show, that would be acceptable. Ultimately, this comes down to the reason ABC decided to cancel her show.

ABC openly insisted that the reason they cancelled Roseanne was because they didn't approve of what she said. A lot of people praised ABC for showing a heart, but keep in mind what this means. ABC indicated that they believe they can control personal lives. I don't personally approve of Roseanne's words, but I don't consider it showing heart to dictate what she can and can't say.

Handled properly, I think ABC could have found justification for cancelling Roseanne's show. They already had a producer quit, which is something that I can support. The backlash likely would have impacted ratings. If they would have just found a business reason rather than a personal reason, ABC's actions could have been justifiable.