MSNBC Fires Sam Seder Over Roman Polanski Rape Joke Tweet

Sam Seder, left, and Mike Cernovich. Image by YouTube/Forward Montage

By Ari Feldman December 6, 2017

Sam Seder’s offending satirical tweet. Image by twitter

The comedian and radio host Sam Seder was fired from MSNBC Tuesday evening after a prominent far right figure posted an old tweet from Seder containing a rape joke, the Wrap reported.

Mike Cernovich, who has been called the “meme mastermind of the alt-right,” posted a tweet Seder published in 2009. The tweet was a satirical response to people defending the filmmaker Roman Polanski against charges of raping a teenage girl.

A source inside MSNBC confirmed to the Wrap that the tweet was the reason for Seder’s firing.

Seder has accused Cernovich of a smear campaign after Seder criticized senate candidate Roy Moore over the allegations of sexual misconduct made against him by several women.

“This smear involves the willful misinterpretation of a tweet that I posted in 2009,” said Seder. “I will never be ashamed of criticizing those who would excuse the predation of women or girls. And I certainly won’t be quiet about Roy Moore or a conservative movement that which would defend his actions so they could get his vote in the Senate.”

In an interview with Slate, Seder tried to find a silver lining in his firing.

“The beauty of this thing is that I clearly got under Cernovich’s skin,” he said.

Contact Ari Feldman at feldman@forward.com or on Twitter @aefeldman

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. He covers Jewish religious organizations, synagogue life, anti-Semitism and the Orthodox world. If you have any tips, you can email him at feldman@forward.com. Follow him on Twitter @aefeldman.

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