People deletes Olivia Munn story after Ms. Rachel comments draw 'threats'
The story was about Munn's distaste for children's television and bore a headline specifically citing the popular YouTuber Ms. Rachel — which apparently triggered some fans. 'There is no excuse for these abhorrent attacks, and we will always prioritize safety above all else,' the publication acknowledged in a statement explaining the decision to remove a story.
It's an unusual move for any news outlet to delete, rather than amend or update, a story — even People, which is generally considered a friendly go-to outlet for celebrities to share their stories. When asked for further information about removing the article, a People representative pointed back to its original statement.
The post was drawn from the magazine's recent interview with Munn for a cover story, which published online June 4. The 44-year-old actress, who was promoting her new Apple TV+ series, talked about life with her husband, 42-year-old comedian John Mulaney, their children — a 3-year-old boy and 8-month-old girl — as well as her 2023 breast cancer diagnosis. People also published several separate exclusive items using material from the Munn interview, including one in which she discussed her fertility treatments, and another post headlined, 'Olivia Munn Doesn't Let Her Kids Watch Ms. Rachel. Here's Why.'
In the story, according to sites that repeated quotes from it before it was deleted, Munn shared her irritation with children's TV programming. She specifically cited Ms. Rachel, a major celebrity to young children and their parents.
'I know kids love [Ms. Rachel], but the thing is, if I can't watch it, I'm not going to spend the rest of my life going crazy,' Munn said, and added she was not a fan of 'Blue's Clues' or 'Spider-Man' either. (She did admit a tolerance for 'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood,' because it helped her son prepare for the arrival of a baby sister.)
However, the framing of the People headline drew attention on social media, especially given that Ms. Rachel, whose full name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, has been in the news for speaking out about the plight of children in Gaza — though it's unclear if this topic was even addressed in the People story. All of this was surely heightened by the strong feelings many fans harbor about Mulaney and Munn's relationship, and its timing relative to his divorce from an artist, Anna Marie Tendler, with her own significant social media following.
Various publications and social media accounts started regurgitating Munn's comments, and Accurso herself expressed disappointment when she left a comment on People's Instagram post, now disappeared as well:
'WHO CARES?! I'd rather you cover me advocating for kids in Gaza who are literally starving, largest cohort of child amputees in modern history, thousands & thousands killed — no medical care, no education, no homes… do better!!!' Accurso wrote, according to multiple reports. 'Not against [Munn] at all and don't care that she doesn't want to watch the show — all my love to her and her family — disappointed in the outlets.' Later, she wrote on her own Instagram account that she and Munn had spoken and were on good terms.
'Please be kind to Olivia & her precious family,' Accurso wrote. 'I don't believe in hate, attacks or hurtful comments.'
Munn also criticized the coverage. 'To Ms Rachel and your fans, I hear and respect the passion behind your support. I never anticipated the media would single out one small thing I said and distort it like they have,' she wrote in an Instagram story earlier this week. 'Every parent understands the importance of finding meaningful programming that helps us connect with our kids. I don't want something taken out of context to be a moment that steals even a minute of joy for anyone.'
Mulaney weighed in Wednesday, calling for a stop to the 'violent and threatening' comments that Munn had been receiving in online comments and direct messages. 'An innocent comment my wife Olivia Munn made about what children's programs we like has somehow — unbelievably — been conflated with not caring about the deaths of children in Gaza,' he posted on Instagram.
'The people doing this are so wildly out of line and so unhelpful to any conversation. You took a nothing comment to a dark and dangerous place. This kind of behavior isn't activism.'
Accurso has been creating educational children's content on YouTube, where she has more than 15.2 million subscribers, since 2019. With the help of silly and cheerful music, Ms. Rachel teaches children how to spell and use the bathroom, while also offering lessons on emotional support.
Outside of her YouTube show, Accurso has been outspoken about Gaza, which led to backlash from right-wing media commentators and StopAntisemitism, a prominent pro-Israel group, which called on the U.S. attorney general to investigate the children's entertainer. (Accurso said earlier this month that she stands against 'all forms of hate.')
But, Accurso told WBUR, 'I wouldn't be Ms. Rachel if I didn't deeply care about all kids. And I would risk everything, and I will risk my career over and over to stand up for them.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Learn About: NASA's Lucy Spacecraft Flyby With Asteroid Donaldjohanson
Learn more about the Lucy mission "fly past 52246 Donaldjohanson -NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Dan Gallagher: Producer/Narrator Adriana Manrique Gutierrez: Animator Kel Elkins: Animator Johathan North: Animator Michael Lentz: Animator/Art Director Walt Feimer: Animation Lead Nancy Jones: Public Affairs Katherine Kretke: Public Affairs Universal Production Music: 'Nico's Journey' by Nicholas Smith [PRS]; 'Knowing Half the Future' and 'Temporal Timings' by Lee John Gretton [PRS]; 'Poly Propulsion' by Alfie Solo [PRS]
Fast Company
41 minutes ago
- Fast Company
Creative litigation versus creative instigation
I imagine that—like me—many of us got into advertising because it beat the alternatives. No real rules. No 'right way to do it.' No boxes you have to check. That sense of creative freedom chirped and blinked like an EXIT sign in the smoke-filled hallway of career choices. We ran to that EXIT, bypassing doors leading to more stringent, structured careers like lawyer or accountant or 'business consultant.' And before technology and analytics usurped advertising—like it has other entertainment-based industries like sports and film—that creative freedom drove the industry. Look at how analytics has all but eliminated the creativity in the mid-range game in the NBA and the subsequent Finals ratings. Advertising is in a similar state: seeking ideas that feel like predictable, analytically defensible, 'high-value' shots. This thinking is now making us operate more and more like those stringent, structured industries we avoided in the first place. BRAND STRATEGISTS AS CREATIVE LITIGATORS Take brand strategy for instance. Our main role now is 'creative litigator.' We gather stakeholder interviews like depositions, review client's internal documentation and data like evidence discovery, and research competitor companies and culture like case histories, statutes, and laws that give us the precedents to build off of. Then, ultimately, we piece together findings into a cohesive story like an opening statement that lays out the case for creative work. That's great for stakeholders, but not so much for viewers. People are paying $100+/month to avoid the 'disruption and irritation of advertising.' However, being disruptive or irritating shouldn't be the worry for brands. They should worry about being boring. THE RISK OF BEING BORING Jon Evans estimates the ' cost of being boring ' at $189B for brands in the U.S. Creators and influencers know this. Their freedom to 'just shoot' and develop an understanding of 'how not to be boring' enables them to run circles around ad agencies in terms of engagement and efficacy. In fact, a recent Deloitte study showed 56% of Gen Z and 43% of millennials find user-generated social media content 'more relevant than traditional TV shows and movies.' WHAT BRAND STRATEGISTS REALLY NEED TO DO In short, boring inputs result in boring outputs. To change that, in the case of brand strategists, we need to be thinking more often like creative instigators and agitators than just litigators. We need to approach our work like a journalist or a stand-up comedian. Because we're after 'interesting,' not justice. And you don' t get to 'interesting' by filling in funnels or bogus 'white space' quadrants or any assortment of rectangles in a framework. You get there by passively observing rather than actively 'working a case' at all times. Allowing anomalies to appear and not just looking for commonalities. Not looking for white spaces, but for colorful ones. Being able to 'explain the situation like I'm five,' but being able to ask questions like a 5-year-old first. Why? Why? Why? Getting the time to be the dumbest in the room, not the smartest. To be able to find something and show it to someone and say, 'Is this anything?' With the advertising industry's current landscape and dominant forces as they are, the sell of creative work will always require litigation. But it's much easier to sell creative work when the decider is focused on the tears in their eyes and not whether the idea is 'ownable' or 'culturally relevant' or 'shareable' or whatever analytics creativity is foolishly judged against today. Great creative ideas deserve to exist and shouldn't live and die based on their ability to fit in Meta, Alphabet, or Amazon's 'predictable' boxes. Come to think of it—maybe we are after justice after all?
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
LeBron James still acts like the King, but the NBA isn't the same
It's strange to ponder an NBA that doesn't cater to LeBron James. Since 2003, when he arrived at the draft wearing that white suit, he has been a focal point. The question 'What does LeBron want?' has dominated the plans of his many teams and the interest of the entire league. It once seemed his basketball career wouldn't end before a mad scramble to buy him the perfect retirement gift.
