Could Nick Cannon’s position as the host of The Masked Singer be in danger after Cannon was fired from ViacomCBS for anti-Semetic theories he shared on his podcast? The popular host didn’t back down from his controversial comments after the media conglomerate let him go and is now demanding ownership of his immensely popular show, Wild ‘N Out. Regardless of how that battle turns out, there is still a distinct possibility that Fox may decide that Cannon is more trouble than he’s worth.
The problems all began for Cannon after an episode he released on his podcast, Cannon’s Class, featuring former Public Enemy member Richard “Professor Griff” Griffin. The two discussed race and racism and along the way, Cannon said that people who have a “lack of pigment” are “a little less” than those who are more heavily melanated, which might be why those populations experience a “a lack of compassion.”
He continued, “They’re acting out of fear. They’re acting out of low self-esteem. They’re acting out of a deficiency. So therefore the only way they can act is evil. They have to rob, steal, rape, and [unintelligible] in order to survive.” Cannon also dabbled in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, including ones about the Rothschilds and “the bloodlines that control everything, even outside of America.”
Following a heady wave of backlash against the views espoused in the podcast, Viacom decided to cut ties with Cannon, explaining in part, “While we support ongoing education and dialogue in the fight against bigotry, we are deeply troubled that Nick has failed to acknowledge or apologize for perpetuating anti-Semitism, and we are terminating our relationship with him.”
Cannon’s response to his firing was no less fiery than the comments that lead to it. In a lengthy statement posted to the actor’s Facebook page, Cannon stated that he was “deeply saddened” that an “important moment for us all to grow closer together and learn more about one another” had been “misused.”
Cannon continued, “I will not be bullied, silenced, or continuously oppressed by any organization, group, or corporation,” and adding near the end, “If I have furthered the hate speech, I wholeheartedly apologize.” It’s clear that Cannon doesn’t believe that he did anything wrong, and though he’s apologized, “if” he furthered hate speech, those sorts of apologies don’t usually go over well.
Though Cannon is an executive producer as well as the host for The Masked Singer, he’s still vulnerable to being let go, especially if “the powers that be” don’t believe he was sincere about his apology, if audiences turn against Cannon, or if Cannon continues to make the same kinds of comments that landed him in hot water in the first place. Nick Cannon prides himself on being outspoken and pushing the dialogue, so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for Cannon to continue speaking his mind on this controversial topic.
[Update] It was widely reported on July 16 that Fox had made the decision to keep Nick Cannon on as the host of The Masked Singer after Cannon made a second apology to the Jewish community for furthering painful stereotypes about them that was much more sincere than his original apology.