This isn’t just an issue for fellow Tenacious D bandmate Kyle Gass, as many have posted jokes and comments on social media in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and suffered the consequences.
School officials, restaurant workers, fire chiefs and political aides have all lost their jobs or resigned following sharp criticism of their work, according to employer statements and media reports.
Meanwhile, Jack Black, the other half of the Tenacious D duo, said it “came out of the blue” when the band announced they were wrapping up the remainder of their tour and pausing any future plans to work with Gus again.
Gass briefly complained onstage that the shooter had missed his target, a sentiment that was echoed in various ways on social media in the hours after the assassination attempt.
While public comments following tragic events certainly attract attention, communications experts say ordinary people should also be careful with what they say, even if they mean it in jest: Joking about an assassination attempt that resulted in the death of a civilian is going too far.
“No matter how private your life is, there are always onlookers,” says psychologist Karen North, a professor of digital and social media at the University of Southern California, “and there are always onlookers when people behave badly.”
Tenacious D:When Jack Black’s bandmate and Donald Trump joke went too far
Social media posts lead to firings and resignations
A lecturer at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, was placed on unpaid administrative leave after university officials said Monday that he made “offensive and unacceptable social media posts.” The Louisville Courier-Journal, part of the USA Today Network, reported that by Tuesday, John James had left the university, but it was unclear whether he had resigned or been fired.
James’ comments about the missing shooter were screenshotted and posted on TikTok by the conservative social media account Libs.
“Words and actions that condone violence are unacceptable and run counter to our values, which call for respecting the inherent worth and dignity of every individual,” Jason Cissel, Bellarmine University’s vice president for communications, said in a statement to the Courier Journal.
James did not respond to a request for comment.
Similar comments by other members of the public about the shooting have also sparked backlash.
Another TikTok post by Libs featured comments made by an employee of Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar, a restaurant with locations in multiple states. The restaurant later posted that the employee was no longer employed by the restaurant and had violated its social media policy.
Among those who have lost their jobs are a middle school behavioral supervisor in South Dakota and a fire chief in Pennsylvania. In Wayne, Pennsylvania, the Wayne Chamber of Commerce announced that its executive director had resigned after posting about the shooting.
Social media is the “town square”: Be careful what you say online
North said there have been calls in recent years from all sides of the political spectrum for people to be fired for posting on social media, but this time people should be able to agree that some of the comments were inappropriate.
“When it comes to wishing death on someone, there’s nothing more frightening than saying that publicly,” she said.
“Social media takes away the social cues we get from normal interactions. For example, if you start making an inappropriate comment or joke to a colleague at work, you might notice them grimacing or looking away, then apologizing and retracting what you said. When you post something online, the reaction comes later,” North says.
The desire to be the first to share an idea with those around you may prevent you from asking yourself whether it should be shared with an audience or kept at the dinner table with your close family, North said. And remember the golden rule of social media: Once it’s out there, it’s out there forever.
“Social media has become the town square,” she said, “where people are put in shackles and brought out to be shamed for their actions.”
