John Mulaney Fires Back at Online Harassers After Olivia Munn’s Kerfuffle With Ms. Rachel
ionate fans of pre-school video icon Ms. Rachel are protecting their favorite YouTube songstress by making violent threats to John Mulaney.
The online harassment is in response to a recent People interview (now removed from its website, per Entertainment Weekly) in which Munn described her distaste for a number of popular children’s shows and videos. “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 complained. “These kid shows drive me crazy.”
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Ms. Rachel wasn’t the only one who got a thumbs down from Munn. “Malcolm asked for Blue's Clues, and I don’t know who showed him Blue’s Clues, but they are on my shit list now. I said, ‘Hell no. Not in my house.’”
Because the internet, people went nuts. Despite generations of annoyed parents complaining about cloying shows ranging from Larry David choked Elmo — the backlash was so brutal that Munn was forced to issue a statement clarifying her remarks.
“To Ms. Rachel and her fans, I hear and respect the ion behind your ,” Munn’s statement reads. “I never anticipated the media would single out one small thing I said and distort it like they have. My comments were never meant to diminish the joy, comfort and impact she brings to so many families. 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.”
The mea culpa wasn’t good enough for some fans of potty-training tunes. According to Munn’s husband, comedian John Mulaney, the family is now receiving personal threats.
“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,” Mulaney posted Wednesday on his Instagram Story. “Because of this, my wife and my two kids are now receiving violent and threatening comments and messages in her DMs. This is absolutely insane and needs to stop. 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.”
One person who isn’t mad about Munn’s taste in kiddie videos? Ms. Rachel. “WHO CARES?!” she wrote on an Instagram post blasting headlines about Munn. “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!!!”
As for Ms. Rachel’s personal feelings about Munn? “Not against her at all and don’t care that she doesn’t want to watch the show — all my love to her and her family.”
