Kirstie Alley is clearly not afraid of the coronavirus pandemic, but apparently, she should be afraid of both a highly contagious disease that’s killed 230,000 Americans and infected more than 8 million and… CNN’s public relations Twitter account?
The actress tweeted about COVID-19 on Friday and accused those of her friends concerned about the pandemic of simply watching too much CNN. The pandemic is seeing a new wave of cases and growing hospitalizations in various parts of the country in recent days. It’s a worrying trend as winter months approach and many are likely to spend more time indoors, where the virus can more easily spread in areas where people congregate closely and lack proper ventilation. But Alley is convinced those worried about it are “simply CNN viewers” who “want to live in terror.”
I now Know why my personal friends who walk around in SHEER TERROR of contracting Covid are simply CNN viewers! I decided to watch CNN myself to get a their viewpoint and oh my God DID I EVER!!!! IF YOU TOO WANT TO LIVE IN TERROR WATCH CNN!!
FEAR OF DYING IS THEIR MANTRA! OMG!— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) October 30, 2020
“I now Know why my personal friends who walk around in SHEER TERROR of contracting Covid are simply CNN viewers!” Alley tweeted. “I decided to watch CNN myself to get a their viewpoint and oh my God DID I EVER!!!! IF YOU TOO WANT TO LIVE IN TERROR WATCH CNN!!
FEAR OF DYING IS THEIR MANTRA! OMG!”
The tweet, which did not directly mention CNN or any of its anchors, eventually garnered the attention of the network news company. And its public relations account tweeted a scathing response to Alley on Friday, which somewhat bizarrely referenced a failed TV show Alley starred in to roast the pandemic denier.
Kirstie, you are welcome to change the channel – just like countless viewers did every time “Veronica’s Closet” came on TV. But don’t downplay the loss of nearly 230K American lives. And please, wear a mask.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) October 30, 2020
“Kirstie, you are welcome to change the channel – just like countless viewers did every time “Veronica’s Closet” came on TV,” said the tweet, clearly written by a 90s kid. “But don’t downplay the loss of nearly 230K American lives. And please, wear a mask.”
It’s a fairly biting dismissal of Alley’s attack on both public safety during a pandemic and a news network. It shouldn’t have to be said, but CNN is not responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans, a lack of understanding of the danger COVID-19 poses to Americans is. Plenty of people have shown that lack of understanding, or indifference, and here we are. Twitter dunks from CNN PR won’t undo this mess, sure, but we should at least give the company credit both for refusing to ignore the dangerously misinformed and for going to IMDB to look for the proper burn.