Hypocrisy is on the Menu...

As you may or may not know, FTVLive has an absolutely free Newsletter that goes out a few times a week.

It cost nothing to sign up and we give you takes on the industry and stories about TV news.

On Wednesday, we had an item about hypocrisy in the media. Here’s our take and if you want our free newsletter, you can sign up down below.

Let me start with a core belief: I love that many of you reading this have a different opinion than I do. That’s a good thing. I would truly hate to live in a world where we all thought exactly the same way. So, if your opinion doesn't align with mine, I'm not just cool with that—I welcome it.

What I’m not cool with is hypocrisy. And for the past week, hypocrisy has been on full display across right-wing media outlets.

Do you remember when Sean Hannity and so many others at Fox News spent countless hours speaking out against "cancel culture" and how fundamentally wrong it was? I’ll be honest, I actually agreed with much of what they and other conservative outlets were saying about the dangers of "cancelling" a person, a business, or an idea over a disagreement. The principle they were arguing for—that of free expression and the freedom to operate without fear of mob takedowns—seemed sound.

But principles are only principles if you apply them consistently.

In the past week, those very same voices have been trying to cancel the restaurant Cracker Barrel. Their great offense? They dared to update their logo. As a side note, Cracker Barrel has tweaked its logo five times in its history, and not a word was ever said.

This time, however, the proposed change involved removing the old man in the rocking chair, affectionately known as "Uncle Hershel." Suddenly, the champions against cancel culture were up in arms. This was part of the restaurant's history, they screamed, and we can't just erase the man in the rocking chair!

Let’s talk about history for a moment. You know what's been around a lot longer than Uncle Hershel? The Gulf of Mexico. Yet, I don't recall the same right-wing media figures blowing a gasket when Donald Trump suggested changing its name to the "Gulf of America."

This is just a small slice of the hypocrisy that, frankly, you can see coming from both sides of the aisle. It’s the selective outrage that erodes any credibility.

But the saddest part of this story? Cracker Barrel caved. The company announced it would be changing the logo back. So, in the span of a few days, we not only witnessed hypocrisy at the highest level, but we then saw a spineless corporation cave to the loudest voices.

It’s a powerful reminder that for many in media and politics, "principles" are often just costumes, worn only when it's convenient.