Seth Rogen is the king of controversies. Be it calling out Instagram users who commented "All Lives Matter" on his feed or facing Twitter backlash after mocking anti-Semitism activist Eve Barlow, Rogen has weathered it all. This time around, the former stand-up comedian decided to take a stab at the broadcasting network, The CW.
At this year's Critics’ Choice Awards, the 40-year-old actor was asked to present the award for Best Comedy Series. He used this chance to voice his opinion about the show’s unusual format of presenting the award for the Supporting Actor/Actress category simultaneously, saying:
Why do they do that? Are we crunched for time? Get another hour! It can't be that expensive. You know how I know that? This show airs at 4 p.m. on The CW. That cannot be [a] pricey… timeslot, from my understanding of how this all works.
Having found the perfect segue to deride the network, Seth continued on.
I'm not saying The CW is bad. What I will say, it is the one network to receive zero Critics Choice nominations -- you are saying it's bad. We're on your least favorite network. How did that happen? Nominate yourselves next time, you'd have won. No one will think it's weird, they'll think it's fine.
If you're a normal viewer of The CW this is a startling image to be seeing on your television right now. I might be the first Jew on The CW in history. Soak it in.
Seth Rogen slating the CW.. HELPJFKSKS pic.twitter.com/eMyxgJxAhY
— Natalie ❁ (@livelyackles) January 16, 2023
While Rogen might have been razzing The CW just for the sake of fun, there is a genuine case to be made about the issues the network has recently faced. Following Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount's sale of a majority stake to Nexstar, which left the two media conglomerates equally sharing a 25% ownership stake in The CW, rumors began to circulate that the network was planning to tone down on diversification within its programming. However, the network's president, Brad Schwartz, disparaged these reports, saying:
That type of storytelling and championing those voices has historically been important to me, and I wouldn't have taken the job if something was so black and white.
Unfortunately for DC fans, the sale of The CW also marked the beginning of the end of the Arrowverse, after Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow were canceled. Shortly afterward, The CW announced that The Flash Season 9 would be the show's final season. Despite the fact that the network has been hemorrhaging money through its programming, Nexstar will have to find a balance between running a tight ship and keeping their viewers interested in its shows.
