'Wendy Williams Show' Fans Outraged as Show's Online Presence Is Erased
Perplexed
WHAT???! Why would this be necessary????? https://t.co/hdxFCE28aT
— CANDIACE (@TherealCANDIACE) July 5, 2022
Many fans were caught off guard by this disappearance more than anything else. They couldn't imagine any costs associated with the YouTube channel – if anything, fans imagined that it had taken more work to delete these videos than to leave them.
prevnextRacism
No this is a hate crime????? https://t.co/DNcjfh13uH
— Comorienne 🇰🇲 (@_ShamGod) July 4, 2022
They did WHAT !?! pic.twitter.com/AIZH2jBgtg
— Maxwell media inc (@sirmaxwell301) July 5, 2022
Many fans believe that Williams' show was treated differently than other canceled talk shows because of her race.
prevnextConservatorship
This is ERASURE of legacy and it’s part of the tactic used to silence and subjugate Wendy in a guardianship. This is colonizer behavior and it is repulsive. Whoever’s involved… you are disgusting. 🚮 @FOXTV @CBS #FreeWendy #InvestigateLoriSchiller #InvestigateBernieYoung https://t.co/ovxhfz0X3j
— moon ✧ chalice (@MoonChalice_) July 5, 2022
Some fans speculated about Williams' living situation following her addiction treatment. Many believed that big decisions about her career were being handled by a court-appointed guardianship or conservatorship, much like the situation Britney Spears was in up until recently. Back in February, Variety reported about this possibility but it is not clear if the court ever followed through.
prevnextReasoning
It could be her request.
— ThisIsRochelle (@RR416) July 5, 2022
A lot of her YouTube videos are monetized (have ads) and the show would earn that ad revenue, not Wendy.
She could have requested to keep her IP and ordered them to take it down.
It might be archived or cleared out for the new Sherri Shepherd Show to use in the fall but this is a travesty and a slap in the face to such a pioneer of daytime tv. They truly left us with NOTHING.
— Daniel Preda (@MisterPreda) July 5, 2022
Some viewers did speculate about the deletion and come up with reasonable guesses, but none have been confirmed so far. Due to the complexity of intellectual property rights laws, there's no telling for certain who benefits from this decision and who does not.
prevnextReaction Memes
They deleted Wendy Williams YouTube channel. pic.twitter.com/CjLwsTRGBe
— Mr. Pop (@MrPopOfficial) July 5, 2022
the wendy williams show’s youtube page has been deleted pic.twitter.com/WgGTHDlSpB
— 💘 (@DISC0D0WN) July 4, 2022
Fans went beyond the written word to express their distress at this decision, sharing videos and pictures that depicted their mental state upon seeing that Williams' show had been taken off the internet.
prevnextPreservation
the library of congress needs to step in https://t.co/9YNKBPE9WS
— hunter harris (@hunteryharris) July 4, 2022
Someone said losing the Wendy Williams YouTube page is like losing the library of Alexandria 💀
— Ruben (@Ruben14_C) July 5, 2022
Fans called on the highest authorities in cultural preservation to intervene on Williams' behalf. Some made hyperbolic comparisons between Williams' show and other lost troves of knowledge.
prevnextIn Williams' Words
wendy williams show youtube page had been deleted :( thank u queen for all the content pic.twitter.com/JqxZda4ag3
— tit (@lauradelray) July 5, 2022
Did they really delete all of Wendy Williams social media platforms? #wendyshow pic.twitter.com/pZ9w6SuHQp
— 🅚🅔🅝🅨🅐 🅜🅞🅞🅡🅔 🅢🅣🅐🅝 (@GossipInformer) July 4, 2022
Finally, fans shared their favorite clips and reaction memes from The Wendy Williams Show to perfectly encapsulate their feelings. At the time of this writing, the studios have not commented on the change in Williams' online catalog yet.
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