With Rudy Giuliani reveal, The Masked Singer damaged its reputation as a unifying force for viewers

Variety

It finally happened: The Giuliani reveal that Deadline first reported in February that prompted Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke to walk off the set finally aired Wednesday, but with only Jeong shown walking off the set at the end. The show’s Wednesday episode teased the Giuliani reveal as “the biggest event in Masked Singer history." But in actuality, the Giuliani reveal is a "frustrating turn for a show that has been, since its 2019 launch, something of a unifying force in the pop-culture landscape," says Daniel D'Addario. While The Masked Singer has had polarizing figures in the past -- like Sarah Palin, at the beginning of the pandemic -- Giuliani is different, says D'Addario. This isn't like the controversy over former Trump White House press secretary Sean Spicer joining Dancing with the Stars. "Spicer told untruths from the briefing room podium; Giuliani put his reputation and his very best effort behind actually overturning an election," says D'Addario, adding: "Treating Giuliani as a plaything for our culture, albeit one who has made some controversial choices, is not a matter of policy disagreement, or of being a bit too grave about the lighter side of the news. Fox gave time and attention to a powerful figure who would have, if given his way, put the last nail in the coffin of democracy in this country." But Fox is unlikely to regret its decision and learn a lesson from this controversy, says D'Addario, because of all the attention the stunt brought to an aging franchise.