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The 鈥淩oseanne鈥� reboot could have been unifying TV. It was something rare in today鈥檚 US entertainment: a depiction of an extended working class family, including supporters of President Trump. Real-life families split by politics might have laughed together and looked at their own situation 鈥� for thirty minutes a week, at least.

Now it鈥檚 another possible symbol of division. The real-life Roseanne Barr is different than 鈥淩oseanne,鈥� the character. Her outrageous tweets led to the show鈥檚 sudden cancellation. Some Trump supporters may see in this Hollywood bias toward the president in particular and conservative ideas overall.

The affair might be a useful example, though, in one sense 鈥� how formal institutions under political pressure from social media can handle their situation.

The willingness of ABC to nix 鈥淩oseanne鈥� within hours of Ms. Barr鈥檚 tweets 鈥渟ets a precedent鈥� in the view of L.S. Kim, an associate professor of television studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

鈥淚 think in the current context of outlandish, outrageous, and impulsive statements released out into the Twitterverse, there has been a tentativeness about how formal institutions ought to respond,鈥� Professor Kim wrote in an email. 鈥淸T]his powerful media company is setting a new example: there are consequences to abhorrent behavior, or at least, there can be.鈥�

鈥淎bhorrent鈥� was what ABC entertainment president Channing Dungey called Barr鈥檚 actions in the brief statement announcing the show鈥檚 cancellation. The move came only hours after Barr unleashed a series of tweets that falsely claimed Chelsea Clinton was related by marriage to billionaire George Soros, and went downhill from there.

Barr included anti-Semitic references. In a blatantly racist tweet, she described Valerie Jarrett, an adviser to former President Barack Obama and an African-American, as an offspring of the Muslim Brotherhood and 鈥淭he Planet of the Apes.鈥�

ABC鈥檚 swift dumping of Barr follows other high-profile divorces between networks and celebrities. FX cut ties with comedian Louis C.K. and Netflix did likewise with Kevin Spacey, formerly the star of 鈥淗ouse of Cards,鈥� after allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault surfaced.

鈥淭his decision on 鈥楻oseanne鈥� seemed to be a no-brainer,鈥� says Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, based at Syracuse University. 鈥淪he reached down the barrel for one of the most evil stereotypes there is. When the executives at ABC read that tweet, they must have known this ends only one way.鈥�

David Schmid, an associate professor of English at the University at Buffalo and a pop culture expert, called ABC鈥檚 axing of the show 鈥渁 good decision鈥� that reflected the network鈥檚 desire to contain the damage of potential viewer and advertiser boycotts.

鈥淭his is all about the money. ABC realized that despite the success of 鈥楻oseanne,鈥� they were going to lose a lot of money,鈥� he says.

Professor Schmid adds that Walt Disney Company executives 鈥� who named Ms. Dungey ABC鈥檚 entertainment president two years ago, making her the first African-American to lead a major broadcast network 鈥� quickly understood the cultural implications of Barr鈥檚 tweet.

鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about the company behind 鈥楤lack Panther,鈥� 鈥� he says, referring to the first superhero film with a black lead character, which earned more than $1.3 billion in worldwide box office since its release in February. 鈥淗ow鈥檚 it going to look if they defend something like what she wrote?鈥�

Fan reaction

Fans of the show expressed surprise and sorrow at its sudden cancellation.

Dale Atkinson, who lives in Grand Rapids, Mich., says he was 鈥渟hocked but kind of not shocked鈥� by Barr鈥檚 tweetstorm, given her penchant for provocative statements and pushing cultural boundaries. He agreed with ABC鈥檚 decision while lamenting the demise of a show that depicted a world he recognized as his own.

鈥淚t dealt with everyday people, everyday situations,鈥� says Mr. Atkinson, a retired factory worker. 鈥淚 could relate to it, and a lot of people I know could relate to it. There aren鈥檛 a lot of shows like that on TV.鈥�

Edward Van Dreal, another fan of the show, describes himself as a Trump supporter who switched political parties in 2012.聽

鈥淸Roseanne] gets enormous support just because she鈥檚 willing to stand up and say she鈥檚 a Trump supporter,鈥� says Mr. Van Dreal, a 60-something who lives in Courtland, Minn., some 90 miles southwest of Minneapolis, where he runs a long-haul trucking company.

He condemns Barr鈥檚 tweet about Ms. Jarrett yet holds out hope that the show will find another home. Earlier this month, Fox picked up 鈥淟ast Man Standing,鈥� a sitcom starring Tim Allen, a Republican, that ABC canceled last year.

鈥淩oseanne self-destructed and said something that anyone would agree is inappropriate,鈥� Van Dreal says. 鈥淎BC had to do what it had to do. But this isn鈥檛 over yet.鈥�

It is possible that a niche broadcaster could pick up 鈥淩oseanne.鈥� It鈥檚 highly unlikely that a network would risk it, however, if Barr remains part of the show.

Celebrities vs. politicians

In part that is because celebrities face greater consequences for behavior outside political norms than do politicians themselves, says Kathryn Cramer Brownell, an assistant professor of history at Purdue University and author of 鈥淪howbiz Politics: Hollywood in American Political Life.鈥� In that sense modern celebrity may be more democratic than electoral politics.

Entertainment stars need broad-based popular support. 鈥淐elebrities depend on a market. They have to appeal to a national market,鈥� Dr. Brownell says.

National politicians, on the other hand, often rely on a base of committed supporters for money and votes. They win by segmenting the population as opposed to appealing to all on a national basis.

鈥淭heir demographics are significantly smaller,鈥� Brownell says.

She says this is perhaps why Barr has suffered greater consequences from her transgressive tweets than Mr. Trump has from his, which sometimes contain false statements, such as his charge that his campaign was wiretapped by President Obama.

Through Wednesday afternoon, Trump had refrained from direct comment on the Barr controversy. (When the show first aired, he called to congratulate Barr on its high ratings.)

He did issue one tweet that addressed the matter at an oblique angle.

鈥淏ob Iger of ABC called Valerie Jarrett to let her know that 'ABC does not tolerate comments like those' made by Roseanne Barr. Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump to apologize for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC. Maybe I just didn鈥檛 get the call?鈥� Trump tweeted.