Former Collider staff member and the creator of Schmoedown Entertainment Network announced he was removing Robert Meyer Burnett as a manager of the Movie Trivia Schmoedown.
Harloff wrote on Twitter, “The Schmoedown does not agree with the statements made earlier by Robert Myer Burnett. We will be replacing him as a MTS manager.”
He added, “We’ll let you know who will step into his role soon. The world, even the virtual one, is especially hard right now. Let’s be kind to one another.”
The Schmoedown does not agree with the statements made earlier by Robert Myer Burnett. We will be replacing him as a MTS manager. We’ll let you know who will step into his role soon. The world, even the virtual one, is especially hard right now. Let’s be kind to one another.
— Kristian Harloff (@KristianHarloff) June 3, 2020
Harloff added in a subsequent tweet, “RMB and I did speak. We heard one another out. He understood my point and I heard what he was trying to say in his initial tweets and we both understood why it was best to move on.”
He added, “We spoke first, I didn’t inform him by a tweet.”
RMB and I did speak. We heard one another out. He understood my point and I heard what he was trying to say in his initial tweets and we both understood why it was best to move on. We spoke first, I didn’t inform him by a tweet. https://t.co/4n9EcTibaX
— Kristian Harloff (@KristianHarloff) June 3, 2020
Harloff’s announcement came after Burnett angrily reacted to violent looters that have destroyed businesses, graffitied monuments, burned churches, severely beaten and even murdered individuals who have attempted to stop them.
In a now deleted tweet, Burnett wrote, “You want OUTRAGE…?!?!? WATCH THIS MOTHERF***ERS. Honestly…F*** THE LOOTERS.”
He continued, “Here’s the moment every gun owner REALLY WANTS. You want to STOP THE UNREST…? EVERYONE USE DEADLY FORCE. SHOOT TO KILL. Every private citizen…every business owner…SHOOT TO KILL.”
Following this tweet Burnett would write in a subsequent one, “Okay…I’ll delete my tweet. I only hope everyone remembers hat dead man on a sidewalk who tried to do the right thing…but was KILLED FOR IT…and y’all want me to delete my tweet…because…OH NO…my tweet might cause violence! TOO LATE…”
Okay…I’ll delete my tweet. I only hope everyone remembers that dead man on a sidewalk who tried to do the right thing…but was KILLED FOR IT…and y’all want me to delete my tweet…because…OH NO…my tweet might cause violence! TOO LATE…
— Robert Meyer Burnett (@BurnettRM) June 3, 2020
He continued, “Here’s the thing…we live in a country where people WALK INTO SCHOOLS AND KILL CHILDREN. No one does ANYTHING. Yet…I’m pissed because a Black Man steps up and tries to protect a business and is KILLED FOR DOING SO…and I tweet about it…and everyone says DELETE that. REALLY?”
Here’s the thing…we live in a country where people WALK INTO SCHOOLS AND KILL CHILDREN. No one does ANYTHING. Yet…I’m pissed because a Black Man steps up and tries to protect a business and is KILLED FOR DOING SO…and I tweet about it…and everyone says DELETE that. REALLY?
— Robert Meyer Burnett (@BurnettRM) June 3, 2020
In response to these tweets, Robert Butler III, who is also part of the Movie Trivia Schmoedown claimed Robert Meyer Burnett chose to “stand with right-wing extremist ideology. We must condemn.”
Everyone in the Collider/Schmoedown community:
RMB continues to justify this aggressively offensive tweet. This “SHOOT TO KILL” mentality is the exact type of declaration that incites violence & murder.
He chooses to stand with right-wing extremist ideology. We must condemn https://t.co/EhlJ67pxwk
— Robert Butler III (@DirectorRB3) June 3, 2020
Butler would then claim that Burnett needs “medication” after he defended himself from Burnett’s accusation.
Someone please give this man his medication before he goes out there and shoot a black person pic.twitter.com/QSmzSDCZtj
— Robert Butler III (@DirectorRB3) June 3, 2020
Burnett would later detail that his anger in the now-deleted tweet came after watching retired St. Louis police captain David Dorn gunned down while attempting to protect a pawn shop from looters. He would also issue an apology.
He wrote, “The murder of a 77 Y.O. Black former police captain outraged me. I allowed that furious anger express itself in words that are contrary to what I believe.”
He added, “In anger, I dug my heels in when others tried to correct me. I apologize to those I may have hurt.”
The murder of a 77 Y.O. Black former police captain outraged me. I allowed that furious anger express itself in words that are contrary to what I believe. In anger, I dug my heels in when others tried to correct me. I apologize to those I may have hurt. https://t.co/2ZIIhxxl6g
— Robert Meyer Burnett (@BurnettRM) June 3, 2020
He would elaborate in a video posted to his YouTube.
He stated, “Like everyone, I watched of former police captain David Dorn dead on a sidewalk. A man who was protecting a friend of his store and he was gunned down by a looter. I was angry. I was really, really mad.”
Burnett continued, “And I tweeted. I’m like, ‘You know what in our gun-crazed, second amendment culture why wasn’t somewhere there to defend him. Shoot to kill.’ That was in anger. I wasn’t thinking. I saw the video. I tweeted from the gut.”
“Do I believe in violence? No. Do I think that that helps anyone? No. But for all the people that defend the second amendment, I was like where is somebody to defend Mr. Dorn. There was no one there and he was dead on the sidewalk,” Burnett added.
He elaborated, “I was pissed and I tweeted. I made a tweet. And I was like shoot to kill. Do I think that is something that we should do? No. Am I even a gun advocate? Not really. I don’t even own a gun.”
He continued to explain that he was extremely mad when he made the tweet, “But I was mad. I was really, really mad. After everything that we’ve seen. This man did not deserve to end his life on a street corner that way. I’m still just pissed.”
“I tweeted. Perhaps not the best thing. People came after me and said you should take that down. I was obstinate at first and then I thought okay perhaps they’re correct, I should take it down,” he stated.
He then detailed that his tweet was wrong, “In this day and age, in this atmosphere it was the wrong thing to do. I was wrong to say it. And I would hope anyone that’s followed me for any length of time and on social media knows that’s not my usual tact.”
Burnett continued to express his anger over David Dorn’s murder, “But man, I’m still pissed. I’m angry seeing a man that did not deserve to end his life that way. I was wrong to advocate any use of violence. And I apologize for doing so. It’s not what I normally think.”
He then explained he’s not right wing, “And I’m certainly not a right wing advocate nor am I an ideologue. I’m just the opposite. I think that anyone who watches my channel, or knows me, or follows me understands that. So I deeply regret what I said and I apologize.”
“I’m angry that Mr. Dorn lost his life on a street corner in front of a store. He didn’t deserve it. Nobody does. And certainly following violence with violence is not the answer. It never is. So I’m sorry about what I said. I really am. But I’m still really, really angry. I hope you understand,” he concluded.
Burnett would then address his removal from Movie Trivia Schmoedown. He implored his followers to continue to support The Schmoedown.
He wrote, “Folks…I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the The Schmoedown. Please DO NOT let my anger or speaking out of turn get in the way of something that is truly TREMENDOUS.”
He added, “Kristian Harloff and Mark Ellis have created something everyone can LOVE! Never forget, WARFATHER and HANNAH will DOMINATE!”
Folks…I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the @TheSchmoedown. Please DO NOT let my anger or speaking out of turn get in the way of something that is truly TREMENDOUS. @KristianHarloff and @markellislive have created something everyone can LOVE! Never forget, WARFATHER and HANNAH will DOMINATE!
— Robert Meyer Burnett (@BurnettRM) June 3, 2020
In a subsequent he added, “Lest we not forget…it’s not about the manager…it’s about THE TEAM!”
Lest we not forget…it’s not about the manager…it’s about THE TEAM! @TheSchmoedown #BurningDroogs!!!
— Robert Meyer Burnett (@BurnettRM) June 3, 2020
What do you make of Robert Meyer Burnett’s comments? What about Harloff’s decision to remove him from Movie Trivia Schmoedown?