Anthony Cumia wasn’t coy about his reasons for returning to terrestrial radio.
The former “Opie and Anthony” star loves old-school radio. He also hoped his new weekend gig at 77 WABC radio in New York might lead to a syndication deal.
Sure, Cumia hasn’t been heard on terrestrial radio since leaving New York’s WNEW-FM in 2002, but anything can happen in show business.
It happened in less than two days. That speaks volumes about Cancel Culture, the woke revolution and the Age of Trump.
Second chances are back.
And here is the news.
Syndicated. I thought it would take at least a week.
Thanks for the incredible support from the fans. You guys are key to this whole thing.
We’re going national. Let’s do it!https://t.co/oZsi8lSbTv— Anthony Cumia (@AnthonyCumia) March 11, 2025
The shock jock signed a deal earlier this week with Red Apple Audio Networks (RAAN) to syndicate “The Anthony Cumia Show.”
This is the same Cumia who suffered several high-profile firings, the last one from SiriusXM for racially-charged comments he made after a Big Apple dustup with a black woman.
That’s all been pushed aside by the talker’s new radio partners. And he’s not alone.
Director Brett Ratner got pummeled by the #MeToo movement. The “Rush Hour” director had been accused by several women, including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, of sexually inappropriate behavior.
One woman told The L.A. Times Ratner “forced himself on her.”
He denied the accusations, but his Hollywood career evaporated. He joined the ranks of producer Harvey Weinstein, NBC’s Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose as MeToo casualties.
Ratner attempted a career comeback in 2021 with a MIlli Vanilli-themed biopic, but his name scared others from the project.
Now, Ratner is directing Amazon’s Melania Trump documentary, scheduled for a late 2025 theatrical release.
Director Ali Abbasi could have been cast out of Hollywood after he admitted to groping an “A-list” male star at a public event. “The Apprentice” auteur has a solid film resume, but that kind of action could halt anyone’s career.
Abbasi apologized. He said he had misinterpreted the moment and didn’t mean to harass the victim.
Deadline reported the powerhouse CAA let him go following the incident. Abbasi says he voluntarily left CAA and Entertainment 360.
Either way, he ended up back on his feet, professionally speaking. The director signed with UTA, another major Hollywood agency, earlier this month.
And then there’s Armie Hammer.
The handsome star of “Call Me By Your Name” and “The Lone Ranger” watched his career implode after lurid stories circulated about his off-screen behavior. He, too, endured accusations of sexual assault while talk of cannibalistic hungers stained his image.
He denied the allegations, especially the flesh-eating rumors. He was never charged with a crime but he voluntarily stepped away from the spotlight.
Four years later, he’s attempting a comeback. Hammer will co-star in director Uwe Boll’s next film, “The Dark Knight.” He’ll also appear in “Frontier Crucible, a period western from producer Dallas Sonnier.
Armie Hammer talks about working on the Western I just made with him, FRONTIER CRUCIBLE, on his latest podcast episode of HammerTime. pic.twitter.com/MZqGfLmRkD
— Travis Mills (@travis_director) December 18, 2024
What changed to allow these unlikely comebacks?
Woke foot soldiers may be unforgiving, but most Americans appreciate the value of second chances. Audiences also understand artists can be deeply flawed but still produce work of substance.
Others are frustrated by the double standards in play.
Ezra Miller’s sizable rap sheet didn’t stop Warner Bros. from casting the actor in “The Flash.” Country crooner Morgan Walken suffered a career meltdown for uttering a single, racially-charged word (but not aimed at a minority).
It also matters that the comebacks in question didn’t involve guilty verdicts.
The above accusations shouldn’t be treated lightly. And we may never know the guilt or innocence of the stars accused of serious crimes – Cumia’s situation is vastly different.
It’s hard not to tie this to President Donald Trump. The two-term president infamously said he could grab women by their private areas in audio leaked weeks before the 2016 presidential election.
He defeated Hillary Clinton all the same.
Last year, a jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. He won re-election handily against Vice President Kamala Harris. Some dubbed the legal actions “lawfare,” an unjust way to single out the real estate mogul.
Forgiveness is part of Western culture’s DNA, particularly among people of faith.
Comeback stories remain an American tradition. More broadly, some are tired of seeing people cast aside without a jury trial to clear their names.
The post Uncanceled: New Era Welcomes Back Fallen Stars appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.
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