Tina Fey has called for certain episodes of 30 Rock to be removed from streaming platforms, due to their depiction of blackface.
The 50-year-old created and starred in the popular NBC comedy series from 2006 to 2013.
In a statement shared with Variety, Tina said: “As we strive to do the work and do better in regards to race in America, we believe that these episodes featuring actors in race-changing makeup are best taken out of circulation.”
“I understand now that ‘intent’ is not a free pass for white people to use these images.”
“I apologize for the pain they have caused. Going forward, no comedy-loving kid needs to stumble on these tropes and be stung by their ugliness. I thank NBCUniversal for honouring this request,” she added.
The episodes in question include season 3’s Believe In The Stars and season 5’s Christmas Attack Zone.
In both episodes, Jane Krakowski’s character Jenna is featured in blackface.
The other two episodes are season 6’s Live from Studio 6H, which showed Jon Hamm in blackface as part of an Amos ‘n’ Andy parody, and season 5’s The Live Show, which addressed a Barack Obama birth conspiracy in a fake Fox News broadcast.
All four episodes have already been removed from Amazon and Hulu, and they will no longer air on television.
The news comes after British sitcom Gavin And Stacey was dragged into a race row earlier this month, when viewers demanded its removal from streaming platforms.
On this week’s episode of #GossChats – Ali Ryan chats to Aoife Walsh.
The former Miss Ireland opens up about postponing her wedding, being apart from her fiancé, and the lessons she has learned during lockdown.
#GossChats is sponsored by top Irish aesthetic clinic Haus of JeJuve.
