Tina Fey Wants ‘30 Rock’ Episodes With Blackface Removed From Streaming
30 Rock star and creator Tina Fey has requested that streaming services remove four episodes of the show that contain “race-changing” makeup. According to Vulture, Fey penned a letter alongside collaborator Robert Carlock and home network NBCUnviersal assuring that the episodes are “best taken out of circulation” from Hulu and Amazon Prime. Two of the episodes in question feature Jane Krakowski’s character Jenna Maloney in blackface (Season 3, Episode 2; Season 5, Episode 10) another includes guest star Jon Hamm (Season 6, Episode 19), and the last is the East Coast parody of "The Live Show" (Season 5, Episode 4).
“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,” stated the note. Fey continued, “I understand now that ‘intent’ is not a free pass for white people to use these images. I apologize for pain they have caused.” NBC plans to take down the four episodes this week, which means they won’t qualify for syndicated re-runs on television. In addition, the episodes will be unable for purchase from sites such as iTunes and GooglePlay.
This news follows HBO Max’s decision to remove Gone With the Wind from the newly launched platform due to its problematic, racist themes. That being said, the streaming service plans to bring the film back with an updated warning and an accompanying explanation of its outdated race relations.
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