NBCUniversal has removed four episodes of “30 Rock” that include characters in blackface from streaming services and syndication.
The move comes at the behest of the series’ co-creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, at a time when the entertainment industry, as well as countless companies, are reappraising their projects and brands to encourage racial inclusion following widespread protests following the death of George Floyd.
“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,” said Fey in a statement obtained by Vulture.
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She 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. Going forward, no comedy-loving kid needs to stumble on these tropes and be stung by their ugliness. I thank NBCUniversal for honoring this request.”
The episodes include two in which Jenna (Jane Krakowski) appears in blackface, and were removed at least a week ago, per Reddit observers.
Another is an episode in which Jon Hamm appears in a wig and crude blackface — a spoof on racist radio and TV show “Amos ‘n’ Andy.”
Also being removed is the east coast version of season 5 episode 4 “The Live Show.”
NBCUniversal is currently working with partners to remove these episodes from current runs. They are expected to be removed from Hulu, Amazon Prime, iTunes and Google Play by this week.
The move comes one week after “Gone With the Wind” was pulled from HBO Max.
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