Tina Fey and her “30 Rock” co-creator Robert Carlock have requested that four episodes of “30 Rock” be removed from streaming services and syndication because of their use of blackface, according to Variety.
Some of the episodes have already been removed from Amazon and Hulu, and they will no longer air as reruns or be available to purchase on iTunes or Google Play by the end of the week, Variety reported.
“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,” Fey wrote in a note to streaming platforms, according to Variety. “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.”
According to Entertainment Weekly, the episodes that will be removed are:
- Season 3, episode 2 (“Believe in the Stars”) and season 5, episode 10 (“Christmas Attack Zone”), which both depict actress Jane Krakowski’s character, Jenna Mulroney, in blackface.
- Season 6, episode 19 (“Live from Studio 6H”), in which Jon Hamm appeared in blackface in a spoof of “Amos ‘n’ Andy.”
- The East Coast version of season 5, episode 4’s live show.
The decision to remove the episodes comes after late night host Jimmy Fallon recently apologized for impersonating Chris Rock while in blackface on an episode of “Saturday Night Live” in 2000, according to HuffPost.
Another talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel, has also been questioned recently about his use of blackface in the past, too.