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    Fey asks to pull “30 Rock” episodes that featured blackface

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1342 Views
    In this April 18, 2018 file photo, Tina Fey attends the Tribeca Film Festival world premiere of "Love, Gilda" in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

    By David Bauder, Media Writer

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    At the request of co-creator Tina Fey, four episodes of the comedy "30 Rock" are being removed from circulation because they featured characters performing in blackface.

    The series aired on NBC from 2006 to 2013, but episodes are still being shown in television syndication and on streaming services including Hulu, Amazon Prime, iTunes and Peacock.

    Fey, who also starred as Liz Lemon in the series about the backstage world of a television show, said in a note to distributors that "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," Fey wrote. "Going forward, no comedy-loving kid really needs to stumble on these tropes and be stung by their ugliness."

    The elimination of the "30 Rock" episodes is the latest example of how the societal reckoning triggered by protests against police treatment of Black people has hit the entertainment world. They include the cancellation of the long-running TV show "Cops" and temporary removal of "Gone With the Wind" from the HBO Max service.

    Two of the four eliminated "30 Rock" episodes originally aired in 2010, with the others first shown in 2008 and 2010. They include the East Coast version of an episode first shown live. Series regular Jane Krakowski and guest star Jon Hamm appeared in blackface.

    The 2012 episode with Hamm also included "Tonight" show host Jimmy Fallon as a guest. Fallon, who did not appear in such makeup on "30 Rock," apologized last month after online circulation of an earlier "Saturday Night Live" skit where he wore blackface to impersonate Chris Rock.

    Tags:30 RockblackfaceracismTina Fey



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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