An episode of Community featuring use of blackface has been removed from streaming services.
The cult comedy, starring Joel McHale, Donald Glover and Alison Brie, followed the lives of a misfit study group studying in community college.
Netflix and Hulu have decided to remove the second season episode Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, where Ken Jeong’s character Ben Chang shows up to a game of Dungeons and Dragons donning blackface and a white wig.
‘So we’re just going to ignore that hate crime, huh?’ Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) asks.
In a statement (via Deadline), Sony Pictures Television stood by the decision to pull the episode from streaming.
‘We support the decision to remove the episode,’ a spokesperson said.
This comes after the Black Lives Matter movement, and the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, have kickstarted an industry-wide conversation about racial equality in TV and film.
It was announced yesterday that The Simpsons would no longer be using white actors to voice non-white characters.
Tina Fey has also asked that episodes of irreverent comedy 30 Rock that feature blackface be pulled from all streaming services.
‘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,’ she began.
‘I understand now that intent is not a free pass for white people to use these images. I apologise 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 in a statement to Variety.
Community is available to stream via Netflix.
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