‘The Golden Girls’ Episode With Blackface Gag Pulled From Hulu
Episode 23 of the show’s third season “Mixed Feelings” comes from 1988
Brian Welk | June 27, 2020 @ 6:46 PM
Last Updated: June 27, 2020 @ 7:20 PM
NBC
An episode of “The Golden Girls” that features a gag in which the girls are mistaken for wearing blackface has been pulled from streaming on Hulu.
The episode is the 23rd episode of the show’s third season in 1988, “Mixed Feelings,” in which Dorothy’s (Bea Arthur) son Michael plans to marry a much older black woman named Lorraine (Rosalind Cash). Because Dorothy disapproves of the age difference and Lorraine’s family disapproves of their daughter marrying a white man, they work together to stop the marriage. When her family arrives at the house, Rose and Blanche enter the room in dark mud facial masks.
“Oh my Lord,” Lorraine’s mother says in disbelief. Rose responds, “This is mud on our faces, we’re not really Black.”
Although it’s all a big misunderstanding, Hulu removed the episode.
The removal of the episode of “The Golden Girls” comes after a week in which Hollywood has taken a hard look at its content library and has been removing culturally insensitive episodes of old TV shows that feature jokes in which white characters appear in blackface.
Hulu earlier this week removed three episodes of “Scrubs” at the request of the series’ producers and ABC Studios. Other shows that have similarly pulled or edited episodes with similar gags have included “30 Rock,” “The Office” and “Community.” Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon are among the late-night talk show hosts who have also had to apologize for past instances in which they wore blackface.
Watch the scene in question below.
15 Stars Whose Blackface Blunders Backfired, From Ted Danson to Jimmy Kimmel (Photos)
Don't even think of mimicking these celebrities.
Joni Mitchell
The singer posed in blackface on the cover of her album "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" in 1977, and later went on to justify it by saying, "I have experienced being a Black guy."
The "Cheers" star appeared at a New York Friars Club Roast in 1993 with then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg wearing blackface makeup to perform an offensive N-word-filled comedy routine.
The Oscar-winning actor came under fire in 2012 when video surfaced of a 2004 school fundraiser featuring Hanks and another man wearing blackface and stereotypical African clothing. Hanks later condemned the bit as "horribly offensive."
Jane Krakowski
The actress appeared in blackface in two episodes of the 2006-13 sitcom "30 Rock," in one case dressing as a Black man while co-star Tracy Morgan, who is African American, appeared as a white woman. Series creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock pulled the episodes from circulation in 2020.
The host of "America's Next Top Model" took heat, as did her show, for a photo shoot in 2009 in which competing models were made to look "biracial." Styling techniques included the darkening of contestants' skin.
Paula Deen
Following the epicure's ouster from the Food Network in the wake of her infamous N-word controversy, Deen posted a photo on Twitter from her show's 2011 Halloween episode featuring her son, Bobby, dressed as Ricky Ricardo, complete with brownface makeup.
Beyoncé
The diva took heat for a 2011 L'Officiel Paris cover with an "African Queen" theme for which the pop star's skin was darkened.
Jon Hamm
In a 2012 episode of "30 Rock," Hamm teamed with Tracy Morgan to re-create a parody version of a dated old TV show modeled on the stereotype-laden "Amos and Andy." Hamm doesn't so much blacken his face as dirty it, but the episode proved so problematic that creator Tina Fey pulled it from circulation in 2020.
The singer/dancer/actress drew criticism over a 2013 Halloween costume for which she donned dark makeup to masquerade as Uzo Aduba's "Orange Is the New Black" character Crazy Eyes.
The YouTuber known for his outrageous characters in 2014 was forced to apologize for the use of blackface in some of his videos, including a parody of talk show host Wendy Williams.
Kylie Jenner
Fans of the reality star jumped all over a photo she posted to her Instagram account from a 2015 shoot, outraged that her skin appeared to be darkened. "This is a black light and neon lights people lets all calm down," Jenner responded.
Luann de Lesseps
The former countess and "Real Housewives of New York" star apologized for her 2017 Halloween costume as Diana Ross -- even though she insisted that she didn't actually do blackface. "I had bronzer on that I wear normally like the rest of my skin," she later told Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live." "So I didn’t add anything to or would ever, ever dream of doing a blackface. Ever."
Oliver Peck
The longtime "Inkmasters" star announced he was departing the show in 2020 after an old photo resurfaced of him wearing blackface while portraying an NBA player.
Jimmy Fallon
The late-night host came under fire for a 2000 "Saturday Night Live" sketch in which he impersonated former "SNL" cast member Chris Rock -- in full makeup.
NBC
Jimmy Kimmel
In June 2020, ABC late-night host apologized for a series of sketches from earlier in his career when he darkened his skin to impersonate Black stars such as NBA player Karl Malone and Oprah Winfrey. "I apologize to those who were genuinely hurt or offended by the makeup I wore or the words I spoke,” he said of the sketches from "The Man Show" which he co-hosted from 1999-2003.
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These celebrities offer a timely reminder that it’s never OK — so don’t try it