'The Office' Christmas Episode Edited to Remove Blackface Scene

NBCUniversal

A Season 9 episode of “The Office” has been re-edited by series creator Greg Daniels and NBCUniversal to remove a scene featuring a character in blackface, TheWrap has learned exclusively.

The old version of Episode 909, titled “Dwight’s Christmas,” has been replaced by the new cut on Netflix — “The Office’s” streaming home until 2021, when the show (and the updated episode) moves over to NBCUniversal’s Peacock — and other platforms where it is available for purchase.

The new cut is also replacing the original for syndication airings on Comedy Central and other Viacom-owned channels, and the NBCUniversal-owned Cozi TV.

Also Read: Netflix Pulls 'Community' Episode 'Advanced Dungeons & Dragons' Due to Blackface Scenes (Exclusive)

“‘The Office’ is about a group of people trying to work together with mutual respect despite the inappropriate actions of their boss and assistant manager,” Daniels said in a statement to TheWrap. “The show employed satire to expose unacceptable behavior and deliver a message of inclusion. Today we cut a shot of an actor wearing blackface that was used to criticize a specific racist European practice. Blackface is unacceptable and making the point so graphically is hurtful and wrong. I am sorry for the pain that caused.”

“Dwight’s Christmas” aired Dec. 6, 2012, on NBC. It focuses on Dwight Schrute’s (Rainn Wilson) attempts to get his coworkers at Dunder Mifflin excited about celebrating a traditional Schrute Family Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas in the office, which leads to him dressing up as Belsnickel, a St. Nicholas-like character in South German folklore.

The scene featuring blackface occurs when Oscar (Oscar Nunez) looks up Belsnickel on Wikipedia. He tells the office the character’s partner Zwarte Piet, or Black Peter, is “a slave boy often portrayed in colorful pantaloons and blackface.” Stanley (Leslie David Baker) tells Dwight in response, “Uh-uh. No, Dwight, no.”

Dwight responds, “Oh, come on. We don’t blindly stick to every outmoded aspect of our traditions. Come on, get with the spirit of it, you guys!” before quickly pulling out his phone and sending off a text.

It then cuts to warehouse worker Nate (played by Mark Proksch) in the office parking lot, preparing to come into the Christmas party dressed as Zwarte Piet, complete with blackface, until he receives that text from Dwight and immediately turns around. He shows up later in the episode with the majority of his makeup wiped off.

Also Read: 'Gone With the Wind,' 'Scrubs' and Other Movies and TV Shows Pulled in #BlackLivesMatter Era (Photos)

NBCUniversal’s decision to edit this episode of “The Office” comes on the same morning TheWrap exclusively reported Netflix removed an episode of “Community” that featured a character in blackface.

Earlier this week, two other sitcoms, “Scrubs” and “30 Rock,” pulled multiple episodes each that featured characters in blackface. Both were done at the request of the show’s creators.

'30 Rock,' 'Scrubs' and Other TV Shows and Movies Pulled Over Blackface and Racial Insensitivity (Photos)

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In the wake of protests over police brutality following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, the Paramount Network canceled the long-running reality show "COPS" one week ahead of premiering its 33rd season. The show, which ran on Fox for 25 years, jumped to Paramount Network (then called Spike TV) in 2013.

Paramount Network
"Gone With the Wind"

HBO Max quietly pulled the Oscar-winning 1939 movie, which has long been criticized for racist depictions of black people for for glorifying the Civl War-era south, from the weeks-old streaming service. In a statement on June 9, the company explained that the "ethnic and racial prejudices" depicted in the film "were wrong then and are wrong today." The company reintroduced the film with a video introduction noting “the film’s treatment of this world through a lens of nostalgia denies the horrors of slavery, as well as its legacy of racial inequality."
WarnerMedia
"Live PD"

On June 10, A&E abruptly canceled the Dan Abrams-hosted reality show "Live PD" that had been its top-rated series. The decision came amid ongoing protests over police brutality but also followed producers' admission they had destroyed footage of a 40-year-old Texas man who died in police custody after being tased while begging for his life.
A&E
Chris Lilley's “Summer Heights High,” “Angry Boys,” “We Can Be Heroes” and “Jonah From Tonga”

Four comedies from Australian comic Chris Lilley were pulled from Netflix in New Zealand and Australia due to criticisms of the shows’ depictions of people of color and the use of blackface and brownface makeup by Lilley, who is white, and others on the shows. Lilley uses blackface to play black rapper S.mouse in “Angry Boys” and brownface to play Jonah, a teenage Tonga native, in “Summer Heights High” and its spinoff series “Jonah From Tonga.” In “We Can Be Heroes,” he plays Ricky Wong, a Chinese physics student.
Australian Broadcast Company
"Little Britain"

The BBC sketch comedy show, which aired from 2003-05 and featured David Walliams and Matt Lucas playing a range of often stereotypical characters (sometimes in blackface) was pulled from most U.K. streaming services in early June, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer and BritBox.
BBC
"Fawlty Towers"

The BBC removed a 1975 episode of the classic John Cleese sitcom that included a number of racial epithets, including the N-word, from its UKTV streaming service. After lobbying from Cleese and others, the network announced it would reinstate the episode with "extra guidance and warnings ... to highlight potentially offensive content."
BBC
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"

On June 11, Netflix pulled a sixth-season episode of the long-running sitcom from its service in the U.K. over the depiction of two characters wearing blackface. (The series streams on Hulu in the U.S.)
"W/ Bob and David"

On June 16, Netflix pulled an episode of Bob Odenkirk and David Cross’ sketch comedy series “W/ Bob and David” over a sketch that features Cross in blackface. Cross and Odenkirk have since defended the sketch.
Netflix
"The Mighty Boosh" and "The League of Gentleman"

These English comedies were pulled from Netflix in the UK over scenes involving blackface. They were not previously available in the U.S.
A scene from "The Mighty Boosh" via YouTube
"30 Rock"

Co-creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, along with NBCUniversal, requested the removal of four episodes containing blackface and other racially insensitive material.

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NBCU
"Scrubs"

Hulu removed three episodes of the sitcom “Scrubs” which featured blackface at the request of the show’s producers and ABC Studios. Series creator Bill Lawrence had previously tweeted that an effort to remove offensive episodes of the show was in the works.

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NBC
"Community"

In late June, Netflix pulled the “Community” Season 2 episode “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons,” which features Ken Jeong’s character, Ben Chang, wearing blackface during a game of “Dungeons & Dragons."
NBC
"Golden Girls"

Hulu pulled a third-season episode of the classic sitcom in which Rue McClanahan and Betty White's characters are mistaken for wearing blackface when they are actually wearing mud masks.

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New times call for a new look at what we should watch and stream

The May 25 killing of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police prompted protests over police brutality and racial injustice across the country — leading many networks and streaming services to reconsider programming. Here are some movies and TV shows that have been canceled or shelved (sometimes temporarily).

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'30 Rock,' 'Scrubs' and Other TV Shows and Movies Pulled Over Blackface and Racial Insensitivity (Photos)

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