Tina Fey is taking responsibility for some of her racist bits over the years, but many online say it’s not good enough. The Emmy-winner asked that NBC pull some episodes of 30 Rock featuring blackface.
She wrote in a letter, according to multiple reports: “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. 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. I thank NBCUniversal for honoring this request.”
For many, it was too little, too late. Wrote one: “Tina Fey is racist as hell, how am I just learning about this now : – Black face in her show 30 Rock – Yellow face in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Repeatedly using Asian stereotypes as the butt of a joke – Cast white actors to play Native American roles in Kimmy Schmidt”.
Another opined: “Tina Fey also has a s**tty track record when it comes to depicting Asian people, women in particular. Mean Girls, Sisters, 30 Rock—the underlying 'joke' is that they're hyper-sexual, and looking for green cards/can't speak English.”
One example in 2016’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, featured Fey alongside Robert Carlock, and featuring a storyline in which Titus Burgess‘ character dons yellow-face.