'The Office' Removes Scene Featuring Blackface From Season 9 Episode

The Office is the latest TV show to come under fire for featuring episodes with Blackface. While 30 Rock creator Tina Fey wrote a letter to streaming platforms asking them to remove four episodes of the sitcom featuring Blackface, The Office creator Greg Daniels announced they'd be editing the season nine episode 'Dwight Christmas' to remove the scene that depicts a white actor doing Blackface.

"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. "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."

For those unfamiliar with The Office, the episode 'Dwight Christmas' follows Dwight as he attempts to get his Dunder Mifflin co-workers to participate in his family's Dutch Christmas tradition. Dwight arrives at the office dressed up as German folklore character Bersnickel. When Oscar discovers that the character of Bersnickel has a sidekick named Zwarte Piet, or Black Peter, described as "a slave boy often portrayed in colorful pantaloons and blackface," Stanley objects to the use of Blackface. Dwight reassures his co-workers that his family doesn't "blindly stick to every outmoded aspect of our traditions," however, he's then seen texting warehouse worker Nate, dressed as Black Peter, telling him to stay away from the Christmas party.

In addition to The Office and 30 Rock, other sitcoms, such as Community and Scrubs, have also removed or edited episodes featuring Blackface. HBO Max initially removed Gone With the Wind from its library after criticism about the film's depiction of slavery, however, they'd added it once again with a new disclaimer to inform viewers of its historical context.

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