After making a few wise cracks about Mitt Romney’s African-American grandchild last week, MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry gave a teary apology to him and his family. She chose to acknowledge the wrongdoing at the beginning of her weekly show, right before getting into the other news stories of the day.
“Whatever the intent was, the reality that the segment proceeded in a way that was offensive, and showing the photo in that context, that segment, was poor judgment,” she noted. “So without reservation or qualification, I apologize to the Romney family.”
In addition, she explained that she invited a “panel of comedians” to make snarky comments about certain photos taken last year.The annual segment is called “Our Look Back in Laughter.” However, some of the jokes went too far, said Harris-Perry, namely when she allowed her guests to speak about Romney’s children and his family, which is a definite no-no when cracking jokes about a public figure.
“[Children] should not be treated callously or thoughtlessly,” she said. “So without reservation or qualification, I apologize to the Romney family.”
And since Harris-Perry’s show often discusses issues of race and diversity, she felt it extremely necessary to apologize for being somewhat hypocritical. She even thanked some of her critics for pointing out her mistake.
“On this program we are dedicated to advocating for a wide diversity of families,” she said. “It is one of our core principles and I am reminded when we do so, it must be with the utmost respect. We’re genuinely appreciative of everyone who offered serious criticisms of last Sunday’s program, and I am reminded that our fiercest critics can sometimes be our best teachers.”
Harris-Perry received tons of backlash after last week’s now infamous segment, which comes on the heels of former MSNBC host Martin Bashir resigning after he said Sarah Palin should get the same “Derby’s Dose” punishment that slaves used to receive.
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