Lionsgate will not remove an episode of “Mad Men” with one of its actors in blackface and will instead add a disclaimer at the beginning of the show, the company told Deadline in a statement. The controversial third season clip features John Slattery character Roger Sterling in black face makeup and singing to his new girlfriend, “My Old Kentucky Home,” the name of the episode.
The study said the episode of the popular AMC series “contains disturbing images related to race in the United States,” but held firm by leaving it without any editing.
“One of the characters is shown on a black face as part of an episode that shows how common racism was in the United States in 1963,” Lionsgate told the outlet. By relying on historical authenticity, the producers of the series are committed to exposing the injustices and inequalities within our society that continue to this day so that we can examine even the most painful parts of our history to reflect on who we are today and who we want to become. Therefore, we are presenting the original episode in its entirety. “
In the episode, Slattery serenades his wife as co-workers watch and smile awkwardly at the performance. The song was written by Stephen Collins Foster.
Mad Men will re-stream on Amazon, AMC, IMDb, and Starzplay later this month, according to Deadline.
The decision comes when some entertainment companies have either removed scenes involving blackface entirely or temporarily removed racist content from the past, only to then add context to viewers.
HBO Max shot down “Gone With the Wind” from his platform for two weeks, but added a disclaimer when he was brought back, noting that the 1939 Civil War epic “negates the horrors of slavery, as well as its legacies of racial inequality.” “30 rocks” blackface scenes removed after showrunner and star Tina Fey asked that they be removed. Presenters of night shows such as Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon also faced criticism after scenes of them portraying a black face in sketches appeared. Both have apologized.
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