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NBC’s ‘Today’ Show Apologizes for Joke About Nelson Mandela Funeral (Video)

Dec 12, 2013  •  Post A Comment

NBC’s morning show “Today” apologized for a joke during a report on Nelson Mandela’s funeral. The Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed reports that the segment discussed allegations that the sign language interpreter who stood near speakers during the funeral used fake signs.

During the report Wednesday, “Today” showed an inset of a man mimicking the motions of sign language. It appeared for several seconds, and the hosts appeared to realize it wasn’t appropriate.

“No, guys, let’s not do that," said host Natalie Morales, while Al Roker covered his face with his hands and said, “No, no, wrong.”

The show apologized on Twitter later that day, writing, “We aired a joke in our 9:00 hour that was offensive. We apologize to our viewers.”

The report adds: "The online clip that ‘Today’ posted on its website shows a different angle than the widely circulated YouTube clip showing the incident [below]. … Only the audible reactions of Morales and Roker can be heard in the official ‘Today’ clip."

Here’s a video of the incident on Wednesday’s show:

3 Comments

  1. My favorite show I never watch!

  2. Well, at least they didn’t edit a 911 call so that the caller appears to be calling someone suspicious based solely on the color of their skin, thereby creating a potentially dangerous situation….OH WAIT YES THEY DID.
    Gotta love the producers NBC News decides to hire.

  3. As stupid as it was to air such an inappropriate joke, why should anyone be surprised. Our society has devolved to one that fosters (and rewards) posting the most inane dribble on social media sites. Whoever made the decision to air the segment lacks the ability to distinguish between good and bad taste.

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