U.S. TV Network Apologizes to Bachmann for Foul Song
NBC television has apologized to Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann after a band played "Lyin' Ass Bitch" during her appearance on a late-night talk show, her spokeswoman said.
The show's band played part of Fishbone's 1985 risque song as Bachmann walked on the set of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," which aired early Tuesday, prompting the Minnesota congresswoman to accuse the band of bias and sexism.
"The fact that someone did something so hateful and disrespectful is unfortunate," Bachmann spokeswoman Alice Stewart told Agence France Presse.
A day after the appearance, however, Bachmann received a personal letter from NBC vice president of late night programming Dough Vaughan, who called the incident "not only unfortunate but also unacceptable," Stewart said.
In offering his apologies, Vaughan also promised that The Roots, the band that performed the song, had been "severely reprimanded," Stewart added.
Before the show aired, Roots drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson had tweeted a teaser, writing "aight late night walkon song devotees: you love it when we snark: this next one takes the cake. ask around cause i aint tweeting title."
Further complicating matters, Questlove's Twitter profile picture shows him posing with President Barack Obama, a Democrat who Bachmann is fighting to oust from the White House in next year's presidential elections.
Fallon, the show host, later tweeted that the drummer was "grounded" and said he was "so sorry about the intro mess." He also apologized directly to Bachmann after the show.
"Jimmy was very nice and gracious," Stewart said.
"He said he was sorry and showed a great deal of remorse, saying he was sorry it happened, enjoyed having her on the show and hopes to have her back on."
And Bachmann did manage to have a "good time" on the show after all, her spokeswoman acknowledged.
During an appearance on Fox News, Bachmann said she accepted Fallon's apology but was outraged over the incident.
"This is clearly a form of bias on the part of the Hollywood entertainment elite," she said. "This wouldn't be tolerated if this was Michelle Obama. It shouldn't be tolerated if it's a conservative woman either."
Source: Agence France Presse
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