Following in the footsteps of other popular sitcoms such as30 RockandIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the hospital-based comedy,Scrubs, will be removing several episodes from streaming platforms due to racial insensitivity. The service Hulu has now taken down three episodes that feature characters in blackface.
The three episodes in question are the episode titledMy Fifteen Secondsfrom season 3 as well asMy Jiggly BallandMy Chopped Liverfrom season 5. The episodes featureZach Braff’s J.D. and Donald Faison’s Turkattending a party dressed as each other, while Sarah Chalke’s character Elliot appears in blackface during a fantasy sequence. Creator of the series, Bill Lawrence, responded on social media to a user who said that the example set by NBCUniversal and30 Rockneeded to be implemented withScrubs, with Lawrence replying with “Agreed. Already in the works.”
The removal of theseScrubsepisodes comes amidst the ongoingBlack Lives Matter protestsin the United States and other parts of the world. This has led to studios and creators looking back at their work and apologizing for past mistakes while also removing the racially insensitive material. So far, this has seen several sitcoms take down episodes from streaming platforms, as well as the 1939 Hollywood classicGone With the Windbeing given an introduction to contextualize the portrayal of slavery in the movie.
Scrubs star Donald Faisonhas recently opened up about the subject, and his feelings towards being referred to as “the Black guy from Scrubs”. The actor explained that “It’s very, very scary to be judged by the color of your skin. It’s happened to me quite a bit my whole life. Even how people describe me on Scrubs. I’m ‘the Black guy from Scrubs’.” he continued, “You know what I mean? I’m not even ‘one of the actors from Scrubs’, I’m ‘the Black guy from Scrubs’.”
Looking at the matter in a wider context, Faison added that “Racism is everywhere. It never left. It’s always been here… It’s not a surprise that this is going on right now, it’s finally coming to a head is what’s happening. But it’s been here forever. Once you don’t take that for granted, and you recognize that there’s racism out there, you’ll start checking yourself.”
Scrubsfirst aired on NBC from 2001 until 2010, with the final seasons featuring a cast of mostly new characters with the series regulars having moved on to other things. The series follows Zach Braff as John “J.D.” Dorian at the fictional Sacred Heart Hospital, which is a teaching hospital.
The show focuses on the lead character’s unique point of view, with J.D. often drifting off into his imagination, with his daydreams often featuring all sorts of slapstick and surreal vignettes. Alongside Braff, the series starred Donald Faison as Christopher Turk, J.D.’s best friend, Sarah Chalke as Elliot Reed, Neil Flynn as the antagonistic Janitor, and John C. McGinley as Dr. Perry Cox, J.D.’s reluctant mentor. This comes to us fromThe Wrap.
