MSNBC host offers tearful apology to Romneys
Updated 1:49 p.m., 1/4/2014
(CNN) - MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry made a tearful apology to Mitt Romney’s family on her show Saturday, after she and a panel poked fun at a photo of the former Republican presidential candidate with his wife and 21 grandchildren by zeroing in on his adopted African-American grandson.
"Whatever the intent was, the reality is that the segment proceeded in a way that was offensive, and showing the photo in that context, of that segment, was poor judgment. So without reservation or qualification, I apologize to the Romney family," said the anchor at the open of her show, "Melissa Harris-Perry."
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Harris-Perry became emotional as she went on to apologize to all "other families formed through transracial adoption," saying, "I am deeply sorry that we suggested that interracial families are in any way funny or deserving of ridicule."
She highlighted her own interracial background, as the daughter of an African-American man and a white Mormon woman. But, she said, families are always "off limits," and the Romneys' grandchildren should never have been a topic of discussion.
"Adults who enter into public life implicitly consent to having less privacy. But their families, and especially their children, should not be treated callously or thoughtlessly. My intention was not malicious, but I broke the ground rule that families are off limits, and for that I am sorry," she said.
Harris-Perry first apologized on Twitter and MSNBC's website Tuesday, offering a similar mea culpa "without reservation or qualification."
During the segment last Sunday, Harris-Perry asked a panel to come up with a caption for the Romney family photo, and two panelists made jokes about the infant standing out.
Actress Pia Glenn began singing lines from the song popularized by Sesame Street, "One of These Things Is Not Like the Others." Comedian Dean Obeidallah said the picture "really sums up the diversity of the Republican Party."
Obeidallah appears frequently on CNN and writes a regular opinion column for CNN.com.
Harris-Perry described the baby as "gorgeous" and joked that in 2040 he would marry North West, the daughter of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.
"Can you imagine Mitt Romney and Kanye West as in-laws?" she said, to laughs.
Criticism was swift across social media, with prominent Republicans from Sarah Palin to former Sen. Scott Brown weighing in.
A spokeswoman for Romney told CNN he was on a family vacation this week and unavailable for comment. On Sunday, Romney will appear on “Fox News Sunday,” where he is likely to be asked about the episode.
MSNBC has been in some hot water recently after a handful of their hosts have made controversial comments. Alec Baldwin and the network parted ways in November after his homophobic outburst against photographers, and Martin Bashir resigned in December for his suggestion that Sarah Palin deserved graphic punishment for comparing U.S. foreign debt to slavery.
–CNN's Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
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This is just one of the reasons MSNBC is dead last in the ratings followed by cnn.
Phoney.....apology was forced. The lib logic is really disgusting.
Lol, this is a real post here, and a real username(not, OFA shill)
ObamaCares!
This was no big deal, and TOTALLY overblown!
When is Genocide George going to apologize??
Oh please!!!! It was a very lighthearted observation that I guarantee you, everyone with half a brain would have made looking at that picture. There was no malice here. The teapubs are desperately trying to seize on an innocent moment to deflect from their own status as king of the racist bigots. They champion people like Phil Roberson and yet try to skewer this accomplished, intelligent woman? In fact, the teapubs must just be besides themselves having to rally to the defense of a blended family!!! Very uncomfortable position for them to be in, because, most likely, they have an innate reaction of disgust and cynicism when they see a non white child being afforded the historical advantages wealthy whites have enjoyed for years.
She's just crying because she has to apologize to Mitt Romney.
It is not her fault. She just had her dreads too tight.
Melissa Harris-Perry teaches us how to apologize with class and heart with no equivocation– no "I'm sorry IF I offended anyone."
It is one of the hardest things to do; it's much easier to get defensive and point the finger back. She does not. My already high admiration for her and what she stands for has risen to greater heights. Thank you Melissa.
This lady is evil and represents all that is bad in America.
Human garbage. At least that's what her ex bf Salman Rushdie said about her.
Crocodile tears, to save her career. Nothing more.
The Romney's are obviously good people and adopting this black child shows it that but there is some humor to be said for that picture. They are all dressed like the Osmond's and whiter than white and to have that cute little black child on Mitts knee is hysterical. There's nothing racist about it but its funny. Melissa has nothing to apologize for . Saturday Night would do a skit on it but they probably are afraid because these days we are all too PC to laugh at ourselves. Carrol O'Connor (Archie Bunker) must be roling over in his grave!
I wonder if the Romey's will apologize for ripping off the American People by parking their mega-millions in Cayman island and Swiss bank accounts to avoid paying axes, or for corporate raiding business to sell off just to make a quick profit.
Romney would likely have been nothing without his Governor daddy's contacts. Let him grow up in S Central L.A. and still see if he says everyone wants a handout and it just takes a bit of hard work to be successful. Your odds of getting out of the ghetto are a thousand times more than what Romey had to go through being born into a rich family and a Governor dad.
.
she was with comedians at the time. the comment was merely an observation. But the Fox News people jump on top of her because that's what they do. And she freaks out and instead of showing outrageous videos made by the people in Fox News that are 1,000 times worst, she apologizes.... That's why I watch The Young Turks online. Better than anything on TV right now.
I think this anchors apology was more genuine than any apology I've seen from any celebrities in 2013. She was very courageous for apologizing for something that didn't need an apology. It was a harmless joke but the United States has become too sensitive and has to complain about everything. It seems as though we have turned out to be an angry mob out for everyone to get fired or sued....well and boycotted now.
Fire her
If I were a black American it would be an insult to my intelligence to ever watch MSNBC after this last round of comments. Do white libs feel that they own the black race? They act like it!
This is ridiculous. The outrage police need to be stopped. Every day they're looking for a new person to crucify over a joke. Get over yourselves.
I don't ever hear Fox News ever apologizing for tacky comments. Good for her, she did the right thing.
Whenever a white person say something racist Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson can't call for a protest or a boycott or a march or rally fast enough. But when a black person say something racist you don't hear a word from those two who are supposedly are anti-racism? If black people really want to end racism then they need to stop saying racists stuff too. The double standard and hypocritical stance of the African-American community is disgusting. If they really wanted to end racism they could; but they don't want to because it provides to good an excuse for all their "problems."
Restraint in the media is as seldom used as inelegance in the military. There is some real power in media but it’s inherently flawed, too desperate with desire and imagination. Journalists must maintain a working distance from prudence and restraint until long after their well designed moment of impact. Replay it a few more times, make sure it sinks in. Only then can you pause to issue a tearful one time apology, in classic style, disguising the many insults as one simple error in judgment. Like a military mass grave, don’t speak of it again; we have other work that needs to be done. No laws broken here; for all is fair in media’s domain.
Translation: "Just kidding! Please don't fire me! WAAAAHHH!!!"
Not good enough, she needs to be fired!
Dear Jeremy,
Thanks for getting the vasectomy, but save your preaching for church.
The damage has been done. Fire her!
If her show's core value is diversity, as she says, she ought to be fired for incompetence. The topic of her offending broadcast was prepared well in advance, as was the ridicule. This woman is a hypocrite.