Netflix has removed some episodes of the outrageous sitcom, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia on the basis that they feature multiple characters doing blackface. Fans started to take notice earlier this week that the ninth episode of the sixth season titled "Dee Reynolds: Shaping America’s Youth" was no longer available for streaming on Netflix. In the episode, main characters Mac and Dee both wear blackface. However, some fans pointed out that it was strange how Netflix opted to take down this episode, but not the season nine episode, "The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6," that also features characters doing blackface.
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"Surely Lethal Weapon 6 is actually worse than the first one?" one user asked, before explaining why he feels that taking these episodes off the streaming platform was contradictory to the nature of the show. "Thing is though, It’s Always Sunny is not racist. The characters are," he explained. "The entire joke of the show is that these are horrible, terrible people who suffer for their sins. When Mac and Dee do blackface, it’s not glorified at all. It’s heavily shunned by every other character."
Other echoed these sentiments about the show's intentions. "Netflix just pulled an episode of its always sunny in Philadelphia because Mac uses blackface in it," one user noted. "The problem is that the show is satire and is trying to show how ignorant the characters are for their actions. It's self-aware that the characters are terrible people."
"Netflix have deleted two episodes of its always sunny in philadelphia that include blackface. People don’t do their f*cking research," another user said. "The joke is that the characters in the show are such sh*tty people they are oblivious to their own racism. The racist characters ARE the joke."
According to Metro News, another user claimed that Netflix has now removed four episodes of It's Always Sunny in total from its catalogue.
Rob McElhenney Says "Sunny" Will Tackle COVID-19 Outbreak & Run Forever
Rob McElhenney on how long “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” will run for, and more.
Rob McElhenney says he wants It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia to run “forever.”
Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images
The star of Sunny and the new Apple TV series Mythic Quest spoke with NME earlier this week.
“How many years do I have on this planet? I’ll do it forever,” McElhenney said when asked how long It’s Always Sunny will run for. “If people keep watching it and we keep having fun, why would we ever stop? It’s my dream job. I never understand why people leave shows. I don’t. I never understand that. The show is what I dreamed of doing my entire life. I don’t take it for granted. And if they keep paying me and the audience keeps watching it and I still love it… why would I ever stop?”
McElhenny also teased the next season of Sunny, saying the gang will tackle the coronavirus pandemic in a characteristic way: “Well, we actually do have an episode called ‘The Gang Gets Quarantined’ [season nine, episode seven] where we quarantine ourselves in the bar. I think there’s a big flu going around Philadelphia or something like that. When we come back, don’t worry, we will address all this in the way only Sunny can!”
[Via]
