TNT

What was the accusation?

In January 2011, comedian and 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan made a special appearance on TNT’s Inside the NBA. During the live pre-game broadcast, co-hosts Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley asked Morgan to settle for them who was more attractive: former Alaska governor Sarah Palin or comedian Tina Fey (known for her Saturday Night Live Palin impersonation). Morgan’s response: “Yo, let me tell you something about Sarah Palin. She’s good masturbation material.” TNT, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System, quickly released a statement apologizing for “any embarrassment or offense” caused by Morgan’s “inappropriate comments.”  

Key Apologia Strategies:

Shifting Responsibility

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Transcript

“It’s unfortunate Mr. Morgan showed a lack of judgment on our air with his inappropriate comments. We apologize for any embarrassment or offense it may have caused.”

Sources

Derschowitz, J. (2011, January 28). Tracy Morgan’s Sarah Palin comment draws apology from TNT. CBS News. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tracy-morgans-sarah-palin-comment-draws-apology-from-tnt/

Labrecque, J. (2011, January 28). TNT apologizes for Tracy Morgan’s crude Sarah Palin remark. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved from http://ew.com/article/2011/01/28/tracy-morgan-sarah-palin/

Little, L. (2011, January 28). TNT apologizes for Tracy Morgan’s Sarah Palin comments. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/01/28/tnt-apologizes-for-tracy-morgans-sarah-palin-comments/