Jimmy Fallon apologizes to Michele Bachmann for Roots' song choice
First, Jimmy Fallon tweeted that ?uestLove "is grounded" for choosing the 1985 Fishbone song "Lyin' A– B—-" as an intro for Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann's during her Late Night interview Monday, but last night, he apologized to Bachmann, via Twitter, for his house band's poor judgment. "I'm honored that @michelebachmann was on our show yesterday and I'm so sorry about the intro mess. I really hope she comes back," he wrote. "Actually it was a really fun interview. She helped me with my Minnesota accent. (I still sound Irish.)" (Twitter responses to Fallon's tweets ranged from "be civil jimmy #lowbudget" to "grow a pair fallon").
UPDATE: Bachmann responded this morning on Fox News Channel's America's Newsroom, saying, "I don't have anything against Jimmy Fallon. I love him, he's a kick. It was a great opportunity to be on the show. I'd love to go back again. But I think the point is, if that had been Michelle Obama who had come out on the stage, and if that song had been played for Michelle Obama, I have no doubt that NBC would have apologized to her and likely they could have fired the drummer, at least suspended him. None of that happened from NBC. And this is clearly a form of bias on the part of the Hollywood entertainment elite, but it's also, I think, sexism as well. This wouldn't be tolerated if this was Michelle Obama; it shouldn't be tolerated if it's a conservative woman either."
On Tuesday, Democratic Congresswoman Nita Lowey had issued a statement with a similar message: "The choice of song to introduce Michele Bachmann on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon last night was insulting and inappropriate. I do not share Michele Bachmann's politics, but she deserves to be treated with respect. No female politician — and no woman — should be subjected to sexist and offensive innuendo like she was last night. The Roots, Jimmy Fallon, and NBC should apologize."
For his part, ?uestLove has issued a statement saying, "The performance was a tongue-in-cheek and spur of the moment decision. The show was not aware of it and I feel bad if her feelings were hurt. That was not my intention." (That last sentence is debatable, of course, since before the show aired, he tweeted, "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.")
A rep for NBC did not immediately return EW's request for comment.
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