Mesfin Fekadu of Bloomberg Businessweek is reporting that the fallout from the Roots' joke-gone-wrong regarding GOP presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is still happening. After many apologies by all involved, Roots drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson has announced that the group will now have to run music choices by NBC brass before each Late Night With Jimmy Fallon show.
The band has been in the news lately for playing Fishbone's "Lyin' Ass Bitch" when the GOP presidential candidate appeared on the show. NBC determined that the group, known for poking fun at Late Night guests with impromptu song choices, went too far with that song choice.
Fekadu reports:
"It's still a comedy show, so they promise not to step on my toes or that type of thing, but they definitely want to know the title of the song, the subject matter of the song, can it be seen as an insult?" he said in an interview Thursday. Thompson added, "It was kind of wrong for me to throw (NBC) under the bus without telling them what it was, so I understand from a business standpoint."
Can you say, "Doing too much?" It's a comedy show, not a news report. The Roots' attempt at humor failed with conservatives; unfortunately, Bachmann and scores of conservatives who probably don't even watch the show now get to decide the production process.
We understand that the song was insulting; we don't get why Bachmann is allowed to say whatever she wants — even misrepresent history — while campaigning for the highest office in the land, while the Roots have to censor music choices on a late-night comedy show. Yeah, that makes sense.
Read more at Bloomberg Businessweek.