Did Mike & Molly ‘s Indian joke cross the line?
The sitcom referred to Native Americans as “drunk Indians” during an episode that aired last week. The joke caused a bit of a controversy for the CBS show as a spokesman for the Navajo Nation has demanded an apology from the network.
Spokesperson Erny Zah said:
“It’s offensive, it’s derogatory, it’s deplorable. Ignorance is one thing, but this must have passed through a lot of eyes before it appeared on a network show … An apology would be appropriate but it can’t fix the damage done.”
According to ABC , the joke occurred after Mike’s mother Peggy was asked about moving to Arizona.
Peggy, who is played by Rondi Reed, replied:
“Arizona? Why would I move to Arizona? It’s nothing but a furnace full of drunk Indians.”
According to Oregon Live , Arizona is home to 21 Indian tribes. Alcohol is illegal on several reservations, but it is also easily obtained in neighboring towns.
Zah said:
“Alcoholism is a real issue on our reservations and it’s not funny … You can see somebody who is drunk and tripping over themselves and it’s easy to make fun of them … But the disease itself isn’t funny, the coming home late at night, possibly beating on family members, the absence of family members, the fear it instills in a lot of children.”
The Native American Journalists Association also called on CBS to apologize. The NAJA
NAJA President Rhonda LeValdo said:
“I think a lot of times people make excuses for when they do those type of jokes or sarcasm … To me, it’s not funny making fun of a minority group. Are we supposed to be the entertainment for mainstream?”
The Mike & Molly Indian joke isn’t available online at the moment, but here’s a clip from the show that features a joke about castration.
CBS hasn’t commented on the joke yet.
Do you think the network should apologize for the Indian joke? Do you think it was offensive?