Amy Schumer apologizes for her racially insensitive jokes: "I am taking responsibility and hope I haven’t hurt anyone"

The comedian is coming at fan criticism about her race jokes with a whole new approach this week

Published July 7, 2015 3:32PM (EDT)

  (AP/John Shearer)
(AP/John Shearer)

Last weekend, The Guardian's Monica Heisey penned an editorial criticizing Amy Schumer for being racially insensitive. She said: “For such a keen observer of social norms and an effective satirist of the ways gender is complicated by them, Schumer has a shockingly large blind spot around race.” Schumer responded to Heisey's piece with a tweet in her defense, explaining that she is definitely "not a racist" and advised everyone to “put down their torches."

A week later, Schumer is coming at fan criticism about her race jokes with a new approach. Instead of assuring everyone that it's comedy, man -- "It is a joke and it is funny!" --  she's, in some ways, finally owning up to how her material has offended some people.

After a fan tweeted at Schumer asking what the deal was with one of her "Donald Trump-ish" stand-up jokes (you know the one: "I used to date Hispanic guys, but now I prefer consensual"), she wrote:

Thank you so much for asking. I wrote this joke 2 years ago. I used to do a lot of short dumb jokes like this. I played a dumb white girl character on stage. I still do sometimes. Once I realized I had more eyes and ears on me and had an influence I stopped telling jokes like that on stage. I am evolving as an artist. I am taking responsibility and hope I haven’t hurt anyone. And I apologize it I did [sic]. Thanks again for asking.

The original Twitter conversation follows:

[embedtweet id= 618134290136702976]


By Colin Gorenstein

Colin Gorenstein is Salon's assistant editor of internet and viral content. Follow @colingorenstein or email cgorenstein@salon.com.

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