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HIMYM Creators Address ‘Yellowface’ Charges

Slapsgiving #3: Slappointment in Slapmarra
Photo: Ron P. Jaffe/CBS

After the Twitter hashtag #HowIMetYourRacism popped up following Monday’s episode of How I Met Your Mother, series creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas tweeted today to respond to those fans offended that stars Alyson Hannigan, Josh Radnor, and Cobie Smulders had appeared dressed in stereotypical Asian costumes with affected accents. “With Monday’s episode, we set out to make a silly and unabashedly immature homage to Kung Fu movies, a genre we’ve always loved. But along the way we offended people,” Bays tweeted. “We’re deeply sorry, and we’re grateful to everyone who spoke up to make us aware of it. We try to make a show that’s universal, that anyone can watch and enjoy. We fell short of that this week, and feel terrible about it. To everyone we offended, I hope we can regain your friendship, and end this series on a note of goodwill. Thanks.” So in case you have a sitcom and were wondering to yourself, “Is it okay for me to put a white actor in a Fu Manchu mustache, have him do a faux Asian accent and broadcast it on national television?,” the answer is still, good lord no.

HIMYM Creators Address ‘Yellowface’ Charges