Comedian Ralphie May on stage in Raleigh, North Carolina, in May 2014. Photo from Facebook
Comedian Ralphie May apologized to the "American-Indian community" on Wednesday after a clip of an old routine resurfaced on YouTube this week. The expletive-laden routine from 2005 described Indian people as alcoholics and their cultures as backwards but May pointed out that the full joke was cut short in the clip. He said he was making fun at a person who was upset by the critical successes of Dances with Wolves. "You get everything leading up to the punchline which was designed to show how stupid hate, anger and stereotypes are," May wrote on Twitter. He also said he wasn't going to apologize. But May changed course and posted a YouTube video, saying he never meant to offend anyone. He acknowledged delivering "racially charged" jokes but denied being a racist.
Ralphie May on YouTube: Racially Charged, Not Racist
The apology, though, wasn't enough for May to keep his gig in Bemidji, Minnesota. The city canceled the comedian's Saturday appearance at the Sanford Center after learning about the controversy. "Bemidji has struggled with major racial tensions, which is why this is so, so important," city council member Reed Olson told The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Native Americans represent about 11.3 percent of the population in the city, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and three reservations are nearby. May also gave an extended interview to Indian Country Today after the site wrote about the issue. The earlier article included a screenshot of the comedian's Twitter feed in which he appeared to antagonize critics by pointing out that drug and alcohol problems continue among Indian people. Those tweets appear to have been deleted. Get the Story:
Ralphie May Talks About Indian Rant: “I Never Meant to Hurt Anyone” (Indian Country Today 4/7)
Ralphie May's Bemidji concert officially canceled (The Bemidji Pioneer 4/7)
Comic Ralphie May apologizes, but Bemidji show still cancelled (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 4/7)
Comedian Ralphie May Creates Twitter Firestorm After Rant on Indians (Indian Country Today 4/6)
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