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Hulu removes ‘Golden Girls’ episode over blackface concerns: reports

Hulu has removed an episode of "The Golden Girls" due to concerns over blackface, according to Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter.

The 1988 episode of the sitcom, titled "Mixed Blessing" (Season 3 Episode 23), shows Michael (Scott Jacoby), the son of Dorothy (Beatrice Arthur), planning to marry an older Black woman, Lorraine (Rosalind Cash). 

In the episode, Blanche (Rue McClanahan) and Rose (Betty White) were wearing mud masks when they met the fiancée.

"This is mud on our faces," White says in the episode. "We’re not really black."

USA TODAY confirmed the episode has been removed from the streaming platform and has reached out to Hulu for comment on the reasoning behind the removal.

The decision to remove the episode was met with backlash online.

Author Roxane Gay tweeted, "That Golden Girls episode isn’t blackface. What the hell ? ... Removing this episode is weird, counterproductive and stupid. It diminishes the effort to actually end racism. It’s just so dumb."

"First of all, they were in mud masks not blackface. And second of all, in what world does 'Stop killing us.' sound like 'Please remove episodes of Golden Girls'? I didn't see that ask on anyone's protest sign..." user @missewill tweeted.

In a follow-up tweet, the same user wrote, "To be clear: I’m not 'attacking' Hulu. I would just hate for the seriousness of this moment and movement to get lost in symbolic (and sometimes silly) overcorrections. Impact on real lives should be the measure of any change worthy of a PR push."

User @ira tweeted, "I know Hulu better put that Golden Girls episode back"

"Golden Girls" isn't the first show to be re-examined due to racism concerns.

"Scrubs" and "30 Rock" episodes are being pulled from streaming services because they show actors in blackface.

Tina Fey, the star and executive producer of "30 Rock," explained the decision for her show in a note shared with USA TODAY last week.

"As we strive to do the work and do better in regards to race in America, we believe that these episodes featuring actors in race-changing makeup are best taken out of circulation," Fey wrote. "I understand now that 'intent' is not a free pass for white people to use these images."

Contributing: Charles Trepany

More:Jimmy Kimmel apologizes for 'embarrassing' blackface sketches, says he's 'evolved'

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