Alec Baldwin’s Rupert Murdoch joke cut by Fox, walks out on EMMYs
In further evidence that you shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you make fun of the boss that has you on his awards show, actor Alec Baldwin had a pre-recorded comedy bit meant to air during the opening comedy sequence at the 2011 EMMY Awards nixed by executives at Fox because it made fun of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who is CEO of News Corp, which owns Fox.
Murdoch is currently embroiled in a massive criminal investigation involving the tapping of numerous celebrities’ phones and Alec’s skit featured him talking on the phone before stopping to call out Murdoch for “listening in” to the conversation. After he heard the line was cut, Alec pulled out from the skit entirely and Fox re-filmed the bit with actor Leonard Nimoy from Star Trek (Spock) fame. Alec Baldwin also pulled out of the awards show altogether and is not in attendance at the ceremony!
Here’s how the scandal was revealed via Alec Baldwin’s Twitter account in chronological order:
September 15:
I did a short Emmy pretape a few days ago. Now they tell me NewsCorp may cut the funniest line. #NewsCorphumorlessaswellascorrupt
September 17:
I did a short Emmy pretape a few days ago. Now they tell me News Corp may cut the funniest line.
Today:
@Charlie_Flohr …. Supreme Court sez corps have rights yet no responsibilities re: regulation n taxes. result is this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5wmUkpOCKE
I understand NewsCorp killing that joke.
If I were enmeshed in a scandal where I hacked phones of families of innocent crime victims purely 4 profit, I’d want that 2 go away, 2.
We’ve all had our trip to the media woodshed. Adios, Twitterverse.
“@KristyChanPark: Missing @AlecBaldwin at the Emmys.” I miss you, Kristy! You helped get me at least one of my Emmys!
Are some companies #toobigtojail ?
Fox tells Deadline “they made the decision not because the joke involved Murdoch but because they take the phone-hacking allegations very seriously and did not want to be seen as making light of them.” The network insists the decision was made by them and News Corp had nothing to do with it.
Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin had to not win Best Actor in a Comedy Series while sitting in his La-Z-Boy instead of in person. Blerg!