1. Mediaite
  2. Gossip Cop
  3. Geekosystem
  4. Styleite
  5. SportsGrid
  6. The Mary Sue
  7. The Jane Dough

The Roots’ Questlove ‘Deeply Sorry’ For Michele Bachmann Music Choice On Jimmy Fallon

» 89 comments

Last week, thanks to The Roots, America paid the most attention to a news story involving a talk show house band since that time a few years ago when The Roots became a talk show house band. In case you’ve forgotten, when Michele Bachmann appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the band chose to score her entrance to the song “Lyin’ Ass Bitch,” and, apparently, it wasn’t because Bachmann is a secret Fishbone fan. The world promptly exploded, apologies were issued, and everyone got to remember how much we all used to enjoy mid-80s ska for a few days. Today, music website Pitchfork posted an interview with Questlove, the band’s most vocal member and the one who first alerted people to the musical statement, and he explained that he was “deeply sorry” for the choice.

From Pitchfork:

Pitchfork: Do you regret playing that walk-on music for Michele Bachmann?

?uestlove: It wasn’t like a chess move where you have to think 12 steps ahead; you’re just, like, “Fuck, all right, I’m gonna do it,” in a kamikaze-type way. And I really didn’t think about how it could be perceived as a misogynist swipe– it didn’t hit me until my [Twitter] timeline started showing up that it was seen that way. I was like, “Fuck, I forgot ‘bitch’ is actually in the title.”

It deeply offended a lot of women’s groups and non-Bachmann supporters, and for that I’m deeply sorry. I’m not parading like I’m the poster boy for the feminist movement, but those who truly know me know that that’s not me. I was really just going with her whole revisionist history angle, I wasn’t calling it out on her being a woman.

Pitchfork: What kind of reactions have you received since?

?: I’ve seen some really colorful epithets in the past four days, but “nigger fuckhead ghetto stick” is probably the one that takes the cake. I’m still trying to get my head around that one. Blocking 3,500 tea party extremists [on Twitter] in a three day period is no fun, especially when you’re a drummer dangerously close to carpal tunnel. In the end, was it worth it? Absolutely not.

It’s notable that Questlove specifically said he was sorry to women’s groups but not the candidate herself.

Later in the interview, the drummer explained that he was very worried he and the band would be fired, noting that Bachmann’s camp could have easily gotten advertisers to demand his exit. Fortunately, the campaign instead told NBC “Look, it’s Thanksgiving. Let’s just put all this behind us and call it a day.”

And isn’t that the true meaning of Thanksgiving? Just like the Indians and the pilgrims, the bitches and the ghetto sticks were able to put aside their differences and live in harmony. Beautiful.

Read the rest of the interview here.

(h/t The A.V. Club)

Follow us on Twitter.

Sign up for Mediaite's daily newsletter.

Email Twitter Facebook Digg Reddit Stumble Upon Yahoo Buzz LinkedIn Tumblr Delicious
  • Michelle

    Did NOW and other groups condemn him?  Last I heard, they hadn’t, they just doubled down on their hatred of the right.  They only stick up for liberal femi-nazi’s.  You can call conservatvie woman anything you want and they don’t care.  And I hope he doesn’t expect us to believe what he’s accusing the Tea Party of saying.  I doubt they’d be his twitter followers in the first place.  They have better taste than that.  Go back under your rock, QL.

  • Gloves P. Donahue

    Now he can play some more up to date tunes for the kids today, like some of white rapper Andy Williams’ music or Herman’s Hermits.

  • http://www.storminsmorningjava.blogspot.com/ stormin1961

    to be more accurate he’s “deeply sorry” that he opened his big mouth and tweeted the name of the song. what he did was a pre-meditated attack.

  • Anonymous

    Who is this? Questlove? Hell, I thought it was Buckwheat at first glance.

    Buckwheat sounds a hell of a lot smarter than this simpleton.

    It shows the level of talent needed on a show on tv – zero, by this retard’s standards.

  • Henry Wood

    I don’t really understand why he would apologize here.

    #1.  It’s a perfectly appropriate Bachmann theme song.  The title is apt, and the frenetic pace of the song fits the daffy duck look that Michele has in those eyes of hers.

    #2 It’s not like the racist death threats are going to stop.  Conservatives are well known for their vindictiveness and propensity for violence.

  • Anonymous

    Translation:The man is a dumbass.

    This was the stupidest thing I mean really thoughtless and idiotic,a complete embarassment for Fallon and NBC.

    They should have lost the gig for it.

  • Michelle

    Nice try, but the rise of Herman Cain has showed us that the violent racists live on the left. 

  • Henry Wood

    But Herb Cain told me there was no more racism.  Was he lying?

  • Anonymous

    Michelle is right here:  the amount of racial violence demonstrated by the left towards Herb Cain has been extraordinary.

  • Phil Bourekas

    Absolutely no reprisal to him from NBC for doing this?

  • Anonymous

    “It shows the level of talent needed on a show on tv.”

    See Beck, Glenn and Hannity, Sean.  And they can’t even play an instrument.

    “this retard’s standards”

    ParaSailing just had a sad. ;(

  • Anonymous

    “You can call conservatvie woman anything you want and they don’t care.”

    Put forth a woman that has 3 ounces of intelligence/character/integrity and maybe someone will care when their intelligence/character/integrity is attacked.

    I’m off to petition the US Government to close the embassy in Iran NOW!

  • Rex derWunderGott

    This, by the way, is the zombie winger Meme of the Day – where is NOW in condemning Questlove – which you can check by a simple Google search: Hot Air, PollyTickChick, Rabid Conservative, this is, as former RNC puppet now current msnbc (“yer home to yer libruls, card carryin’ sho’ nuff”) fablancer* Michael Steele.

    It is, of course, bull shit. One can make a case for it being, after all, late night comedy (I don’t think the show’s at all funny, but the as a joke the song was a highlight.), and even a SIMULTANEOUS case for it being rude to a guest (though of course late night comedy very often does involve, sometimes even necessitates, the rude and the crude).

    But really, wingers – this is stupid. If I’m NOW, I’m thinking I got way better things to spend my time on and worrying about; I’m even thinking, this was no attack on women, it was a quite arguably appropriate even more arguably good joke played on someone who appears to be a woman but who is provably either or both a crazy person or a lyin’ ass bitch.

    Calling out NOW for not “condemning” this joke/political statement by Roots is trivializing what NOW is dedicated to doing – in other words, just another day at the trivializing of women by the wingosphere.

  • Anonymous

    He is pure hate personified…NBC will have to let him go.  If not now…soon!

  • Gloves P. Donahue

    Ringo would not have pulled this crap.

    The Beatles would have drummed him out of the band.

  • Rex derWunderGott

    A little of both. I agree it’s got some “I’m sorry I’m getting held to account for this, I’m sorry I got caught” quality to it. Going beyond that and calling it a “pre-meditated attack” is unwarranted – you have no idea whether it was spontaneous inspiration or not, so you’re just trying to escalate this into something it is not. That ‘outs’ you as a zombie winger meme tool, as if the ‘storm’ in your name was not already a clue.

  • Rex derWunderGott

    A yes, just in on the mid-afternoon stage, your genuine American frontier gibberish racism.

  • Anonymous

    If the song had been entitled ‘Dumb A@@ B!tch’ it would  have been more appropriate.

  • Rex derWunderGott

    Hey, I’m with you; I was thinking the same – though this may be something the network is insisting on (I don’t watch the show – which network is this?).

    But here’s the thing: look at the gathering for vultures below you HW, in particular Michelle – blogosphere hell hath no fury like a winger zombie meme tool with the faint whiff of ‘vindication’ in her nostrils, no matter who unmerited.

  • Rex derWunderGott

    Right, I was wondering what the raisin’ of Cain “showed us” all, I truly was.

  • Gloves P. Donahue

    QuartLow can easily be replaced by Flavor Flav.

    You would get a better looking performer and always know what time it is.

  • Anonymous

    The Bitch part was to much, but Bachman is a complete fruitloop who says insane things in order to pander to the Tea Party.  Double wide wall on the border.  Repeal healthcare for Americans who can’t get it.  How pathetic.

    P.S. Tea Baggers are racist (and bigoted against Mormons).

  • Rex derWunderGott

    Oh don’t be such a moronic twit. It was an arguably good joke on a not so funny show that the corporate owners decided to apologize for, and that’s it. YOU have no right to feel offended, pal. and really, neither does Bachmann, who is very likely exactly as the song name describes.

  • Anonymous

    Do you like nut sacks? 

  • Anonymous

    Why lefties will always be known as the pussies of this world.

    Pedophile Druggie Blimp spouts this nonsense daily on the radio and we never hear his fatass apologizing. But lefties get cornered by frothing Cleti they’re begging for forgiveness…….

  • Michelle

    You are perhaps the classiest person I’ve every come across.  Congrats!!

  • Anonymous

    Hey Michelle, link us to your post condemning Herman Cain like you said you would, now that he’s a proven adulterer.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, they should have played “Don’t Know Much About History”

  • Anonymous

    ?uestlove is one of the great living drummers

    Your ignorance expands beyond politics, apparently.

  • Anonymous

    Nope. No one cares. And they’re about to drop one of the Best albums of their career

  • Anonymous

    EXAMPLES PLEASE

  • Anonymous

    You are absolutely right – NOW has FAR more important things to do than step in to defend a presidential candidate, and United States congresswoman.

    Like protest the Masters taking place at a club with 100 all-male members in a town nobody has really ever heard of.  That is the type of thing NOW ought to be expending its efforts on!!!!!

    (I can’t believe you made me defend Michele Bachman. . . . . . .) 

  • Anonymous

    LOL

    CLEARLY you know nothing about modern music and who ?uestlove is

    LOL

  • Anonymous

    lol…teabaggers get mad about attacking women and calling them vile names unless it’s a Rachel Maddow  or Debbie Wasserman Schultz thread.

    Then?

    Not so much.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PKEQSTA4WOBYU5Z7QNSBUR2LXI MASSMURDERMEDIA

    lennon was once asked if ringo was the best drummer in the world…  he replied that he wasn’t even the best drummer in the beatles…

  • Michelle

    Well, unlike yourself, I don’t call others vile names.  But that’s not really the point.  You’re talking about random posters V an organization that claims to defend women, when in reality it’s only liberal woman they care about.  You don’t appear to be bright enough to see the distinction.

  • Michelle

    How was is proven?  If it was, I certainly will. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PKEQSTA4WOBYU5Z7QNSBUR2LXI MASSMURDERMEDIA

    so he forgot that “bitch” was actually in the title?…  lyin’ ass bitch…

  • Anonymous

    I’m talking about a teabagger who doesn’t mind when women on the Left are attacked with vile names but takes exception when it happens to the Right.

    This isn’t complicated, pumpkinbutt.

    When I pointed out the difference between bloggers and pundits you always called me a hypocrite.

    Remember, hon?

  • Anonymous

    13 year “relationship”. Texts at 4 in the morning. “Helping her find a job” for 13 YEARS?!

    OPEN YOUR EYES, USE YOUR NOODLE, AND CONDEMN HIM LIKE YOU SAID YOU WOULD

  • Anonymous

    Still using that crystal ball.  I don’t understand how you think you can read people’s minds.

  • Anonymous

    Good grief. That guy with the brillo pad on his noggin looks like he went to the electric chair without having his head shaved.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/ON4HHDYPEEDF3USYEBHZ7CJBCU potvin

    I don’t care what you say, that is one majestic looking negro.

  • Anonymous

    How right you are! He’s not sorry at all, except that his “in” “joke” was called out. Lying liars and the lies they tell.

  • david r

    What a jackass:

    Put forth a woman that has 3 ounces of intelligence/character/integrity
    and maybe someone will care when their intelligence/character/integrity
    is attacked.

    You should care if any woman is attacked (i.e., referred to as a “bitch”) merely on account of her gender.

  • Anonymous

    What he really meant to say was, “I don’t give a shit about that white bitch. But I am sorry to some of the other bitches whom I may have offended.”

  • Anonymous

    This is the 1st time I have seen Obama’s college graduation picture. Thanks Mediaite.

  • Anonymous

     It wasn’t like a chess move where you have to think 12 steps ahead”

    Yes it was , you coward- you tweeted in advance you were going to do something.

    Own it, bitch!

  • david r

    You have a point here.  When JFK died, I really didn’t mourn his passing.  My mom was a rabid Republican.  (The “David” is Ike’s middle name.)  I thought he was a demon. Now I see he was a great man, and a lot like Obama.  Both had/have a vision but not the ability to make it happen.  LBJ may have lacked JFK’s vision, although he did have a somewhat progressive vision more simple and rural-values based.  But LBJ knew how to make the Kennedy dream a reality.  I hope Obama loses, but if he wins again, there is still time for him to do some good and leave a better legacy than it presently appears.

  • Michelle

    Juanita Brodereick says Bill Clinton raped her.  Can we call him a racist by your standards? 

    ps, I would condemn anyone, including Cain, of cheating on their spouse.  If he did, I have no use for him.  I guess we should stick with Romney, he appears to be squeaky clean, except for that whole dog carrier on the roof of the car thing. 

  • Dead_Air

    NBC, Fallon, and the band apologize, as they should.

    No apology yet from Limbaugh for referring to the First Lady using the racially charged ‘uppity.’

  • Anonymous

    ” Questlove is one of the great living drummers”
     
    You are kidding right?

  • Anonymous

    She’s a political candidate AND a liar.
    And I forget exactly what she’s called President Obama, but as I recall, it wasn’t all that nice.
    I say she’s fair game.
    If you can’t take the heat, stay out of  the kitchen.

  • Anonymous

    uppity is “racially charged” only to a racist.  To anyone else – it’s a word indicating that you think you’re better than the person beside you.  

  • Dead_Air

    Try saying that to a black person’s face and see if they agree.

  • Anonymous

    Well she is a liar, or worse completely ignorant of US history, world history, science and economics.

    Your choice.

  • Anonymous

    Clearly, he’s just sorry he got in trouble.  Now, I wish he’d been fired.   

  • Anonymous

    Clearly
    You don’t know anything about modern music

  • Anonymous

    EXAMples PLEASE

  • Anonymous

    “uppity” is one of those words like “inscrutable;” we only see it when one is referencing the stereotype, not applying it

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, they just might assault you!

  • Anonymous

    It is just as wrong as when they played Queen’s “Fat Bottom Girls” when Michelle Obama was introduced.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bee-Ruled/100001985815996 Bee Ruled

    What a Sellout

    Now, get back to your crackpipe and leave politics to the conscious.

  • Dead_Air

    Oh good, so we agree, Limbaugh was a racist when he used it to describe the First Lady.  

  • Anonymous

    Here’s a classic of cognitive dissonance:

    Michelle 3 hours ago: “I don’t call others vile names. ”

    Michelle 5 hours ago: “They only stick up for liberal femi-nazi’s.”

    In which world is “femi-nazi” not considered vile, because it’s not a place I’d ever care to visit.

  • Joke Scareborough

    Nice picture, but he doesn’t look like these days.
    Nowadays he looks like KFCBucketLove
    http://www.billboard.com/photos/stylus/107151-questlove_interview_5_617_409.jpg

  • Anonymous
  • Joke Scareborough

    Here’s another one:
    http://www.billboard.com/photos/stylus/107149-questlove_interview_7_617_409.jpg
    The guy is built like those punching bag balloons with the sand in the bottom that pop back up after you punch them.

  • Anonymous

    Nice. And your definition of intelligence and integrity is personified in the likes of Nancy Pelosi, right? You don’t even speak from any sort of knowledge. Instead of your noble ambition of said petition, why not figure out how we can educate a very average president. Come on dude, “CorPSEman” really. That trumps spelling potato with an “e”. “57 states, with 2 more to go”. And how about his acknowledgement of fallen heroes, many of whom he saw before him that very day. Huh? Leader of the free world. Did you vote for him? If so, thanks for settling for mediocre. From him, I would be thrilled to see 2 ounces of intelligence. Character and integrity are, I believe, beyond hope. The only hope is change in Nov. 2012.

  • http://gregingleright.weebly.com/ Greg

    ?uestlove is that ish… Glad he did whats right.

  • Henry Wood

    Well they all think that Common is a gangster rapper who glorifies cop-killing, so yeah they don’t know much about that darned hippity hop music.

  • Anonymous

    Clearly you are not a DRUMMER OF 30+ years.

    I have never heard him mentiond in the same breathe as

    Joey Jordison : Slipknot, KoRn.
     Terry Bozzio : Frank Zappa,Black Light Syndrom*, various
    Neil Pert :Rush.
    Vinnie Colaiuta: Jeff Beck, various

    * You never heard of Black Light Syndrom, you are not a musician.

  • chris b

    So he wasn’t sorry for calling her a lying @$$ but because of the women’s movement deeply regrets the *itch part?Then takes a swipe at the tea party as extremists?I think this guy must gulp the left’s kool-aid to be such a brainless twit.

  • chris b

    WE do often but since they are conservative you believe the propaganda you are spoon fed by the media.Michelle Bachman was a very successful tax attorney before she ran for congress.Not something someone without “intelligence/character/integrity” (have you never seen the , on the keyboard?) does but don’t let facts get in the way of your ideology….HMMM dude we haven’t had an embassy in Iran since 1979…..

  • Anonymous

    Hahahaha…nice one. 

  • Anonymous

    I will remember that the next time you clowns attack Rachel Maddow (calling her a man) and Janeane Garafolo (a sympathy fcuk) …ass.

  • Anonymous

    chris b, are you auditioning for village idiot? He was mocking Bachmann for thinking we still have an embassy in Iran, GENIUS!

  • Anonymous

    You don’t appear to be too bright to not notice the hypocrisy he highlighted. 

  • Anonymous

    It’s accuracy is affected by the guano smears.  

  • Anonymous

    She’s so stupid. Her arguments would make a lot of sense if we all had the attention span and memory of a gnat. 

  • Anonymous

    ?uestlove is a musician. He’s on the show to PLAY music. I know logic is a big problem with you teahadists. 

  • Anonymous

    You are right…like when he called black people brainwashed. I wonder what he thinks of women when he’s not shoving their heads down his crotch..eh Michelle? Would you like to find out?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_76F7SAA3N35X4IBY5BGVQML2YM James

    What revisionist history? The kind Rage Against the Machine spouts about Confederates fleeing the Civil War and bringing slavery to the SW and starting the Mexican American War? Are there any songs cool ska bands will play when Zack Moron is on a show? Don’t expect those kind of “mistakes” by the art crowd.

  • Anonymous

    Class-act and awesome hair

  • Anonymous

    Ok Steve and what degrees and accomplishments do have to talk about, twit

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MPPK2CTPRQYEYSXVOFVUJRX3SQ ken

    Superlative technique, great sense of swing. Deep groove, can lead a band. He has it all.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MPPK2CTPRQYEYSXVOFVUJRX3SQ ken

    Notice there are two insults and everyone focuses on “bitch”. Isn’t that a concession on the lyin’ ass part ? Example: You are and unwashed moron. That’s not true, I wash every day.

  • Anonymous

    Has any ideas she has proposed made in to law? has she sponsored legislation that has passed the house? What great wisdom has she enlighten us with to be leader of the ” free world” tell me what has she done to deserve the serious attention she has received.

  • http://profiles.google.com/intoxic.ch Daniel Saner

    Quite apparently, you have never seen him perform live. Or you never dared to venture beyond artificial genre constraints.

© 2012 Mediaite, LLC | About Us | Advertise | Self-Serve Advertising | Newsletter | Jobs | Privacy | User Agreement | Disclaimer | Power Grid FAQ | Contact | Archives | RSS RSS
Dan Abrams, Founder | Power Grid by Sound Strategies | Hosting by Datagram