Outrage filled the air as actor Ted Danson delivered a shocking and racially insensitive performance at a charity benefit in the ballroom of the New York Hilton hotel.
With over 3,000 people in attendance, including notable African American figures such as Mayor David Dinkins, Halle Berry, Vanessa Williams, Anita Baker, RuPaul, Mr. T, and boxers Michael Spinks and Sugar Ray Leonard, Danson's monologue left the crowd in disbelief.
The event, organized by a show business association, had a blocklong dais adorned by more than 100 celebrities.
Their expressions turned to stone as they endured Danson's offensive remarks.
To capture their reactions, a closed-circuit camera displayed their embarrassment and discomfort for all to see.
During the monologue, talk show host Montel Williams resorted to studying the closed-circuit screen and then shifted his gaze to the floor.
Director Gilbert Cates, known for overseeing the last three Oscarcasts, expressed his disdain, stating that Danson had gone too far and lost control.
Williams, unable to find words, silently left the podium.
Later, he sent a wire to Friars chairman Bob Saks, comparing the event to a rally for hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan or Aryan Nation.
Friar's roasts, infamous for their raucous and vulgar nature, are never recorded for television broadcasts.
However, Danson's whiteface performance, coupled with his repeated use of racial slurs such as the N-word, pushed beyond the boundaries of acceptability.
The incident served as a stark reminder that the painful history of black-white relations in America remains too sensitive to be crudely joked about.
Goldberg, whose birth name is Caren Johnson, has dedicated her career to dismantling racial stereotypes.
Perhaps she believed that Danson's approach would be received as satire.
Unfortunately, the audience's reaction made it clear that Danson's attempt at comedy fell flat, leaving him figur
