An episode of Golden Girls from 1988 has been pulled from Hulu due to the use of blackface.
According to Deadline, the scene featuring the show's stars Rue McClanahan and Betty White wearing mud face masks was removed from the streaming platform after a request from the series' distributor Disney-ABC Domestic Television.
The controversial episode is entitled 'Mixed Blessings' and centers around Dorothy's son Michael making the announcement that he's going to marry an older black woman, even though his mother has doubts about their significant age difference.
Soon after Blanche (McClanahan) and Rose (White) apply dark brown mud masks, Lorraine - Michael's girlfriend - and her family arrive.
Watch the controversial scene below:Trying to break the tension, Rose confesses: "This is mud on our faces, we're not really black."
Later in the episode, Lorraine's mother expresses her disapproval at the possibility of an interracial relationship because she doesn't want her daughter to marry "a skinny white boy."
While Dorothy makes it clear that she's not a fan of the couple's romance, Lorraine’s mum Greta asks: "Oh ya, why? Do you have something against black people?"
"Of course, not! And, I resent the insinuation! Why we firmly believe that all men are created equal," says
"That’s a bunch of baloney," Rose interrupts.
Everyone who is watching appears disgusted at this point, and she turns on the TV, joking that they should watch "a white person dance down the line on Soul Train.’"
"Race is not even an issue, your daughter is twice my son's age," Dorothy retorts. "What can a woman in his forties possibly have in common with a boy in his twenties?"
Blanche replies from across the room: "Sex!"
However, while Hulu might have felt the need to remove the scene, not everyone thought it was necessary.
One Twitter user wrote: "Perfect example of white guilt knee-jerking into reactionary performative allyship. This isn't even blackface. No Black person in America is offended by the joke in this episode."
Another wrote: "If I remember correctly, the Golden Girls aren't in 'Black Face.' Also, the episode is about Dorothy's son marrying an older black woman. Not racist, as I [remember]."
The controversial scene originally aired back in 1988.