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USA TODAY
A Boston radio producer has been suspended for making an ethnic slur earlier this week about ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes.
Chris Curtis issued an on-air apology on Thursday morning’s edition of “The Greg Hill Show,” telling listeners on WEEI radio that his comments about Kimes were “a pathetic failed attempt at a one-liner,” and that he meant to say actress Mila Kunis instead.
During a discussion on Tuesday’s show of Boston’s potential ban on small bottles of alcohol – called “nips” – the hosts were ranking their favorites. “I’d probably go Mina Kimes,” Curtis interjected.
Curtis also apologized to the station’s listeners and revealed he would not appear on the show for the next week.
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“Nip” is an abbrviation for an ethnic slur used against people of Japanese descent. However, Kimes is Korean on her mother’s side.
Curtis’ comments attracted immediate attention and widespread criticism, with ESPN issuing a statement Wednesday saying, “There is no place for these type of hateful comments, which were uncalled for and extremely offensive.”
Kimes even reacted to the uproar by changing her profile picture on Twitter to one of Kunis.
In his apology, Curtis didn’t say whether he understood he was making a slur or why he meant to say Kunis’ name instead of Kimes’.
“I attempted to bring up Mila Kunis, which was not really that funny, (it was) sophomoric and sexist, but for reasons I don’t understand, I said Mina Kimes,” Curtis said. “That was never the intention for me to say her name. It had nothing to do with the subject matter and it dragged her into a controversy through no fault of her own …
“So I want to apologize to Mina Kimes, I want to apologize for a stupid, lame attempt at a joke, something that there’s just really no other way to put it … it was dumb and it was silly.”
