30 Rock Episode Mocks Its Own Stars Gay Dilemma

First Published: January 20, 2012 10:05 AM EST Credit: Getty Images NY, N.Y. -- Caption Tracy Morgan smiles at the premiere of Righteous KillNBC comedy 30 Rock often finds laughs in real-life events in the show business world it inhabits. But Thursdays edition targeted one of its own cast members, Tracy Morgan, whofound himself in real-life hot water last June after making anti-gay remarks during a stand-up appearance in Nashville, Tenn. On the 30 Rock episode, Tracy Jordan, the character Morgan plays, sparked a protest after making a couple of ridiculous gay-oriented jokes at a club date. A contrite Jordan mistakenly apologizes to the makers of Glad bags, rather than to the Gay&Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, known as GLAAD. Jordans boss, played by series star Tina Fey, is forced to apologize for him. Hes not capable of hate, she assures the media. Hes just an idiot who doesnt know what hes saying. In real life, Tracy Morgan publicly apologized to his fans and the gay and lesbian community for what he called my choice of words. He denied being a hateful person and acknowledged that even in a comedy club what he said went too far and was not funny in any context. During his rant, Morgan had said in part that if his son were gay, he would pull out a knife and stab him. Fey, who is also the creator and an executive producer of 30 Rock, issued a statement at the time declaring I hope for his sake that Tracys apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian co-workers at 30 Rock. Mirroring that real-life statement on Thursdays episode, Feys character, Liz Lemon, chides Jordan by saying, Do you know how many of your hardworking and dedicated co-workers are gay? Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.