10 Banned Episodes Of Beloved TV Sitcoms
5. My Jiggly Ball - Scrubs
In 2020, Netflix and Hulu made the choice to re-examine the content on their platforms. Specifically, they were stripping back any shows that used blackface - a low-bar gag that has negative connotations due to its connections to performative caricatures and harmful stereotypes.
30 Rock, The Office, and Community were affected, while NBC’s Scrubs had three episodes removed from streaming services. These were Season 3’s My Fifteen Seconds and Season 5’s My Chopped Liver and My Jiggly Ball, which just so happens to be a fan favourite.
The episode has the show’s typical moral quandary about the American healthcare system, and also centres on a gag about a fake sport that the Janitor uses to lure J.D. out into the parking lot to get pelted by balls.
The blackface moment, like the others in the show, is typically inconsequential, and comes as part of a cutaway fantasy where J.D. imagines his perfect roommate - a mix between love interest Elliot and best friend Turk. It’s stupid, and the show’s willingness to put Sarah Chalke in blackface feels hollow and dated.
Showrunner Bill Lawrence has said that he felt embarrassed by the episodes but said that they would “probably” return to streaming services after some editing. Over two years later however, they still remain absent.