Fox News – A Boston radio host apologized and was suspended for making a reference to an [alleged] ethnic slur during an on-air segment as he and the other broadcasters were talking about “nips” – or small bottles of alcohol.
Chris Curtis, a WEEI host since 2013, and his co-hosts, Greg Hill and Courtney Cox, were discussing Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo’s plan to formally present a proposal to outlaw nips. Cox then said the trio should discuss their “top five nips,” in which she mentioned several alcoholic brands.
Curtis replied, “I’d probably go [ESPN NFL analyst] Mina Kimes.”
The term is also a racial slur against the Japanese (shortened from Nippon) that gained prominence during World War II. [We thought he was making an anatomical reference, as his awkwardly worded apology appears to suggest. – HEADLINE HEALTH]
WEEI Radio initially said in a statement to the Boston Globe that Curtis really meant Mila Kunis, who is Ukrainian-Jewish. The uproar led to further punishment Thursday.
Curtis explained:
“In a pathetic failed attempt at a one-liner, I attempted to bring up Mila Kunis, which was not really that funny… sophomoric and sexist.”
“But for reasons I don’t understand, I said Mina Kimes. That was never the intention for me to say her name … it was dumb and it was silly.”
Curtis said he was also suspended from the show for a week.
