Standup comics and live television can sometimes become an awkward combination when a comedian’s temptation to go for a laugh strays over the line.
That was the case with funnyman Howie Mandel during last night’s live broadcast of America’s Got Talent when he commented on one of the acts, a “professional regurgitator”; who can swallow random objects whole and them spew them back up. Howie admitted his remark would “probably come out wrong”; and then declared, “You, sir, make bulimia entertaining.”;
The backlash was immediate, and Howie found himself widely bashed on social media. As a Twitter fiend who regularly issues tweets during the live shows, it didn’t take Howie long to take notice and issue a quick response.
“I just wanna take a second just to apologize,”; he said later in the broadcast. “I made a comment earlier, it’s live television, I wasn’t thinking. I made light of bulimia, which is a very serious eating disorder and mental health issue. I deal with mental health all the time [Howie has been very open about his severe OCD and germphobia], and I did something stupid.
“I should never make light of it,”; he continued. “I apologize to anybody that was offended. I’m not perfect. I make mistakes.”;
Howie also took to Twitter to continue apologizing in cyberspace:
I am NOT perfect. I make mistakes. I sincerely apologize to everyone who was offended.
— Howie Mandel (@howiemandel) August 26, 2015
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