The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia
Washington DC
June 23, 2011
Bonnie Hammer
NBCUniversal
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
Dear Ms. Hammer:
As the executive responsible for E! Entertainment, I am writing
on behalf of my Government to express our disappointment and objection to
recent disparaging remarks made on the program Chelsea Lately against Serbia and its people.
While we understand the concept of late night comedy shows and appreciate
Chelsea Handler's particular gift to find amusement in everyday life, we
strongly object to her June 20 broadcast where she crossed the line from making
fun of an individual to making fun of a nation. We find it to be inappropriate,
distasteful, and just plain bad humor.
Specifically, the broadcast
included commentary from Handler on a recent concert in Belgrade. Handler began
by stating that she “can’t believe they even allow Serbians to go to concerts.”
Later, after reading a post from the Minister of Defense’s Facebook page that the
concert was a “shame and a huge disappointment,” Handler quipped “so is your
country.”
It is puzzling to us how
Handler could make these assertions, even in jest. Handler may be surprised to
learn that Serbia is democratic country. Its people enjoy immense freedoms and
Belgrade in particular is renowned throughout Europe as having one of the most
vibrant nightlife scenes on the continent.
Chelsea Lately
is broadcasted in Serbia via TotalTV, and Serbian viewers feel that her remarks
were unwarranted, offensive, and beneath the standards of NBCUniversal, E! Entertainment, and its
advertisers. In fact, many advertisers on your networks have successful
operations in Serbia including Microsoft, Philip Morris, Coca-Cola,
Panasonic, U.S. Steel, Merrill Lynch, and Bank of America.
We urge Handler and her producers to revisit her list of "topics that
cross the line" and add her slurs against Serbia and its people to it. We
also urge her to think of causes dear to her heart, such as equality. Her
superior tone and statements run afoul of her honorable efforts towards
achieving true equality – be it between individuals, communities, or nations.
I
would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about this incident as well
as any corrective measures NBCUniversal and E! Entertainment
are prepared to make.
Regards,
Vladimir Petrovic
Ambassador of the Republic of
Serbia to the United States