Ads for Fox TV show ‘Red Band Society’ pulled from LA buses amid complaints of racism

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is pulling ads for the Fox television show “Red Band Society” from nearly 200 buses amid complaints they are racist and offensive to women.

The ads show cast members in front of a wall with graffiti describing each of their characters.

A denigrating word for a woman is used to describe the character portrayed by Octavia Spencer, who is black.

The Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/1r4M3zi) reported Friday that transit officials began pulling the ads on Wednesday. They had been up for five weeks.

“I don’t know if I find it more offensive because I’m black, or more offensive because I’m a woman,” said Jasmyne Cannick, who was among those who complained during a meeting of the transit authority’s board on Thursday.

Spencer, who won a supporting actress Oscar for her role in “The Help,” plays a no-nonsense nurse in a hospital populated by teenagers in the television drama.

Her character is described as “Scary Bitch.” A white male actor is called “Coma Boy” and other actors’ characters are described as “Rebel,” ”The Player” and “The Hot Doc.”

Fox said it offered to remove the language after learning people had been offended and that it respected the agency’s decision to pull the ads instead and apologizes to those offended.

Mayor Eric Garcetti, who sits on the transit agency’s board, called on transit staff to review their advertising policy.

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Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com