# CNBC anchor Joe Kernen criticized for making racist comment on air against INDIA CNBC co-anchor Joe Kernen is facing criticism from Media Matters for America over comments made Sept. 20 on the show “Squawk Box” in which he imitated an Indian accent and asked if rupees are good at 7-11 stores. Kernen made the remark in an exchange with co-anchors Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin, the New York Times columnist, in a discussion about the Reserve Bank of India’s unexpected decision to raise interest rates. From to the transcript: KERNEN: Becky’s got a rupee. SORKIN: A rupee! QUICK: Here’s a 50 and a 10. SORKIN: How much are those worth, do we know? QUICK: I don’t remember. SORKIN: Look at Gandhi. KERNEN: Well, one’s worth 10 and one’s worth 50; what do you mean? SORKIN: Gandhi’s on the rupee. Look at that. KERNEN: Gandhi. Gandhi. Now. No, I can’t make any jokes about that, I mean do they take — QUICK: [unclear] KERNEN: No I can’t do it. I was going to say something. QUICK: Please don’t. KERNEN: I really can’t? QUICK: No, you can’t. KERNEN: Are they good at 7-11? QUICK: Stop. KERNEN: Alright, alright, I won’t. Let’s look at the — people say that all the time. Right? Oh, you’re nervous. SORKIN: They do. They do say that all the time. KERNEN: They do. They say it all the time. QUICK: It’s insulting. SORKIN: I’ve heard that. KERNEN: It is. Alright, I’m sorry, I take it back. I apologize, before I have to.
Posted on: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 13:53:37 +0000
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