The Roots' Michele Bachmann Intro: Jimmy Fallon Apologizes For 'Mess'

Seeking to quell growing criticism and public attention, "Late Night" host Jimmy Fallon has apologized for his house band's understated musical attack on Rep. Michele Bachmann on Monday night.

"I'm honored that @michelebachmann was on our show yesterday and I'm so sorry about the intro mess. I really hope she comes back," Fallon wrote on Twitter Tuesday night.

When Bachmann, who appeared as a guest on Fallon's show, walked across the stage to take her seat next to the host's desk, The Roots played the opening of a song by Fishbone called "Lyin' Ass Bitch."

While the audience only heard a "la la" refrain, the message was sent. Before the show, the band's drummer, Questlove tweeted, "aight late night walkon song devotees: you love it when we snark: this next one takes the cake. ask around cause i aint tweeting title."

Earlier on Tuesday, Fallon tweeted, "@questlove is grounded."

Comments

[Luke Armstrong]

12:02 PM on 11/29/2011

Fallon is a wuss.

[sickofpoliticssquared]

01:26 AM on 11/26/2011

Do any of you even recognize the difference between inviting someone on your show and then disrespecting them and American citizens booing our current first Lady? Do you not get the difference between the citizens themselves expressing unhappiness with our current President versus an invited guest by someone who has air time to express their opinion? Organic verus scripted? Community versus paid entertainer? Frankly it sickens me that we are in this situation - I will not watch Jimmy Fallon EVER but neither do I think we should boo our First Lady, however much I may disagree with her politics. The civility in our country is gone...you can't blame Republicans because it is really the Democrats who seem to feel anything goes. Until you stop trying to defend bad behaviour it will continue.

[skateboy30]

05:58 PM on 11/25/2011

Roots are the little boy in 'The Emperor's New Clothes'. They called a spade a spade and the sheeple ridicule them for it.

[emersmk]

01:44 AM on 11/24/2011

boy, you've all been played ....again ! deliberately done to boost fallon and bachmans ratings. you
people are easy to manipulate, thats why you have the corrupt government you have fools !! they keep you battling right vs. left , kinda like a hs football game where you sit on that side or this side.
YOU ARE BEING CONTROLLED LITTLE ONES !

[drdetroit58]

09:19 AM on 11/24/2011

and so are you.

[The Radical Moderate]

12:56 AM on 11/24/2011

I'm glad Fallon apologized. I'm no Michelle Bachmann fan, but the music choice really *was* a cheap shot. Yes, I know that she's made a number of outrageous remarks - but c'mon, folks - she was a guest.

[drdetroit58]

09:25 AM on 11/24/2011

Truly this is so outrageously inappropriate, this band should be fired and soon, apology is not enough. I am apolitical so I don't really care who the guest is but this is no way to treat someone who has been invited on his show.

[SBinF]

05:19 PM on 11/24/2011

I can only assume you were this incensed when the first lady was booed by NASCAR fans, or when a sitting member of congress shouted "you lie!" at the president before a joint meeting of congress?

Was it a little tacky? Perhaps....but it is quite off that those on the Right are prone to spewing hate and vitriol, yet they can't take a bit of ribbing when it's at their own expense....

[Craig Rubia]

01:55 AM on 12/06/2011

The intro was appropriate. If she can spew lies and hate, Roots can spew an appropriate intro song.

[Justin Niya]

01:01 AM on 11/25/2011

Oh please.

[jadorniere]

10:41 PM on 11/23/2011

No offense to Rep. Bachmann, but I just remebered an incident that happened here in SC on August 17. I was at a hospital having a test done outpatient. I came into to lobby to see balloons and media and a crowd gathering. I asked someone what was going on and I was told Gov. Rick Perry of Texas was stopping by. This was not long after his announcement to run for President. I ask a very well-to-do looking lady for the time. She replied, 'Oh no, it's not quite time yet.' I didn't stick around.
The day prior, Bachmann had appeared at the Civic Center in the same city. She was beginning her speech, saying she was happy to be there, and exclaimed, 'Happy Birthday ELVIS!'

Ok. First this is the south. Second, August 16 is the anniversary of Elvis' death, not birthday. I shook my head in disbelief and said to myself, 'It's over Bachmann.'
Music 101?

[jadorniere]

10:07 PM on 11/23/2011

I watched it, and honestly didn't pay any attention to the walk on music. I just remember it sounded a bit strange (the fast, cluttered tempo). I wondered just for a second what it was. The Roots are notorious for chosing songs representative of the guest, sometimes substituting the star's name in for a name in the original, arranging songs especially for guests based on the guest's admiration of a song, or a theme from a movie or show they appeared in. Many are surprised to know the band would know about little known observations, or even care. Most love it, and love the Roots in general.
I do not know that Jimmy knew Quest (the drummer for the Roots, and I'm guessing the brains behind this..Obama supporter) and the band had concocted the idea to play the song. They did substitute with 'la la la la,' but in any event, it's knowledge now that it was a stab at Bachman. It was like putting chewed bubble gum in her seat on the bus before she sat down. Insulting and mischevious, while at the same time appearing unintentially acceptable. Tis the politics of life folks. I'm not against or in favor of Bachman, by choice, but I guess these days it shows we never know what we'll be 'walking on' to anymore.

[Who what why wOOF]

10:01 PM on 11/23/2011

Now I am going to demand an APOLOGY from Michelle Bachman for all the vitriolic garbage she has spread around our country!

[fmf45]

05:32 PM on 11/25/2011

And what would all that be?

[Skygazer]

10:42 AM on 11/26/2011

Well here's one. She can apologize to Obama for writing that he runs a "gangsta government" in her book.

http://www­.pbs.org/n­ewshour/bb­/politics/­july-dec11­/bachmann_­11-23.html

[Jeramie Shebester]

09:14 PM on 11/23/2011

Lame apology. The classless act happened on national television, not Twitter, so the apology should happen on national television as well. If someone working for me pulled a cowardly stunt like that they'd be in the unemployment line the next day. To all the people spouting off about how it was deserved, please. If Limbaugh had Obama on his show and played the Kenyan national anthem you'd be out for blood, but Limbaugh wouldn't do such a pathetic thing, he has something called class. Michele was an invited guest, you don't treat guests like that no matter how much you disagree with them, especially if it isn't your venue. That garbage is going to hurt Mr. Fallon, people will think twice before going on his show now, less guests equals less quality. Also, none of you could name a single lie that Michele Bachmann has told without having to reference this or some other left wing propaganda site to twist her words for you. You don't know if she is a liar, you just repeat it because that is what you are told to believe. Anyone that isn't a left wing extremist is automatically a labeled a liar and a racist, it doesn't matter if they actually are, it's just the easiest attack so it is the one the laziest go with. Like monkeys flinging poo at the zoo. The terms "racist" and "liar" are meaningless because it is just a reflex for you to scream it now.

[stealur]

02:06 AM on 11/24/2011

LOL Limbaugh has class...comic gold!

[virtualfunction]

08:15 AM on 11/24/2011

"Also, none of you could name a single lie that Michele Bachmann has told without having to reference this or some other left wing propaganda site to twist her words for you."

Clearly you are one of those sad, deluded Republicans who lives in an alternate universe in which there are no such things as facts, just good things said by friends and nasty things said by enemies.

[fmf45]

05:53 PM on 11/25/2011

Deluded Republicans? And what are you? A empty headed leftwing Nazi.

[DandaPanda]

06:26 PM on 11/23/2011

Apologizing on behalf of others is lame. Bachman derserves no apology or deferebce. She is a dangerous idiot.

[investigatorkch]

05:59 PM on 11/23/2011

show us how stupid you are by going back on the show...........

[Skygazer]

10:53 AM on 11/26/2011

She will and will milk this for all it's worth so she gets to play the victim and sell more books.

Meanwhile, will anyone hold her accountable and ask her for an apology for calling Obama a "gangsta."

http://www­­.pbs.org/­n­ewshour/­bb­/politi­cs/­july-d­ec11­/bach­mann_­11-2­3.html

[ScaningTheWaves]

05:55 PM on 11/23/2011

Still didn't hear the network apologize.

I want to hear a big corporate fat cat apologize

[DandaPanda]

06:27 PM on 11/23/2011

Why would a network exec apologize ......

[Skygazer]

09:08 PM on 11/23/2011

I'd like for Michelle Bachmann to apologize to Pres. Obama for calling him a "gangsta."

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec11/bachmann_11-23.html

[DandaPanda]

09:18 PM on 11/23/2011

Yeah! Me too. That was very very mean way meaner than that song she never heard or knew the name of....

[fmf45]

06:54 PM on 11/25/2011

He has chosen ALL the Gangstas in Chicago to surround himself with. Than God he took them out of our city.

[myzenthing]

05:14 PM on 11/23/2011

More phony outrage by the right. The Roots' choice of song was accurate.

[mas1956]

05:43 PM on 11/23/2011

Then your outrage about Obama getting booed the other day was phony as well?

[Rick Shannon]

06:06 PM on 11/23/2011

If you are referring to the NASCAR fiasco, that should have been anticipated. The LCN from the right always boo and commit Boehners - they have no class.

[myzenthing]

04:52 PM on 12/01/2011

Have no idea what you're talking about.

[nasayer2]

05:12 PM on 11/23/2011

Outta line.

[Skygazer]

09:12 PM on 11/23/2011

How about calling Obama a "gangsta" in her book. That outta line for you?

Bachmann, set the ground rules by the way she treats and speaks about others. She should understand that, and it's too late to play the poor little victim now.

[Skygazer]

09:13 PM on 11/23/2011

Bachmann: "Obama has a gangsta government..."

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec11/bachmann_11-23.html

[fmf45]

05:58 PM on 11/25/2011

Sorry to say if you look at the people he appointed to be close to him they ARE ALL Chicago Gangsta polititions. Thank God he took them away from us here in Chicago.

[mark a courtney]

05:09 PM on 11/23/2011

nbc, fallon, roots..no class...grow up...

[Tuurd]

11:32 PM on 11/24/2011

hi pot, meet kettle.