“I now realize the joke was in poor taste and have removed it, and apologize for the remark,” he wrote. We appreciate the apology David posted, but we have decided to end ‘Fresh Air’s association with him, and have informed David accordingly.”Įdelstein wrote that he “was not aware of” Schneider’s experience on the film. NPR said in a statement that the joke was “offensive and unacceptable, especially given actress Maria Schneider’s experience during the filming of ‘Last Tango in Paris.’ The post does not meet the standards that we expect from ‘Fresh Air’ contributors, or from journalists associated with WHYY or NPR. NPR has fired film critic David Edelstein because of a joke he made after Bernardo Bertolucci’s death that alluded to a much-discussed rape scene in the director’s film “Last Tango in Paris.”Įdelstein, a critic for NPR’s “Fresh Air,” wrote on Facebook, “Even grief is better with butter,” along with an image of a scene in the film in which Marlon Brando’s character rapes Maria Schneider’s character using butter as a lubricant.Įdelstein, who is also a critic for New York Magazine, apologized after the post Tuesday, saying he did not know of Schneider’s widely reported comments in 2007 that the scene left her feeling “a little bit raped.”Īlso Read: 'Last Tango in Paris' Director Calls Rape Outcry 'Ridiculous Misunderstanding'