Jimmy Fallon Apologizes for Show's Controversial Musical Message to Michele Bachmann

(NBC)

Jimmy Fallon, the host of NBC's "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," issued an apology Tuesday night to Republican Presidential contender Michele Bachmann after a snippet of a controversial song was performed by the show's band as she took the stage.

"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," a Twitter message from Fallon's account said.

As Bachmann strode on to the NBC stage for Fallon's late-night show, the program's band, led by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, played a snippet of a 1985 Fishbone song called "Lyin' Ass Bitch."

The song begins with a distinctive "la la la la la la la la la" refrain -- the only words that were audible before Bachmann, smiling and waving to the audience, sat down for her interview.

The song itself, about a relationship gone wrong, isn't political, but it repeats the refrain "Lyin' Ass Bitch" about a dozen times.

Bachmann's campaign had no immediate comment, but the snub had some women criticizing the "Late Night" song choice.

Congresswoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., said in a statement that she shares little in common with Bachmann politically, but called the song "insulting" and "inappropriate."

"I do not share Michele Bachmann's politics, but she deserves to be treated with respect," the statement read. "No female politician - and no woman - should be subjected to sexist and offensive innuendo like she was last night."

Feministing editor Chloe Angyal agreed, adding that the language is unacceptable.

“It's never acceptable to call a woman a bitch. Period,” Angyal told Fox411. “Challenge Bachmann on the issues all you want, fact check her, call her out on her dishonesty. Do not call her, or anyone else, a bitch."

This isn’t the first time that Bachmann has been attacked along gender lines. Back in January, things grew heated between Bachmann and the Democratic Senator Arlen Spector on a local Philadelphia radio station.

"I'm going to treat you like a lady," Mr. Specter parried. "Now act like one."



Bachmann replied, "I am a lady."


While appearing on Fallon’s program, where she was promoting her book “Core of Conviction,” Bachmann was less veiled than the bandleader with her own jabs.

When asked the one word that immediately came to mind when she heard fellow Republican contender Rick Perry’s name, Bachmann joked: “That’s not one word, I gotta do three: Governor. Texas. I can’t remember, oops.”

Before the show, bandleader Thompson tweeted hints as to his band's plans for Bachmann's entrance music.

"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," he wrote on his Twitter account.

Apparently worried his original tweet might be too obtuse, Thompson tweeted again:

"take a guess. buy the record anyway. its classic and should be in your vocabulary," he wrote with a link to a Fishbone album containing the song.

Fallon joked on Twitter after the show that Thompson was grounded.

The show itself didn't have any comment.

The Roots frequently make obscure song choices as Fallon's guests are introduced, but they don't usually call guests derogatory names.

For example, when Fox Business Network's Lou Dobbs came out, they played part of Genesis' "Illegal Alien," a reference to Dobbs' frequent commentaries on the topic. Kathie Lee Gifford was saluted with UB40's "Red Red Wine," a reference to the drink she often shares on-air with "Today" co-host Hoda Kotb.

- The Associated Press contributed to this report.