Pointing out the rationalization does not assign motivation. They rationalized it would be considered okay, apparently correctly, by their listeners because it was "just a parody" and therefore that was why they could do it, and get away with it. It doesn't speak to their motivation, the motivation doesn't matter. IMO, they clearly knew that it would be considered as it is by those who do not or would not listen usually, but it didn't matter to them because their regular listeners (the target audience) would find it okay "because."
It is my opinion that each and every person who heard it laughed a bit and then had a reaction like "oh boy, this isn't going to look good at all"... and instead of saying something to the people who crossed that line about maybe being a bit more considered before publishing they decided to start digging trenches to build the defensive line that would be necessary in the future. It is my argument that they should instead have said something rather than deciding to go ahead and start defending. That it is time to start being the color blind party that so many say we are when talking about something like Affirmative Action.
Just like my child in my analogy thought it would be "okay" if they were just making fun of the other kid to do what they knew was wrong when the other did it. Whatever their motivation "to make the other kid feel bad" maybe, or "to make other people know what they did and why it was bad"... It is the action she'll be in trouble for regardless of the motive. Saying that when I got her home, if she used the excuse that it was okay because she was mocking the other child, it wouldn't fly and it doesn't here... it doesn't assign motive, nor would I care what the motive was.