The Political Thread

[Jim_Campbell]

To still be talking about it as a race jibe, rather than a mistake that could be easily misconstrued isn't very helpful in my opinion.

Claims he didn't know about the black people/monkey racist trope. Also claims to be a lifelong football fan. These things cannot both be true.

[JamesC]

Did he actually claim he didn't know about the black people/monkey racist trope though?
It was my understanding that he said it just didn't occur to him - because he isn't racist he doesn't immediatley draw a connection when he sees a picture of a monkey and a black person together.
I can honestly say, I think I'm in the same boat. I would have had to think twice to have seen the racist connotation in the picture.
This is the quote I read:

"Sorry my gag pic of the little fella in the posh outfit has whipped some up. Never occurred to me because, well, mind not diseased. Soon as those good enough to point out its possible connotations got in touch, down it came. And that's it."

[Jim_Campbell]

"Sorry my gag pic of the little fella in the posh outfit has whipped some up. Never occurred to me because, well, mind not diseased. Soon as those good enough to point out its possible connotations got in touch, down it came. And that's it."

Claiming that offence is entirely in the eye of the beholder, that seeing a well known racist trope is evidence of a "diseased mind", is not a good look. Again: British football was rife with this exact racist trope throughout the seventies and much of the eighties. For a die hard football fan of Baker's age to claim the connection simply never occurred to him... well, it fucking well should have.

[JamesC]

Fair enough, I think we can all agree it should have.
I just don't feel comfortable saying for certain that Danny Baker was suggesting mixed race children are like monkeys. It seems such a serious accusation to make.

[sheridan]

Mixed race mum and kid, and he tweets a pic of a monkey. What is this, the 1970s? Then he offers a half-arsed jokey apology. Just no.

He says he didn't know the mother was mixed-race, which seems fair.  The tweet was about the circus of the birth of somebody whose parents are royalty.  The person who had been invited to comment on the radio four news thought it was entirely unbelievable that anybody would not know which of the over-privileged parents had had sex nine months ago.  If this fuss hadn't been made of it I'd have assumed it was William's.

[IndigoPrime]

He says he didn't know the mother was mixed-race

Bullshit, unless he's spent the last several years with his head in a ditch, ignoring every single tiny scrap of coverage about the royals – in which case, as a comedy-oriented host, it's rather a good idea to do the tiniest bit of research into what you're lampooning.

[sheridan]

He says he didn't know the mother was mixed-race

Bullshit, unless he's spent the last several years with his head in a ditch, ignoring every single tiny scrap of coverage about the royals – in which case, as a comedy-oriented host, it's rather a good idea to do the tiniest bit of research into what you're lampooning.

I refer you to the end of my comment where I stated I did not know which royal had had a baby, unless you're calling me a liar too?

[IndigoPrime]

Are you in the media? Moreover, he offered a half-arsed apology when it was obvious he'd made a massive blunder.

[Funt Solo]

If someone does make an honest mistake, why must they prostrate themselves in abject apology over it?

Edit: I mean, he's already lost his job over it.  Perhaps he feels that crawling around on the floor begging for forgiveness over what he considers an ill-judged mistake might make him, oh I don't know, lose all his self-respect?

[Jim_Campbell]

If someone does make an honest mistake, why must they prostrate themselves in abject apology over it?

I contest the "honest mistake" thing. For reasons already explained, the only way Baker could "not have known" about the racist connotations is if he is really, breath-takingly stupid. I've had very little exposure to him over the years, but I don't believe he's stupid. His non-apology with the 'diseased mind' crack strongly suggests he didn't think he'd done anything wrong.

It's possible that he's not a racist, but I don't believe he didn't know there were racist connotations to his tweet. I think he thought it was funny and did it anyway.

Important distinction: believing you're not a racist is not the same thing as not being a racist.

[Funt Solo]

I hear what you're saying and understand your position - but given the evidence on offer, I can't come to a definite conclusion about his motives. 

[sheridan]

I hear what you're saying and understand your position - but given the evidence on offer, I can't come to a definite conclusion about his motives. 

As you can probably tell from my responses so far, I'm erring on innocent until proven guilty as well.  If only he'd picked a picture involving a clown to evoke 'media circus' instead!

[Funt Solo]

The case of the nazi salute pug dog was also interesting - although that went to court and he was found guilty of committing a hate crime.

I think in that case it was clear (to the Sheriff, certainly) that what he (the dog owner) saw as humor was seen legally as hate speech.  The damning part seemed to be the cues he gave the dog:

Mark Meechan, 30, recorded his girlfriend's pug, Buddha, responding to statements such as "gas the Jews" and "Sieg Heil" by raising its paw.

There's nothing as clear and damning about the Danny Baker incident.  I've always found him a bit stupid (like a human Labrador), so I'm willing to buy into the idea that he just wasn't as media savvy as a lot of folk think he should have been.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

I had half typed out an opinion before I realised how little a fuck I give about Danny Baker, the Royal Family and the shite twitter wanks itself silly over.

[Tiplodocus]

He says he didn't know the mother was mixed-race

Bullshit, unless he's spent the last several years with his head in a ditch, ignoring every single tiny scrap of coverage about the royals – in which case, as a comedy-oriented host, it's rather a good idea to do the tiniest bit of research into what you're lampooning.

I only found out there was any mixed race element about six months ago. But I don't d o this sort of thing for a living.