Danny Baker sacked

[edscdk]

She's mixed race, her mother is black.
...

ah I was thinking of the german woman / other prince... I don't watch the news much... ok I can see why people might get upset...

I assume a lot of non white people have complained about this so we know its offended a lot of people.... I don't think we need to be offended of behalf of other people

 

[d_brennen]

Its ridiculous he's been sacked (again) for posting something that only the continously offended somehow manage to twist into being racist. I'm aware there's many indicents of monkey chants or bananas thrown in football and rightly so those are treated seriously and hopfully the offenders punished but has it really got to the stage were any picture of a monkey/ape not in it natural habitat will offend some people?

I find people who seek out offense were none was meant, offensive. Can I rely on them being sacked too?

Would you, if you were even a C-list celebrity, post that Tweet? Serious question

 

[labcoattech]

Its ridiculous he's been sacked (again) for posting something that only the continously offended somehow manage to twist into being racist. I'm aware there's many indicents of monkey chants or bananas thrown in football and rightly so those are treated seriously and hopfully the offenders punished but has it really got to the stage were any picture of a monkey/ape not in it natural habitat will offend some people?

I find people who seek out offense were none was meant, offensive. Can I rely on them being sacked too?

It was racist no doubt about that

 

[Junglist]

Its ridiculous he's been sacked (again) for posting something that only the continously offended somehow manage to twist into being racist. I'm aware there's many indicents of monkey chants or bananas thrown in football and rightly so those are treated seriously and hopfully the offenders punished but has it really got to the stage were any picture of a monkey/ape not in it natural habitat has always got to be construed as suggesting the monkey respresents a black person?

I find people who seek out offense were none was meant, offensive. Can I rely on them being sacked too?

Try and see it from someone elses view

 

[Roar87]

It was racist no doubt about that

Why would someone who is so racist they would joke about a newborn baby of mixed race being a chimpanzee do that publicly on twitter, while they also work for the BBC as a public figure?

 

[C.R.A.Z.Y]

Drunk? Stoned?
Or maybe he just thought it was no big deal and that he would probably get away with it, what with the rise of far right politics and casual racism atm

 

[Raymond Lin]

He is a football fan.

Football has been trying to kick out racism for years, so he knows any comments about monkey or apes or anything to do with skin colour is a MASSIVE No-No.

So I don't buy his excuse at all. He can't pretend he doesn't understand or don't think people won't find that offensive in least, racist as the norm. Therefore he knows all about it, and STILL made "the joke".

I don't think he is racist like the KKK but to pretend he doesn't understand why people would be offended doesn't hold any water, at all.

 

[Roar87]

Drunk? Stoned?
Or maybe he just thought it was no big deal and that he would probably get away with it, what with the rise of far right politics and casual racism atm

Every far-right person is basically ostracised from social media and main stream media, if you make a remotely racist or offensive remark about any "minority" group then you'll probably get sacked from the vast majority of companies. I'm not sure what planet you're living on but no one in their right mind would think they can get away with racist jokes because of hurr durr far right politics

 

[Semple]

+1, but was he posting on behalf of the BBC?

Very unlikely to be posting something like that on behalf of the BBC, but from his work on the radio will mean he has a supporter base that he can "air" his opinions.

Always notice this in email signatures "Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender" but really if your posting from a work email address then surely it reflects on your employer.

Absolutely, and that's certainly not a get out clause. People in the public light have been sacked for things they've said on the personal accounts. I recall there was a soap star recently who got the boot for something she said on twitter 7 years ago had been found/dug up.

It does seem harsh that people are digging into these peoples lives from a very long time ago to show that they're not a good person etc, but in some ways i think it's good that we are holding these public figures to a much higher regard. If you want the public limelight + fame + money, then you need to be sure that you're squeaky clean, or only airing your opinions within your trusted circle of friends. Anything further afield has the possibility to damage your career, even further down the line.

 

[C.R.A.Z.Y]

Many racists never think they are racist. If they thought it was racism, that would mean they cared and would be aware. They simply don't get it.

 

[cheesyboy]

Don't feel strongly on this one, in terms of whether he should have been sacked or not.

I don't think he was trying to be racist, but I do think he should have been aware enough to realise the potential offence it might cause.

When being 'woke' is discussed, it's really about having enough empathy to realise the world treats some others differently, and being conscious enough to bend around that. Being compared to a monkey is pretty benign for anyone white, but if it's been slung at you, or people who look like you, in a negative way for your whole life, then its meaning is different.

 

[ttaskmaster]

NVM

 

[Junglist]

Don't feel strongly on this one, in terms of whether he should have been sacked or not.

I don't think he was trying to be racist, but I do think he should have been aware enough to realise the potential offence it might cause.

When being 'woke' is discussed, it's really about having enough empathy to realise the world treats some others differently, and being conscious enough to bend around that. Being compared to a monkey is pretty benign for anyone white, but if it's been slung at you, or people who look like you, in a negative way for your whole life, then its meaning is different.

Bingo. People are only looking it from their own viewpoint. Which is fair enough as it's all they know. But using a bit of critical thinking it's not hard to understand why some are offended.

 

[wesimmo]

I don't agree when tweets or stuff from 8-9 years ago when famous people were teenagers should necessarily be used against them though.

Not that I was ever (knowingly) racist, but I am completely different to my teenage self. People grow and change.

This is a tough one, I certainly grew up (born 1976) in a time when using gay as an insult was widespread, the n word was used during "Ib dib" or whatever you called it when you used to decide who went first at tag, jokes about the Pakistani population in Leicester, etc.

When I was 7 I had no idea that it was offensive, no one had taught me otherwise, by the time I was 18 though should I still have that excuse, when do you say the cut off is for youthful ignorance? Is it different depending on the "blatancy" of the crime?

 

[Tom B]

Firstly: I barely know who Baker is. I think my entire exposure to him is seeing him on QI once so I have no real opinion of him either way. I had to read the story after seeing the picture to work out what he did wrong.

I guess I'm guilty of the same non-bias as Baker. From my perspective it looks like a bunch of people who immediately associate monkeys with minorities have got someone fired for not making the same racist connection that they did. Whole thing looks like projection to me.

 

[413x]

Have a read of this post and it may shed some light on your 'tenuous link' - https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/posts/32706039

Oh yeah I can see why it's racist just that I can understand why people (like myself )wouldn't make the link

 

[cheesyboy]

This is a tough one, I certainly grew up (born 1976) in a time when using gay as an insult was widespread, the n word was used during "Ib dib" or whatever you called it when you used to decide who went first at tag, jokes about the Pakistani population in Leicester, etc.

When I was 7 I had no idea that it was offensive, no one had taught me otherwise, by the time I was 18 though should I still have that excuse, when do you say the cut off is for youthful ignorance? Is it different depending on the "blatancy" of the crime?

I was a total **** at 18, I'm so glad there's no social media record of it. My political view is so far removed from that now. It did me a whole lot of good to get out of my small monocultural town.

 

[C.R.A.Z.Y]

Lets also not forget that he made anti-irish comments on the Boston bombing in the USA! Seems he has some history of stupid offensive comments, good riddance

 

[Dj_Jestar]

Are the football fans who start making monkey and gorilla noises, and throw bananas at black footballers, just trying to draw parallels with a circus?

(worthy note: Danny Baker very publicly is a devout football fan of Millwall of all clubs... a club rather notorious for having fans that do exactly this kind of behaviour)

kk, didn't think so.

And absolutely pathetic excuse in Danny's latest tweet.. "guessing it's my turn in the barrel"

Perhaps not pulling your pants down and jumping directly into the barrel will prevent that, Danny.