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Original poster

WWYD! Monkey in the office

139 replies

kp78 · 10/09/2018 20:53

So, business is not in a good place. The department in particular is literally at breaking point with change and poor service and a Management team who have a poor reputation. Today I walk in to a life size life like chimpanzee sat on a pedestal wearing a company hat. I discussed with Director who was not in office and he arranged for it to be taken down by one of his Managers. Turned out one of the Sr Managers thought it would 'lighten the mood'. I am offended, my colleague was more offended due to years of racist comments made to her and we have requested a formal investigation . Are we overreacting?

OP posts:
Gersemi · 10/09/2018 21:21

The company is struggling yet is going to put resources into a formal investigation of a stuffed chimp? Really?

Labradoodliedoodoo · 10/09/2018 21:22

What racist comments?

The chimp wasn’t racist sat on a random stool. If it was sat on a person of colous chair then it could be

Spacezombies · 10/09/2018 21:22

*not everything is racist

YouAlwaysTry · 10/09/2018 21:25

Maybe swap it for a polar bear?

Inertia · 10/09/2018 21:25

I think that if the colleague who suffered from racist abuse was subjected to comments along those lines then it shows astonishingly poor judgement on the part of the management.

The racism is the bigger issue here- has that actually been dealt with?

CrochetBelle · 10/09/2018 21:25

Is this the sequel to Snakes On A Plane?

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 10/09/2018 21:26

I think you need to provide more info OP, otherwise this is showing all the signs of descending into a meaningless pile-on, which could be really inappropriate, given this: my colleague was more offended due to years of racist comments made to her.

PristineCondition · 10/09/2018 21:27

This shit is bananas B.A.N.A.N.A.S

ShatnersBassoon · 10/09/2018 21:30

Are they racist?

Hmm It's all about context isn't it? It's not a huge stretch of the imagination to reckon that the appearance of a toy monkey could have a sinister intention in an environment that permits racism.
Nicpem1982 · 10/09/2018 21:30

We have a giant cow in our office

I'm pretty sure I am the giant cow in my office Grin

witwootoodleoo · 10/09/2018 21:37

Anyone else disappointed that this isn’t a WWYD about a colleagues’s new service/assistance monkey being disruptive in the office?

RebeccaBunchLawyer · 10/09/2018 21:38

Why are monkeys always seen in a racist context? Wtf?

Charolais · 10/09/2018 21:40

I am absolutely cringing and revolted that there are people who see a monkey/ape and immediately think of black people. That is racism.

I'm in the U.S. and I was in a discussion just yesterday about the bait cars and trucks cops here use to catch thieves with a far left liberal who told me that after hundreds of years of slavery and segregation etc you cannot expect black people not to fall for the bait vehicle and steal the contents. That is racism.

This racial resurgence brought about by the left started happening here in 2012 when the left needed to get voters stirred up enough to get out and vote.

Together we stand, divided we fall.

ThePinkOcelot · 10/09/2018 21:42

Ahhhh you’re not one of the professionally offended brigade are you?!
Sorry but where does the racism come in?!

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 10/09/2018 21:42

I am absolutely cringing and revolted that there are people who see a monkey/ape and immediately think of black people

The OP's opening post refers to her colleague suffering years of racist comments. It's not an invention of the thread, to be fair.

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 10/09/2018 21:43

Ahhhh you’re not one of the professionally offended brigade are you?!

Oh please no. Not this.

cdtaylornats · 10/09/2018 21:43

kp87 the only racist sounds like you - conflating chimp and coloured person.

funnelfanjo · 10/09/2018 21:44

Why are monkeys always seen in a racist context?

Because making monkey noises and actions and throwing bananas at black people was a common action of racist yobs until relatively recently. Especially targeted at black footballers in the 70s and 80s.

Namechangeforthiscancershit · 10/09/2018 21:45

Definitely not professionally offended. But to refer directly to a well known racial slur when there have been accusations of racism in the office going back some time is pretty thick.

But also, Anyone else disappointed that this isn’t a WWYD about a colleagues’s new service/assistance monkey being disruptive in the office? yes! Grin

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 10/09/2018 21:45

kp87 the only racist sounds like you - conflating chimp and coloured person

This is an awful comment.

Namechangeforthiscancershit · 10/09/2018 21:46

kp87 the only racist sounds like you - conflating chimp and coloured person

No no really not.

ShatnersBassoon · 10/09/2018 21:47

kp87 the only racist sounds like you - conflating chimp and coloured person.

Irony, or what?

Namechangeforthiscancershit · 10/09/2018 21:48

Irony, or what?

It’s too much

Gwenhwyfar · 10/09/2018 21:48

"There were people on another thread who didn’t know the word ‘spade’ as racist."

I didn't know that either. I looked it up and according to Wikipedia it's American English and a term for African-Americans so doesn't seem relevant here. Was it used a lot in Britain in the past.

I do understand how chimp can be racist, but probably not in this situation.

londonrach · 10/09/2018 21:49

I only see it as a piss take at management ...you seeing too much it. Honestly sound strange company. Leave asap