WWYD! Monkey in the office

[kp78]

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?

Barbarian ah, and thanks

"Black woman with experience of racism feels something's racist. And a whole load of white people pile in to say no, no youre wrong/how silly/how could a monkey possibly be racist/ youre imagining it/ you're the racist for even thinking it."

Most people aren't saying that. They're saying that there's no indication in THIS EXAMPLE that the monkey (or ape, whatever) is racist. Is the person who brought in the toy chimp one of the ones being racist towards or not? If not, it could be totally harmless.

Dottie - Wikipedia had 'spade' as an American thing, but maybe it was written by an American and is therefore misleading.

I think most people here are very aware of how a monkey can be used in a racist way. How this was a racist act and not just someone bringing in a toy that happened to be a monkey, is unclear.

Sigh. It may come as a shock to"most" posters but in the uk racism is rarely overt.

People generally rarely do it then announce "just in case there was some confusion I was being racist".

Racist acts are often done by people covertly so that they can later say its just a joke why are you being so sensitive. Poor me these black peiple always making a montain out of nothing. The football fans who made monkey chats at John Barns when he walked on the pitch in the 80s all later claimed it was all in good fun too.

The faux naivety on threads like these are really begining to get on my nerves.

What.
The.
Hell.
Is.
Going.
On.
Here.
I
Thought
There
Was
A
Real
Primate

Gwenhwyfar it was an American term became prominent here late 50s post-Windrush, and popularised by writers like Colin MacInnes. As you can see from 'Telegraph' article, and there are many more articles, it is still taken very seriously as a racially abusive term when used in relation to black people - despite the blustering protestations of the professional spade-deniers on this thread, who just prove the point that some people don't want to take things on board.

There does seem for some of the posters a complete disconnect between context and meaning. I imagine therefore most of them will have been fired at some point, as if don't get context-dependent inflection of meaning of words then will be using terms like 'fuck' in management meetings, to customers/clients, another example of a word acceptable in some contexts not in others!!

Rosetintedglasses454 yes in some ways miss the more overt days as could tell immediately who the racists were and tell them where to get off. Although the 'polite' racists not as closeted as they think they are.

Wow- massive exaggeration! It’s a bit of fun and not racist in any way.

People thinking a monkey is racist and making that connection are the bloody racist ones

People thinking a monkey is racist and making that connection are the bloody racist ones

Have you any idea how wrong this statement is? It's absolutely tone-deaf and potentially very offensive.

I cannot believe that people still dust off crap like this off and offer it up for public consumption.

Because why is having a monkey in an office any way racist? Can you elaborate?

Because why is having a monkey in an office any way racist? Can you elaborate?

Just read the fucking thread. Specifically Shatners' 22.26 post last night. Christ people like you make me vomit.

Where do you get a giant monkey from at such short notice? I am genuinely curious

Ansumpasty have you literally dropped to the end of the thread and spouted the first thing that came into your head?

At least read the thread first. The answers you need are there. I hope that you manage to learn something valuable.

I remember ppl like Jim Davidson, chubby brown etc saying spade, they used to say it on Rising Damp and old sitcoms like that tooI can't quite grasp how oblivious some people can be

Yes its truly amazing how oblivious people can be to dead comedians from the 1970's who haven't been on tv since before those people were born!
It's quite amazing. Wait, no, I mean not even slightly amazing that people would be oblivious to such things

God dammit. Thought this was going to be about an actual real life monkey running around your office.

Because why is having a monkey in an office any way racist? Can you elaborate

Do you seriously expect people to believe you have no idea?

You're either fucking stupid or deliberately goady.

I think what people are saying that monkeys CAN be racist but not all monkeys ARE racist.

As OP has disappeared we have no knowledge if the racist comments were made at work or have anything to do with the monkey.

It wasn’t a monkey...

OP used monkey it the title.

I think what people are saying that chimpanzees CAN be racist but not all chimpanzees ARE racist.

As OP has disappeared we have no knowledge if the racist comments were made at work or have anything to do with the chimpanzee.

Happy now?

I genuinely had no idea about the chimpanzee connection to racism. I apologise for any offence I may have caused. I despise discrimination in any form. Before you judge me as "oblivious white people" though, may I just point out that you may not be aware of all of the derogatory terms that are used about those of us with other "protected" characteristics.

Both Jim Davidson and Roy Chubby Brown are hale and hearty and depressingly still performing. So not dead as an earlier poster suggested.

all of the derogatory terms that are used about those of us with other "protected" characteristics

I would like to hope I am but you are probably right as there is a pretty endless supply of horrendous things people manage to come up with. I hope you are able to point these things out when they come up on MN at least.

dead comedians from the 1970's

Jim D may be surprised to hear that he’s dead.

After years of racist comments, an ape/monkey would be the final straw.

Whether it was meant as racist, is another issue, but any monkey or ape reference isn't happy.

Infinite number of monkeys....

Organ grinders and monkeys...

Monkey hangers....

It's either racist, makes out the employees are stupid or without a clue, so stupid they'd mistake a monkey for a Frenchman or they are so low down the food chain they are not worth talking to.

I'd be upset.

JD was on Piers Morgan's life stories earlier this year, Winter must be quite the child prodigy, posting on mn at less than one year of age. still, standard for round here I suppose.