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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think Radio 5 host Danny Baker cannot stay at the BBC?

999 replies

KingHenrysCodpiece · 09/05/2019 08:41

Sorry if theres a post on this already.
Link www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7009283/BBC-Radio-5-Live-host-Danny-Baker-tweets-racist-Royal-Baby-monkey-image.html

He ought to go immediately.

OP posts:
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HeronLanyon · 09/05/2019 19:41

The arrogance of those who don’t listen to him dismissing a funny joke he’s had running for years. Not saying it wasn’t stupid.

NoSauce · 09/05/2019 19:44

The arrogance of those who don’t listen to him dismissing a funny joke he’s had running for years

It wasn’t a funny joke. In any way, shape or form. Are you ok with racism then?

HeronLanyon · 09/05/2019 19:45

I am absolutely not racist. The joke was his long running joke on his show. If you don’t listen and clearly haven’t read the thread then not sure what to say.

HeronLanyon · 09/05/2019 19:47

nosauce I was replying to someone I should have emboldened the name.

ThatCurlyGirl · 09/05/2019 19:47

I've got annoyed with some of the generalisations on this thread about Millwall fans because I have to deal with these stereotypes all of the time and I do feel that those stereotypes need challenging

But @Zampa imagine that these stereotypes were about your race?! Imagine if people thought all Millwall fans were racist and you had to walk around every single day in a Millwall shirt you could never take off.

That is the reality for minorities - you feel offended by people making assumptions Millwall fans, surely you can therefore understand the point of view of those of us outraged by people telling us we are reading too much into a look or a comment - like Danny Baker's today.

I'm honestly not trying to be argumentative, it just makes me so sad that defending supporters of a football team is being prioritised over defending minorities against racist comments, whether ignorant or purely nasty.

NotMyPuppy · 09/05/2019 19:47

Everyone in the country know who has just had a royal baby.

His best attempt at a defence would be it is so despicably abhorrent that if he had realised the connotation he wouldn’t have been stupid enough to tweet it. However I just don’t see how anyone wouldn’t make the link.

TheFaerieQueene · 09/05/2019 19:53

It was a vile tweet.

Anyone saying he is an intelligent and gifted broadcaster needs to think a bit. If he is that intelligent he knew exactly what he was doing and is therefore a racist. If he didn’t know what he was doing, he is an idiot and shouldn’t be a broadcaster.

Either way he has to go - which is what has happened.

Now for Farage et al.

StealthPolarBear · 09/05/2019 19:53

So intent is more important than outcome?

PinkieTuscadero · 09/05/2019 19:54

I don't think it occurred to him that the photo would be construed as being racist when he posted it. He's not a stupid man, if he did harbour racist feelings surely he wouldn't broadcast them on social media. Where he went wrong was his arrogant non-apology. He should have held his hands up immediately and said 'absolutely the wrong picture to post. I apologise unreservedly'. But instead he got overly defensive and started talking about other people's 'diseased minds'.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 09/05/2019 19:55

the context is he does a slot called ‘chimps dressed as famous people’

I wouldn't know - I've always considered him a seedy oaf so don't listen to his broadcasts. But his reported rating of half a million listeners leaves 65.5 million people likely to be equally unaware of his taste for comparing folk with chimps, which rather destroys the "context's" significance

Since he's apparently so keen on the analogy, though, does anyone happen to know if he published a similar image when Prince William was born ... ?

ObvsItsNotMe · 09/05/2019 19:55

It was a desperately foolish thing to tweet I fully agree. However, I did read today that he tweeted the same picture when Prince Louis was born - it being a "joke" about how royals dressed their children. That would mean that it does not have the racist intent it was assumed to have - even though it's clear that is the overtone everyone took from it. If that's factually correct I think it's important to note as it has bearing on his motives or lack thereof.

DizzyPhillips · 09/05/2019 19:58

Vile. I think I’m more astounded at the sheer neck of him than the racist tweet.

NoSauce · 09/05/2019 20:00

Surely if he’d tweeted that photo when Prince Louis was born he would have jumped on that immediately as a form of defence. Where did you read this?

SleepingStandingUp · 09/05/2019 20:02

he does a slot called ‘chimps dressed as famous people sorry but unless he's claiming utter stupidity, there's no way he didn't know this would be controversial. And he's not even very sorry. OK, DH had no idea of Mm's ethnic origin, he needed the racism explaining to him but I find it hard to believe some one working in the media hadn't at least seen shots of Doria at the wedding

PortiaCastis · 09/05/2019 20:03

Prince Louis does not have a mixed race Mother though and anyway if baker has tweeted that about him there should have also been outrage as a newborn baby is not a target

StealthPolarBear · 09/05/2019 20:04

Oh he's hell have done it for all the royal babies.
He really thinks we're stupid and will swallow any old crap.

noodlenosefraggle · 09/05/2019 20:04

People have been asku g him all day where his tweet was when the other Royal children were born. Nobody has found one. How come it has only now come to light? Surely that would have been the very first thing he said before his career went down the shitter?

JacquesHammer · 09/05/2019 20:05

If DB had supported another team, I doubt it would have been mentioned by anyone

But the fact he supports Millwall is absolutely relevant given his comments surrounding racism both at The Den after the FA Cup match earlier this year and in a wider context surrounding racism in football in general.

Zampa · 09/05/2019 20:05

@Thatcurlygirl I did condemn Danny Baker's actions in this thread earlier today. Please don't think I popped up just to defend Millwall. His actions yesterday were inexcusable and his sacking deserved. Ignorance is no excuse (but I believe he knew what what he was doing).

I didn't think he could sink lower but his comments today have shown that it is indeed possible.

noodlenosefraggle · 09/05/2019 20:08

The context is he does a slot called ‘chimps dressed as famous people’

I'm not familiar with that slot (thankfully, it sounds cringingly unfunny) but a chim dressed as Lady Gaga for example, in a meat dress is clearly Lady Gaga. A picture of a random chimp in a suit with a caption saying 'Royal baby goes home' is not chimp dressed as famous person but 'baby is a chimp'

ThatCurlyGirl · 09/05/2019 20:09

Thank you for replying @Zampa glad to hear it x

BlackForestCake · 09/05/2019 20:10

Do I want to live in a society where racists are held to account? Yes please.

Well for your sake I hope you never have an opinion, or make a mistake, that your employer objects to.

Zampa · 09/05/2019 20:11

It's about as relevant as Nigel Farage supporting Crystal Palace.

Alsohuman · 09/05/2019 20:11

And your point is? Are you defending racism @Blackforestcake?

NoSauce · 09/05/2019 20:15

Well for your sake I hope you never have an opinion, or make a mistake, that your employer objects to

If someone is racist in the work place it’s a sackable offence. Big clue here - don’t be racist. It wasn’t a mistake either.

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