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Original poster

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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5
JacquesHammer · 10/05/2019 07:58

And because I am not a fucking racist, I don't make immediate associations between monkeys and black people

And yet DB as has been pointed out on numerous occasions has spent a decent amount of this football season discussing this very topic.

So it’s not exactly believable that he didn’t realise the connotation is it?

Acis · 10/05/2019 08:04

He’s posted pictures of dressed up chimps before as a means of being irreverent about news stories of the day and possibly I’ve seen him do it before. The fact the baby is mixed race won’t have occurred to him

The thing is, if you start up a running joke based on posting pictures of dressed up chimps, you surely must be aware that you need to tread carefully - particularly if you are a Millwall fan: you cannot help but be aware of the potentially racist connotations. So if you're not prepared to apply your mind as to whether any of those depicted could have been of mixed race, you have chosen to accept the consequences.

In this case, Baker could have rescued the situation at least in part by abjectly apologising. I simply don't understand why he hasn't done that, instead of coming up with a blatant lie that no-one could seriously believe. That is where the whole situation is so inexplicable, and it does make me wonder whether there isn't something else going on with him.

DeadWife · 10/05/2019 08:06

*And because I'm not a fucking racist, I don't make immediate associations between monkeys and black people
*
How could you have so little awareness of fairly recent social history as a grown adult?

I don't buy it. It's not even 'history' in the football terraces.

Disingenuous asF.

Acis · 10/05/2019 08:06

Mind you, my inner pedant was cringing when Baker said he had "literally" been thrown under the bus by the BBC. Back to the dictionary, DB ...

IAmNotAWitch · 10/05/2019 08:19

Well, if they had literally thrown him under the bus I would agree that that was a bit far.

HBStowe · 10/05/2019 08:22

And because I am not a fucking racist, I don't make immediate associations between monkeys and black people.

Fair enough - maybe you’re genuinely sheltered enough that you don’t know about the long history of racists comparing black people to monkeys. Maybe this has passed you by because you haven’t been listening to what black people say about the racism they experience. Maybe you are, genuinely, oblivious to this vile and pervasive comparison.

But let’s not pretend that’s true of Danny Baker. Let’s not pretend that a football pundit who has seen racist football fans chanting ‘monkey’ and throwing bananas at black football players wasn’t aware that this is a slur black people have faced for decades. You must see how it is simply not credible that he didn’t know the implications of what he was doing. And since he must have known, he must either have been intentionally racist, or not cared that his post had explicitly racist implications. Doesn’t matter which it is - both absolutely merit him being sacked.

Gilead · 10/05/2019 08:27

He didn't know that they have black genes.
Bollocks!

JustDanceAddict · 10/05/2019 08:31

He’s a complete moron for posting it, especially as he’s a football pundit and monkey noises are still directed at black players. Even if the racist intent wasn’t there, as a supposedly intelligent man he should have realised what he was actually posting (which wasn’t even funny).

StealthPolarBear · 10/05/2019 08:32

It doesn't matter if he knew megan was mixed race or not. Because he didn't actually know it was her having the baby.
It's not like he will have been exposed to the media in the last year at all is it? Come on its really easy to not know this stuff.

GunpowderGelatine · 10/05/2019 08:34

I do not buy for a nanosecond that any living in the Western world didn't realise that comparisons to monkeys are used by racists.

GunpowderGelatine · 10/05/2019 08:35

And saying you didn't notice because "I'm not racist" just shows your stonking privilege TBH

ssd · 10/05/2019 08:40

He's an adult and he knows exactly what he did. He thought it would be funny but that's cos he's an idiot. He got what he deserved

SignedUpJust4This · 10/05/2019 08:57

GunpowderGelatine. I am not excusing DB in any way but just asking your opinion. I grew up surrounded by actual furry monkeys. They were a naughty nuisance and a daily part of my life. As a result I frequently refer to my white children as my little monkeys. This is quite a common term of endearment where I come from.

I was once in a park with a friend and we were watching a group of boisterous children on the climbing frame and I said 'look at those little monkeys'. One of the children was black. My friend gave me a horrified look and said 'you can't say that!' and it took me a while to realise why. I hadn't even considered it a racial slur.

I'm much more careful about using the word now but do you really think everyone immediately thinks of race when they hear someone referred to as a monkey? Am I that ignorant?

GunpowderGelatine · 10/05/2019 09:00

Signed - that sounds very familiar - did you make a MN post about it??

But in response no it's not acceptable to refer to black children as monkeys even in jest but from your POV I can see how you made the faux pas. But Danny Baker is not a mum in the park chatting to his friend - he has a huge following on an influential platform and he thought his right to be "funny" about a 1 day old baby to thousands of people trumped anything else, including the feelings of POC

StealthPolarBear · 10/05/2019 09:01

No everyone doesn't. But he should know the link. And the vast majority of adults should be aware. If not, when made aware we should be pleased we now know it's offensive and make a mental note.

SignedUpJust4This · 10/05/2019 09:14

No I've never posted about it before. Having read this thread I'm in no doubt that DB knew what he was doing. But just to offer a different and possibly very ignorant point of view I actually had to have this story explained to me by my English husband. It didn't click with me for 2 reasons. I forget that monkey is a racial slur and I also forgot that Meghan is mixed race (I'm not big into royal fam/celeb gossip so never given it much thought).

HBStowe · 10/05/2019 09:16

I also grew up abroad in a place where monkeys were commonplace and I would still know without a shadow of a doubt that it’s racist to refer to black people as monkeys.

Obviously when you did it in the park it was a genuine faux pas, but as gunpowder says - Danny Baker didn’t accidentally let a faux pas slip while talking to a pal. He consciously sought out that image, and posted it. There are several distinct steps involved in that process. Several opportunities where, at best, he decided he didn’t care enough about the racist implications to stop.

ErrolTheDragon · 10/05/2019 09:16

Report in the times today
Star sacked for royal baby chimp tweet

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/danny-baker-sacked-from-bbc-radio-5-live-for-royal-baby-chimp-tweet-fnfxbg9gw?shareToken=1e17cc5dfb4ee07decadbd4c09594ab5

And maybe more interesting, comment piece

Danny Baker’s not a racist — but he had to go

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/danny-baker-s-not-a-racist-but-he-had-to-go-r63dpz9sh?shareToken=429d469da8c1707838e899a92ceee678

The other thing that struck me in the former was his classism... so, apparently this unpleasant photo is his 'goto' for any posh people who've just had a baby? but otoh the part about not having a shave and looking like the 'downbeat racist wretch they all think I am'. Confused sounds like he despises 'posh' people but associates racism with 'downbeats'...wtf?

StealthPolarBear · 10/05/2019 09:18

And again, if it was about class presumably he can point to a similar tweet from when Louis was born?
My DD loves monkeys, where do we need to live where they roam free? :)

IceRebel · 10/05/2019 09:20

presumably he can point to a similar tweet from when Louis was born?

I'm sure someone earlier in the thread said he did exactly this. However, i've not seen any evidence to prove this claim, and i'm sure he would have been quick to provide it, if it existed.

ssd · 10/05/2019 09:20

He just sounds like a dick..... Poor me I didn't know what I was doing..... As if

NoSauce · 10/05/2019 09:20

I think he knew what he was doing but thought he could get away with it due to him previously alluding to “posh” people being dressed up as chimpanzees. You would have hoped/thought though given Meghan is mixed race he would have thought that it would appear he was referring to her newborn son as a monkey and not put the tweet online. Anyone with half a brain would make the connection, imo he did but went ahead because he is racist deep down. His apology afterwards proves that it wasn’t some dreadful mistake.

I feel for Meghan so much right now. This should be a wonderful time for her and Harry and she shouldn’t have to have it rammed down her throat what some people think of her. Of course racism is something she’s had to put up with all her life and will do no doubt moving forward but at such a sensitive time in her life it’s actually heartbreaking.

BertrandRussell · 10/05/2019 09:23

“And again, if it was about class presumably he can point to a similar tweet from when Louis was born?”

He has certainly posted pictures of dressed up monkeys before. He has a collection of those pictures from the 1940s(?) when there was a fashion for them.

NoSauce · 10/05/2019 09:25

I don’t care that he has a collection of chimps dressed up as people Bertrand, this wasn’t the time to be posting one of them especially alluding to one of them being the new royal baby. There’s absolutely no excuses here and I’m sick of people trying to defend what he did.

SignedUpJust4This · 10/05/2019 09:26

I agree. His subsequent 'apologies' are disgusting. Very disappointed in him.

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