.. to be disappointed that a racist received a standing ovation!

[NannaNoodleman]

Danny Baker: Standing ovation at first show since Twitter storm www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-48249637

What is wrong with people. He showed his true inherent racism but people still believe he's a top bloke!

HBStowe can I ask what you think should happen now? The man has lost his job and his reputation is damaged. Isn't that enough? Can we stop with the pitchforks?

Who has a pitchfork?! This thread is actually a broad ranging discussion on racism where lots of interesting points have been made on both sides of the debate. Hardy a witch hunt.

It’s a natural consequence of a public figure being racist that it will be discussed. That’s a good thing, because people learn from discussion. We all benefit from a conversation which shows racism won’t be tolerated.

DB has faced fair consequences for what he did. I don’t stand by anyone threatening him, but it’s fair game to take a firm stance criticising his actions. He’s a successful, well off man with plenty of friends and supporters - he can live with being called out for racism.

HBStowe
The mental lapse required is really not that bizarre. He knows of that trope, it's just not right at the front of his mind permeating every thought.

If you have suffered from racism, it probably is right at the front of your mind permeating many thoughts.

Or if someone is a massive racist, it probably is right at the front of their mind permeating everything.

For a lot of people, that information is buried a few layers deeper, and unless something triggers it, it just stays there undisturbed.

I still think most people will see it after a second or two, but it's not that crazy that some people will miss it completely, especially when you consider that it's a chimp in the picture (not a monkey) so it's a little further removed from the common tropes, and also when you consider that a lot of people won't have in the front of their mind that MM is mixed race. Clearly she is, and mixed race people may well be proud of that and carry thought with them often when they see her. But I think a lot of people will, mots of the time, just see a person, and her race doesn't even occur to them. Again, of course they probably know her heritage, but there is a difference between having the information in their brain, and that information actually being in someone's thoughts.

Racist intent or not - how could he not be sensitive to using the image of a chimpanzee with reference to a mixed racw child?

As someone (was it Linda Belos?) on the radio said (something along the lines of) ‘so he didn’t know who the mum was and says he can name all the premier league football players - how can he not be aware of the monkey/banana abuse thrown at black football players’.

For a lot of people, that information is buried a few layers deeper, and unless something triggers it, it just stays there undisturbed

Pretty unlikely to be buried that deep on a man who has reported on black football players being called monkeys having bananas thrown at them, don’t you think?

MrsBethel, what is a massive racist? Do you think ethnic minorities only feel the pain when racism comes from a massive racist as opposed to a little racist?

A racist is a racist and the consequences of their racism give rise equally to burning injustices. Do you suppose ethnic minorities have only be held back and treat unjustly and abused only by so-called massive racists?

And now I'm being called racist. If you'd read my posts you'll see that I haven't denied that the tweet was racist. So no, not making the white man out to be the victim or undermining the pain he has caused to ethnic minorities. Simply trying to point out that foolish comment does not equal terrible person.

That's it. I'm out. There's no point arguing with people that are determined to see the worst in others.

The reason it isn't in the forefront of DB's brain is because since he was a teenager he's mixed in multi-racial circles. The music business. He was the first to promote ska and soul, miles before anyone else. He's not like some woke white person from the Home Counties, who only discovered racism as a cause at university.

And when he sees a cute pic of a chimp in clothes, he sees a chimp. He doesn't think of problems on the terraces, which he knows all about but it's in a different part of his brain from arcane memorabilia about a famous performing animal in pre-war days.

Good posts MrsBethel and Lifecraft but I think it's a lost cause.

good post as well ThymeOut

I'm another that doesn't believe he posted with racist intention. He's a bit of a twat, but he's not that stupid, he knows he'd lose his job for being racist and we can probably assume that he wanted to remain employed.

I genuinely didn't make the racist link when I first heard about this and the picture was described to me. I thought it was an idiotic, unkind thing to direct at a baby, but it wasn't until it was pointed out to me that the massive penny dropped. And I am mixed race! I was obviously having a slow day, so I can accept that as nasty as the intention of posting that picture was, it probably wasn't an attack on the baby's black heritage. If anything, i think it was an attack on the baby's white royal class heritage, which isn't okay either.

To the original question, I don't think you are being unreasonable. I think the tweet was racist but I also think that Danny Baker is tweet choice was a moron move rather than because he is an inherent racist. He has been rightly punished but can he be redeemed I think so. Don't forget about Prince Harry, he doesn't exactly have a stunning record when it comes to this sort of behaviour, he has used racist language that cannot be seen any way but completely racist and in my opinion far worse than what Danny Baker did. Yet he has been forgiven, people can change and people can be stupid. Prince Philip is another example although not convinced he is a reformed character!!!

I agree with John Barnes who brought up the topic of unconscious racism and the need to discuss this honestly after the Liam incident. I think he hit the nail on the head. In this social media quick fix world, people want instant solutions and retributions but this isn't going to happen. The problem of racism did not start or end with Danny Baker.

I hope everyone has a lovely evening x

Thymeout

Excellent post which exactly mirrors my thoughts. He was thoughtless, not racist.

Sorry to disabuse you thyme but I'm also from central London (NW6) and grew up very multiculturally. it was house/garage and drum and bass then though. Witnessed first hand what some of my friends had to deal with. So I call bollocks on that theory. And will continue to call racism out where I see it.

Well surely racist or not it was a totally unacceptable, innopropriate and horrid picture

And yet he is refusing to say ‘hands up - stupid and racist comment, I would never mean to hurt anyone like that, it’s despicable. Etc etc etc’. He is on attach mode. More Trump/Farage style oration.

The mental contortions here are beyond belief.

Apparently, growing up in a multicultural environmental now makes you less aware of the racism black people face. Sure, that makes sense.

As for this shite:

And when he sees a cute pic of a chimp in clothes, he sees a chimp. He doesn't think of problems on the terraces, which he knows all about but it's in a different part of his brain from arcane memorabilia about a famous performing animal in pre-war days.

Would love to know what your scientific basis is for this neuroscience fact you’ve just confidently asserted.

Honestly, there is no limit to the desperate lengths some people will go to to justify racism. Just imagine if you put as much effort into challenging racism as you have into making excuses for it!

LordProf, that is literally what he did

From what I read he was saying ‘I don’t know who the child’s mother was’ (living under a rock), didn’t know mixed race child and monkey is a racist slur (again under a rock), why people were upset, and commented on it all being political correctness. It sounded very whiney.

So not exactly apologising, saying ‘I’m an idiot’ and keeping his head down. But then I’m only reading what’s in the papers.

Dontbeadick, I'm sure if he has made a sexist comment you wouldn't be so willing to sweep it under the carpet and say "but he is a good person" "let's look at the good in him and forget about the racist comment, it's not important and because he is a good person". Do you extend this kind of thinking to everyone who has done something wrong and abusive?

As for multiculturalism making people blind to racism and unaware of racism and the language of racism. Good lord! I've heard some stupid excuses but this surely tops it.

Anyone who thinks DB didn't know what he was doing is either stupid or exactly like him- a racist. He must've thought he'd get away with it- what with Trump and the state the rest of the world is in- but I'm glad the b*stard's been sacked.

The man is a lifelong Milwall fan. Of course he is aware of monkey/ape being used as a way to insult black people.

And frankly, it doesn’t matter what his intention was. Whether he used a despicable image knowingly or whether he used a despicable image because he was thick/out of touch/insensitive it doesn’t matter. Either was he’s not fit to work in broadcasting and needs to go.

It’s absolutely shameful that that little baby was two days old and already subject to racial slurs and people are even defending it.

I can't believe people are defending & making excuses for this man. He knew exactly what he was doing, you'd have to be living under a rock to not be aware of the 'Ape/Monkey' association with Racism this has been highlighted in the press in recent years, a lot of it due to racist taunts on sportplayers - some even having a banana throw at them.

It's interesting how Danny never thought to use the same picture for William & Kates 3 children isn't it.

Racist or not, he’s still a cock. I’ve never liked him.

Scarcelyburnt your 17.20 sums everything perfectly imo.

I really liked Danny Baker & I'm not a royalist. I'm also white. But I was appalled a glad he was sacked.

It is possible to be fully aware of the ape/monkey association and still not think about it every time you see a picture of one.