BAFTAs - discussion for black/brown mumsnetters

[BigOldBlobsy]

This is obviously a very sensitive subject, as it involves the impact of racist language and disability.
So, I’m making this thread for MNers who are black or brown, brown because brown people have been referred to as the N word as well historically and may want to weigh in.

for any who don’t know, the summary is, a well known disability advocate who struggles with Tourette’s, and is part of the film ‘I swear’, was at the BAFTAS, and involuntary ticced the N word at two black male actors.

there is already a nearly full thread, with lots saying that people shouldn’t be offended as this is involuntary.

I completely agree that tics are involuntary and that Tourette’s is such a difficult condition to struggle with. However, I disagree that you can’t be offended and that it can’t be experienced as racist still, even if unintentional!

I do feel for him too. This situation has been coopted by racists who really could not give a fuck about Tourette’s, ableism etc.

They are just anti-black and enthusiastically embrace situations where they get to indulge that. Like now.

I am old and learned a long time ago engaging with racists is futile. You cannot educate people who do not wish to be educate. I just ensure I completely remove them from my presence, online and IRL and life is all the better for it!

🥰

That's the natural consequence of JD making a personal apology to them. It forces them into an unenviable position: stay silent and be judged or make a statement to minimising the harm they felt and be judged. Can you imagine the blow back if they tried to unpack the weight the slur carries irrespective of intent.

Just waiting for Musk and Trump to jump on the bandwagon.

It's a good job the UK is not as racist as the States

They are just a paid agitator.

Sad.

If I had been presenting, and the tic had manifested as ‘ugly cow!’, let’s say, I would have felt really embarrassed, upset, and would have definitely taken it personally, like a slap in the face. No amount of “I don’t really think of you as being ugly” would make it better, as you can’t help thinking that the thought must be there, and potentially unspoken in the minds of other people, too. The fact that the person with the disability can’t help expressing it, doesn’t make it easier to hear.
Also slaps, pinching, and throwing objects can also be tics - wondering how these manifestations of a Tourette’s tic are regarded, if they end up hurting someone physically…

You say that but then this happened in the UK….

I think maintaining a silence is what I would do either way. People who would have an issue with that are not people who matter and won’t be people who watch MBJ / DL movies anyway.

I think feeling embarrassed would be a natural response to anybody that is not a robot even if you know it was not intentional.

Sorry, it was a poor attempt at sarcasm on my part.

Oh ha ha ha! Agreed.

Remember it's Black History month right now in America, that's where the BBC and BAFTA's F'ed up (proving that they likely have very few if any people of colour working for them).

I have no sympathy for them and am enjoying our American Cousins rightly taking them to task. Contrary to the "angry" allegations, most Black content producers are being sensitive to JD and extremely educational and putting the blame where it lays the BBC/BAFTAs:

I still can't get over the fact that many people would have been in that editing room of this multi million pound production and no one said stop/edit. Absolute failure of duty of care.

I actually think the BHM thing would not have registered at all with BAFTA / BBC.

I also believe they made a conscious decision not to edit because they mistakenly believed the would be dealing with Black-Britons not Black-Americans.

This!
I wish that just like the Black TikToker whose video ended up being used by racists, JD had condoned it.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DQe3urt1B/

I have just seen this from CEO of Tourettes action. I dont think it goes far enough but it does acknowledge the hurt and impact to the black community, and has a link to further article about racism and ableism and how that shapes how things unfold. Also a link to JA apology.

I dont know. My gut is its not enough. But I thought it was relevant.

Those racist people never tire of finding ways to express their hatred of black people. It is just sickening. This is in response to a pp.

I don’t know.

I would think it would be their due diligence to know who is in attendance especially those presenting awards.

There were American actors and actresses at the BAFTA’s of different races.

This popped up on one of my social media threads from Variety in the States saying they were told to edit it out by Warner Bros and assured it had been before it was aired.

https://variety.com/2026/film/awards/warner-bros-bafta-racial-slur-requested-removed-broadcast-1236671122/

BBC/ BAFTA’s are trying to cover their arses imo and honestly I would like to see the age and demographic of the people who allowed this.

Posters now saying JD experienced racist behaviour.
It's incredible.

Haha. Race cards are undergoing gentrification.

You actually couldn't make it up

After all the gaslighting of black posters on recent threads, the audacity to turn around and cry racism against John.

LOL.

As they say, batshit behavior.

Ah, the usual "how dare you say white people can't experience racism"?

Have they said, how this manifest itself?

I really wish Black social media content creators would learn they don’t have to comment on everything!

I am staying off Facebook for now but I am happy if they updated their previous statement which was terrible.

I don’t mean they literally would not know what BHM was I just think it would not register. I think it would be meaningless to them that this occurred during BHM.

Clicks over integrity.