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Carol Thatcher dropped by BBC for racist word

195 replies

ComeWhineWithMe · 03/02/2009 18:14

Don't lnow if anyone has already posted (have checked can't see anything) .

I am shocked that she even thought using the term was acceptable .

Silly silly ignorant woman.

uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090203/tuk-carol-dropped-for-golliwog-remark-6323e80.html

OP posts:
Rhubarb · 05/02/2009 11:53

She.did.not.apologise.

PC gone mad eh? I wonder how you would feel if someone made a derogatory comment about you to around 20 people in a TV studio and then refused to apologise for it?

She is a journalist (of sorts) and whilst working in the BBC studios, for the BBC, she is meant to behave appropriately.

When I worked for the Red Cross, if I made a derogatory comment about disabled people in front of other work colleagues do you think that would be acceptable?

All she had to do was apologise - can you not understand that? But her refusal has led to this. How can they keep her as a worker when she refuses to say sorry? Even if she is a bit 'dotty', surely if you knew you were told that what you said was offensive you would apologise right?

Ignorance is not much of an excuse here.

happywomble · 05/02/2009 11:54

completely agree with spaceman. It is how you actually treat people that matters most.

daftpunk · 05/02/2009 11:56

lol..peachy..i know the world is full of back stabbers...and rarely are they doing it for "moral" reasons...it's normally for their own gain....and yep, your're right, i wouldn't be able to sack someone for that...but they wouldn't get promoted either.

Peachy · 05/02/2009 11:56

There's bigotry and attempted extermination: as far as I am aware you're looking at black people, the Jewish and the disabled (with specific inter sect and inter racisl incidents such as Rwanda / Sarajevo in specific areas).

Very different from having red hair!

Spaceman work is not a private conversation, no. It is subject to emplyoment law.

MmeLindt · 05/02/2009 11:57

Being a bit eccentric does not excuse her. Being the daughter of Mrs Thatcher does not excuse her.

Is there really anyone on MN today who thinks that referring to a black person as a Gollywog is acceptable?

Whether it was aired or not is unimportant. If my DH was to call a colleague a gollywog then he would be hauled over the coals for it, and rightly so. Noone can use racist language in a work situation and expect it to go unpunished.

MmeLindt · 05/02/2009 11:58

Spacewoman
It is NOTHING to do with free speech.

Peachy · 05/02/2009 11:59

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Rhubarb · 05/02/2009 12:01

Ah, but did the Nazi's not also kill people with red hair? And let's not forget the gypsies.

But yes, bigotry and extermination are different issues however extermination usually follows bigotry.

Now you take the Daleks, they want to exterminate just about everybody, inclu justabout if they could get her.

Carol is a silly silly woman. Even if she had no idea what she said was racist (which I doubt, she's not that stupid), why the hell be all stubborn and refuse to apologise? She must know that, now it has got out, not only will the tennis player be offended, but other black people who have had to put up with that term being used as a derogatory term against them. Yet she seemingly doesn't give a stuff about other people, she'll no doubt try to turn herself into a victim of PCness. Perhaps she thinks that WE ought to apologise to HER?

Rhubarb · 05/02/2009 12:02

As someone who as an Afro-Carribean brother, I find that term offensive and would be mortified to hear someone say it.

Peachy · 05/02/2009 12:03

PMSL at Daleks. But thena re you bigoted about daleks just because of how they're represented by the timelord controled media? How do you know it's not a racial extermination plan executed by a propaganda driven regime with murderous intent

I didn't know they executed redheads: would explain why Grandad still ahtes the Germans so much not just because he's a racist twerp then ( Mum's maiden name Griffith, meaning redhead.

Spaceman · 05/02/2009 12:05

No excuse for not apologising, but I do agree that the person who had a problem in the dressing room should've done the decent thing and nipped it in the bud then and there. Nothing good has been gained by reporting it. But it has opened a whole new dialogue about what is considered to be a very racist word. Now the 'g' word is being banded about left right and centre; when it should be left buried.

No one would have known any different if it was all just played down and the 'g' word would not be plastered all over the front pages of the news for a whole new generation of little children to ask: 'What's a Golliwog mum?'

daftpunk · 05/02/2009 12:06

rhubarb...are you serious? do you really think the people around her were that offended? and anyway, if she was sacked for not apologising (rather than for using the word gollywog) this is all abit silly isn't it?

Peachy · 05/02/2009 12:09

Actually you say should have been left buried- was on news today that Sandringham gift shop has agreed to stop selling the things now!

It's 2009 world, what part of wrong do e not seem to get?

Spaceman · 05/02/2009 12:09

Peachy: freedom of speech does not apply to private conversations only. The point is it was not intended for broadcast. Would you expect, say, a builder for arguments sake to get the axe if he said the word while sitting with his colleagues on a tea break? If you do then you are living in a VERY idealistic bubble.

happywomble · 05/02/2009 12:10

peachy - hard to answer that as I'm not racist and would never use any of those terms - in fact I haven't even heard of one of them.

I just can't stand the goodytwo shoes attitude of the BBC controller lady.

I also think if Jo Brand is complaining it is a bit of a case of pots and kettles.

Peachy · 05/02/2009 12:12

Is it the M word you've never heard of perchance? not racist, offensive to disabled people and popular in teens atm / AMerican TV

(basically likens downs syndrome features to mongoloid ones- so actually racist too. Blimey)

Yep, that's me. Proud of it, I am.

Spaceman · 05/02/2009 12:13

Yes, SHOULD be left buried. I'm not saying the word or the dolls have been obliterated from society, but a massive news story like this only publicises it further.

Peachy · 05/02/2009 12:13

But then if you assume the sandringham thing is in the light of this, it might have good effects?

Spaceman · 05/02/2009 12:19

A tiny consollation overshadowed by the nationwide reinforcement of a word that should never have been uttered in the first place.

The do gooders in this case have just done bad.

Peachy · 05/02/2009 12:23

Yes I think you're probably right- I did assume that word had disappearee for ever. Mind, people I am friends with generally wouldn't utter it: I am aware that I exclude racist twats and similar types from my friendship circle, so I might not know what's about iyswim?

I ahve a wide academic knowledge of why not to use Untouchable but use dalit instead but not so much RL cntact with bigots and thank goodness! (Having Grandad as Patriarch made my aprents decide ofna cceptance very early on)

Spaceman · 05/02/2009 12:24

...and another thing (can't resist), doesn't the shop in Sandrigham selling the dolls just enhance the fact that this is storm in teacup stuff. I mean if they've been selling the dolls without any complaints then people can't feel THAT offended can they? It shows that there are people out there who genuinely don't understand the strength of feeling among the more easily offended folk of this country.

It's just pure hypocracy.

dalek · 05/02/2009 12:27

The race issue aside Carol Thatcher is supposed to be an intelligent journalist - why did she not realise that using offensive racist terms whilst working at the BBC, even if it's off air, was never going to be acceptable or not commented on - if nothing else she should be sacked for her stupidity.

Rhubarb · 05/02/2009 12:27

We can only surmise at what went on in the studios. You don't know if Jo Brand complained or if the complainee had not already confronted her about it and gotten nowhere.

What if one of the workers was black who felt intimidated by Carol and complained to their bosses? What if they were so incensed by her attitude that they leaked it to the press?

I agree that these things should be dealt with in private if at all possible, but her refusal to acknowledge any offense caused means that it would have gotten out anyway, sooner or later.

And no, she was not sacked for not apologising directly, she was sacked for using a racist term whilst at work and representing the BBC and refusing to acknowledge or take responsibility for that.

I don't understand why some of you are finding that hard to grasp.

Rhubarb · 05/02/2009 12:29

Oh and as an aside - the BNP sell golliwog merchandise.

Peachy · 05/02/2009 12:31

Spaceman I don't know- I would imagine that the Sandringham gift shop is probably frequented by the sort of peole who just wouldn't realsie until they saw the news: maybe iyt's not so much hypocrisy as newly informed?

Rhuby the report I head (so probably unrelliable) was that Carol was overheard by someone else in the room who was offended and reported it. Maybe they were black, had black partner or children, or just don't like twattishness?

The BBC is a company with a central role to play and a charter: racism can't be condoned no matter how much poeple cry 'private'

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