Danny Baker

How the bloke still gets work is beyond me..

 

So monkey chanting aimed at black players hasn't been in the news this season and debated on this board?

I personally haven't heard any but I do know about it.

 

I don't see a picture of a monkey and think it must be referring to someone's race. It just doesn't occur to me. I don't have any association between the two. And that doesn't make me stupid.

 

PS I'm aware that when England played in one of the former Yougslavian countries earlier this season, some of our players were subject to racist abuse. I was not aware, if what you're saying is correct, that this took the form of monkey chanting.

Even if I was, it wouldn't mean that I believe there is any connection between a black person and a monkey.

I'm aware that many eastern Europeans hold extremely outdated prejudices regarding race, gender and sexuality and it saddens me. I didn't think the same was true for the majority of the UK population.

I genuinely find it difficult to believe that people think Danny Baker posted that Tweet depicting the new Royal baby as a monkey because he is black. Of course he didn't. Gawwwd, it's utterly bizarre to think he did.

 

This thread is like being on Twitter

 

The point isn't whether or not he meant it to be racist. As a person in the public eye and a football fan supposedly, he should be aware of how it could be perceived. Out of interest did he do the same when Louis was born?

 

That isn't the point surely. We can't be responsible for people taking offence. Some people take offence at absolutely anything. If we were all censored when someone somewhere took offence then no one would be allowed to say anything, ever.

What we say should be judged on intention. If malice is intended then appropriate action should be taken. If Danny Baker really did depict the baby as a monkey because he's black then he should be sacked. If he didn't...

People have every right to be offended. But that doesn't mean action should be taken if no offence was meant, if no prejudice was intended.

 

So now we're not allowed to call someone coloured or black, not call a monkey a monkey, not call a blackboard a blackboard, have any of you seen the report that a school has banned its teachers from calling the kids "boys and girls".
I sit here puzzled as can be wondering how the Baker incident can be construed as racist. All I do see is the twisted minds of people who have nothing to do except stir up trouble for the sake of it and cause more trouble than the original incident ever merited.

 

He could have been poking fun at all the media circus over a newborn baby and how people were going overboard?

 

I think the key here is monkey chants are moronic, meant to be racist and meant to offend, the photo was also arguably moronic but not meant to be racist. The guy took it down and apologised as soon as it was pointed out to him.
You could debatably equally argue the people who called him racist are the ones who are racist. I saw the picture and just thought that's wrong calling a baby a monkey, racism never entered my head.

 

Maybe it's just because I'm not from that generation I just don't get the joke sounds about as funny as toothache to me.

 

If it was about the media circus why did he not do it when Louis was born? As he is a football fan from London he must know that equating monkeys with black people is offensive. So yes it should have crossed his mind that it might not be advisable to post.

 

Shame if we don,t hear him anymore in my opinion the best broadcaster on radio.

 

I didnt even know Meghan Markel was black, or gave a toss either way.

 

She isn't black, she's mixed race, but like you say who gives a chuff. She just seems like a nice lass to me .

 

Ha, dunt know owt abart it but a high profile celebrity tweeted whatever must be BRAIN DEAD. imo

 

I just saw her as a bird from across pond (fit bird like) maybe danny baker thought same. Hes posted this picture before and its an old fashioned joke about the royals dressing up their newborn and parading it for the cameras. Im 100% sure he didnt mean it as a racial slur, a bit daft these days yes but not racist. Surely to be racist something has to be done in such a manner as to mean to cause offence. Much more racist folk have probably called for his sacking. Ill informed and ill timed yes, racist no, for me.

 

I can’t believe he did this to announce to the world he’s a racist, but it does show a staggering lack of self awareness to not consider how it would look. I follow him in twitter and when I saw it yesterday I immediately thought ‘wow, that just is wrong’ I’m no fan of internet witch hunts or the royal family, but he really did mess up big style.

 

There is a long and well documented history of equating black people with Monkeys, I can almost believe him if he says he didn’t know Megan was black, but did you know she was black and still it didn’t occur to you that it could easily be interpreted that way?

 

Surely anyone with an ounce of intelligence wouldn't post this at this exact time. Firstly he's desperately trying to be funny but he's naturally far from it . As to offending people it's quite clear he has done, so maybe he's not a rasist but the post could be seen as such. It simply wasn't funny, a bit naive and yeah slightly rasist.