Danny Baker should be sacked immediately

trisher do you know DB personally? Genuine question because you do seem to be very vested in him.

What I can't reconcile is you saying he has absolutely no interest in the Royal Family and wouldn't particularly know about Meghan's heritage etc etc Why would he then tweet about a baby's birth in whom he has zero interest? Does he often tweet about things he has no interest in? I'd have thought a little background knowledge would be helpful before imparting one's wisdom or humour. How he avoided all the media reports about the mixed race Royal bride to be is truly admirable, you couldn't move for bumping against this at every turn!

He is a writer as well as a broadcaster you know. I wish people would take the time to learn something about the man they are criticising

I do not think it is the man who is being criticised, but his actions or in this case, his words.
Being a”nice guy” who gives out autographs does not absolve him or grant him immunity from the basic tenets of good behaviour. He is an ecperienced media communicator and well aware of the impact his name adds to tweets. He should know better.

No, never Baggs ?
He says that is what happened, but as I don’t follow him on twitter I really don’t know if it was his followers or a friend or a fellow worker at the Beeb who gave a gasp of horror.
Of course, it would have been twice as bad had he refused to delete the image and caption, but the harm was already done by then.
I can’t believe he was oblivious to what he had done btw but probably thought he could get away with it, until he realised that actually he couldn’t.
I know you mean well Baggs because you always do, but DB is not like you.

you couldn't move for bumping against this at every turn!

You could if you tried. I speak from experience. There was a dreadful train crash in a South American country during my first term at uni. When my father found that I knew nothing about it (because I hadn't watched any TV, listened to any radio, or read any newspapers—far too busy trying to be a good student) he was shocked. He was even more shocked when I asked him why I needed to know since my knowing would have made not one iota of difference to anyone.

Your opinion of DB and his actions could be right, lemon. I know you wouldn't judge unreasonably. I just can't be sure either way whether, with regard to that particular tweet, he's malevolent or monumentally stupid. I also wonder whether that matters any more since he has been punished anyway.

Meaning that what's the use of punishment if it doesn't serve as a correcting tool for future reference?

janipat I had little or no interest in DB apart from his autobiography and the resulting sitcom which I loved. There are certain areas of his life that resonate with me because of family backgrounds. What really made me research more and chat to people who know more about him was the condemnation on this thread from the "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells". I'm not sure I like him, I think he can be pretty offensive but I don't think he's racist and I do think he speaks his mind, sometimes at the cost of his career. I do think he's an iconoclast and anti-authority and speaks against the establishment which is something sadly lacking today. We somehow seem to have lost the ability to satirise those in power. I may not like him but I do admire him and he is often very funny.

you couldn't move for bumping against this at every turn!

You could if you tried. I speak from experience.

Ah but Baggs when your job is in the media how do you avoid absolutely any mention of it for months? I understand how you can miss something for a few days. We never have TV/radio on on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, which is how we managed to miss the initial news about the Boxing Day tsunami, but as soon as broadcast media was resumed we found out.

Thanks for your answer trish

Isn't it racist to think that the RF should be different to yours and indeed that the event is at all important?
No, it's great and they have now entered the 21st century along with so many of us. It is of no consequence to me whom they marry.

No-one has said that the RF should be different - the only one tweeting about it, that I have heard of, is DB, so he obviously thinks it is noteworthy.

Throwing bananas at black footballers is another trope I didn't know about. Why would I? I have no interest in football.
Well, me neither, but I do watch and listen to the news.

me neither meaning I have no interest in football.

Callistemon But if we are all truly equal it shouldn't even be mentioned. It should be irrelevant. So it wouldn't have been all over the media as everyone says it was. (I don't know if it was because I turn off when they mention the royals.)

as I said - as far as I'm concerned it is not noteworthy, but apparently it is to this Baker person.

why do you keep shovelling, trisher - is it because he is, as I have read on here, a left-wing working class boy?
Would you defend these actions if the tweeter was a public school educated schoolboy and with right-wing tendencies? Would you just say it was a jolly jape and not racist?

That’s exactly the point I keep trying to get over to posters
Callistemon .....and ‘shovelling’ is the right word.

Ah but Baggs when your job is in the media how do you avoid absolutely any mention of it for months?

No idea, janipat, and I can see why people think it impossible he didn't know as well as knowing that one can avoid a great deal of media coverage without being completely out of touch.

Shovels shift a lot of muck. Stand up for shovelling!

You work in the media but you had never heard about the banana throwing at black footballers ( sadly it has been going on for many years)

Trisher you applaud DB for being anti establishment?

Yet you deride NF for being anti establishment?

Just asking??

Surely one can work in media without knowing much about what goes on at football matches? Not all media personnel cover football, nor even need to know anything about what happens in connection with it, I'd hazard a guess.

Media people aren't all polymaths of news and current affairs, are they?

Baggs, I know little about Danny baker but I do know he’s a football fan. I’ve read his team is Millwall, well known for racist chants and violent supporters

He claims he was lampooning privilege, has he lampooned the BBC for considering stopping free lience fees for the over 75’s

I couldn't tell you a thing about football, I would never be able to answer a question about it in a quiz. I do know about racism in football.

LIly65 I'm trying to type an answer but my hands are shaking because I'm laughing so much!!!!
NF anti-establishment!!!! He is the establishment.Much as he may like to present as a man of the people, he is a public school educated, posh boy, banker and friend to Trump or anyone else with a lot of cash. -anti establishment

Sorry Lily65 that should be to GrannyGravy13 Many apologies.