Danny Baker, a BBC DJ for BBC Radio 5 Live, was fired after he tweeted out a photo yesterday of a 1920s looking couple holding hands with a chimpanzee saying "Royal Baby leaves hospital". Baker claims that his intention was not a racist one but does anyone believe that? Further more how tone deaf do you have to be to not comprehend that Meghan Markle is part African American and to post a picture linking her child to a chimpanzee is highly ignorant, inappropriate, and yes a bit racist. Baker claims he would have posted the same picture if it was his grandson.
This is the photo:
Baker said his initial intention was "supposed to be (a) joke about royals vs circus animals in posh clothes but interpreted as about monkeys & race." The DJ attacked the BBC's handling of the situation and found it unwarranted for them to fire him. The BCC commented on the firing saying: “This was a serious error of judgment and goes against the values we as a station aim to embody. Danny’s a brilliant broadcaster but will no longer be presenting a weekly show with us.”
Baker did delete the original tweet with the chimpanzee but it made no difference when it came to his firing. He tweeted out an apology of sorts addressing his mistake:
What do you make of this? Do you think Danny Baker's firing was warranted? Should he have known better? Not to mention we all know how the British people feel about the Royals...they love them so did he really think this would be received well?
-Producer Lightning