Sir Trevor McDonald

[jimmysipples]

I don't like Bernard Mannings comedy, it is dated and maybe wasn't suitable in this day and age but I am curious as to peoples opinions. Should Sir Trevor be allowed to get away with calling him a "fat white b**t*rd"?

Is this not a form of racism also? If the shoe was on the other foot, there would be public outcry. I do not support any kind of racism, but i am also not a fan of double standards. Are there any coloured ABers out there who laughed at Sir Trev's comments the way some white would laugh at Bernards? Does this not reflect how all of these comments should be taken? with a pinch of salt and not with the uproar which normally happens?

People may say it was said as a joke (which is still unacceptable to many) but i have saw the clip a few times now and it wasn't a joke. There was severe anger and hatred in Sir Trevors eyes as he made the comment.

I wasn't gonna bring this up in the AB as I reckoned it would just get me ridiculed but then I thought "why not" as the page would be full of comments had it been the other way round.

We cant have a half hearted approach to all of the race issues in the uk. Either its the same rule for all regarding comments or as i'd prefer we all just chill out and learn to laugh again at all walks of life, because not one of us is perfect.

[Pippa68]

Why not? Mr manning got away with it for years!

And after all, Mr McDonald did say it to be topical.. ;o)

[jno]

yes, while it's nice to see you protest against Sir Trevor, if I go through the AB archive how many posts from you will I find criticising Manning for the same thing? Are you sure you've been following 'the same rule for all' yourself or do you just complain about blacks?

[jenstar]

Are you suggesting Bernard Manning wasn't a fat white *******?

[jimmysipples]

Mr Manning was banned from television for his comments, he was no longer in the public eye due to his comments. If you think Sir Trevor should get away with it, do you think he should reserve his comments for working mens clubs and not prime time television?

[jimmysipples]

Here we go, I try to conduct a civil debate but already I am to be accused and questioned over whether i have myself any problem with black and coloured people. Sit back take it all in and chill out and don't begin to jump down people's throats for their opinion on something that you must admit Sir Trevor has done wrong.

For your information, I am a white irish man living in the uk. My partner is from Nigeria and is black. I, like many others and sometimes more than others would be subject to jokes from comedians. The irish this, the irish that. The thing is i don't care because thats life. And its funny most of the time.

I posted my original question in order for people to answer it with their opinion on Sir Trevor McDonald. Not for them to accuse or question myself as a person

[jno]

if it's just going live on TV that concerns you, did you post any comments condemning Jade Goody for her remarks about Shilpa Shetty? Please post some links so I can read them. Because it's very important we observe the same rule for all.

[jimmysipples]

jno. The post is not about me. It's about Sir Trevor McDonald. I'm not here to be questioned. I here for valued opinions of others on that subject, not to defend myself

[jake-the-peg]

The thing about racial or gender humour is that you can get away with it but it has to be funny - very funny. Slightly amusing just doesn't cut it.

Unfortunately Manning was rarely good enough, his jokes tended to rely on racial stereotypes - Irish being stupid, jewish being mean etc.

Humour like that just perpetuates the way people see each other and you see that sort of predudice being touted about all over the pages of this website.

How about:
What's the difference between an Iraqi woman and a pilchard?" he would ask: "One's oily and greasy with f*****g bulging eyes, and the other's a fish

Laughing at all walks of life?

As for Trevor McDonald - If he'd made the comments when Manning was alive I'd have said fair enough but it's just time to bury him and move on now

[jno]

if nobody is allowed to criticise you, why should they criticise Sir Trevor? Are you at risk of dishing it out when you can't take it?

[vehelpfulguy]

I live in Birmingham and we have two Asian radio stations. I tuned into one in my car a few months ago without realising it was an Asian station.

They were having a phone in about how you would feel if your daughter came home with a black man.

Of course many Asians do not like black people, but I was staggered at the things that the Asian men were saying and how negatively they were talking about black people.

If this had been on a "white" station (radio 5 live for example) and white people had been saying the same thing there would have been an outcry.

But I am afraid we live in a world where only white people can be racist and any racist comment by someone from the ethnic minority groups is dismissed as acceptable.

[jimmysipples]

Jno. It is your free right to critisise me. By all means do it, but as i've already stated it wasn't the purpose of the question. Just dont expect me to answer you anymore about anything unless its referring to the question originally set.

[jno]

okay, here's an answer: Manning's 'humour' was at the expense of all black people. That's racial prejudice, and it's rightly kept off television. Sir Trevor's comments were directed at one man. That's just personal dislike, of which there is plenty on satirical programmes. There's a difference.

[Pippa68]

I was going to answer again, in the same vein as jno.

Satirical programmes rip people to shreds..all people. Remember the 'lump of lard' incident...or is it just the comments including colour which are offensive?

[stokeace]

you should know that by now it is 1 rule for them and 1 for us.......if a white newscaster had called lennie henry a fat black b***ard it would have been national headlines and they would have been sacked on the spot and never heard of again and been publically hated.just look at the jade goody affair in big brother that even had international repercussions.a level playing field is needed and there clearly is not one.sir trevor should be made to apologise and quick.

[flip_flop]

I think Stoke is spot-on here: I genuinely do not understand...I'm not being difficult or argumentative here...I just simply cannot comprehend how it is acceptable to call BM a fat white b4stard yet if Dimbleby (or whoever) called Lenny Henry a fat black b4stard he would be sacked and, quite possibly, arrested!

Incidentally, I still believe Jade Goody was not being racist to the utterly gorgeous Shilpa Shetty.

She was being a bully (just as bad in my book), but not racist

[ludwig]

Well done for finally answering the question on the fourth attempt jno. (After 3 posts dedicated to insinuating the questioner is a racist).

[olddutch]

Jimmy, if you heard it right , you've got it right mate. The rules should apply equally to all - including Trevor Mcdonald. If TM called anyone a fat white bast**d, even bernard manning, he was wrong and should be punished equally under the laws of the game - Fair does

jno should not be trying to justify what TM said & the double standard that exists

[Oneeyedvic]

to flip-flop & stokeace - the difference is that Sir Trevor was being ironic - he was deliberately being racist to someone renown for being racist.

Dimblby calling Lenny Henry is hardly a comparison

[WaldoMcFroog]

A little context wouldn't have gone amiss. Where did TM say Bernard Manning was a 'fat white *******'? Was it the ITN news? Was it a serious, current affairs programme?

Er... no it wasn't.

It was on a satirical news programme called 'News Knight'. TM introduced an item titled: "Racist and Dead." "This week it's fat, narrow-minded comic Bernard Manning. I never thought he was a racist. I just thought he was a fat white *******."

Regardless of whether you think it was funny or not, it is clearly satirising Manning's oft repeated point about his racism just being a joke.

Can I just suggest you never, never, never watch the Brass Eye paedophilia special, because if you didn't get this, you're really going to miss the point of that.