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Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was only born three days ago, but the racial attacks regarding his mixed-race heritage are already peaking to the surface.
On Thursday, BBC host Danny Baker, 61, took to Twitter to announce he was fired from his position after making a disgusting, racist, joke in reference to the little bundle of joy.
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Baker incredulously used Twitter to post an archived black and white image of a chimp in a suit holding hands with a nicely dressed couple. The caption on top of the image read, “Royal baby leaves the hospital.”
There were no undertones in the overtly racist message as we know of historical imagery which has compared people of African descent to chimpanzees, guerrillas and monkeys.
Markle, whose mother is African-American, has sustained these comparisons since the beginning of her relationship with Prince Harry, and now the racial references are being transferred to her innocent baby.
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Baker gave a flippant response to the backlash, first denying that the imagery was racist.
“Sorry my gag pic of the little fella in the posh outfit has whipped some up. Never occurred to me because, well, mind not diseased,” he wrote, then added, “Once again. Sincere apologies for the stupid unthinking gag pic earlier. Was supposed to be joke about royals vs circus animals in posh clothes but interpreted as about monkeys & race, so rightly deleted.”
Baker also shockingly added that he would have used the photo for his own children or any of the other royal babies.
“Enormous mistake, for sure. Grotesque, Anyway, here’s to ya Archie, Sorry mate,” he wrote. Lordt. The CAUCASITY!
His cool tone about his actions highlight casual racism and privilege in not owning up to a deliberate set of actions. Baker truly exemplifies a throw stones, while hiding hands mentality. While Baker can try to strip the imagery of racial elements, we are clear on where he stands.
On Thursday, a BBC spokesperson confirmed Baker’s termination.
“This was a serious error of judgment,” the statement read, saying the joke “goes against the values we as a station aim to embody.”
And even in the distastefulness, Baker still maintains that the outcome did not line up with the action.
“The call to fire me from @bbc5live was a masterclass of pompous faux-gravity. Took a tone that said I actually meant that ridiculous tweet and the BBC must uphold blah blah blah. Literally threw me under the bus. Could hear the suits knees knocking,” he wrote.