Oh Dear A Racist Slur And How Dare He On The Eve Of Hillsborough?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4412846/Sun-columnist-Kelvin-MacKenzie-suspended.html

This is what Kelvin MacKenzie wrote:

"Perhaps unfairly, I have always judged Ross Barkley as one of our dimmest footballers".

"There is something about the lack of reflection in his eyes which makes me certain not only are the lights not on, there is definitely nobody at home".

"I get a similar feeling when seeing a gorilla at the zoo. The physique is magnificent but it's the eyes that tell the story".

"So it came as no surprise to me that the Everton star copped a nasty right-hander in a nightclub for allegedly eyeing up an attractive young lady who, as they say, was 'spoken for".

"The reality is that at £60,000 a week and being both thick and single, he is an attractive catch in the Liverpool area, where the only men with similar pay packets are drug dealers and therefore not at nightclubs, as they are often guests of Her Majesty"

Maybe a little insulting not only to the footballer, but also towards the folk of Liverpool but racist???? No way.

[emmie]

was he likening the footballer to a gorilla, that could cause offence i suppose.
That's Kelvin McKenzie for you, always gobby,

[jno]

he'll just have to be careful who he compares to gorillas, won't he? Perhaps he could give it up altogether?

[Jackdaw33]

I agree, Emmie. I'm surprised that gorillas are not up in arms over this. Apparently they've stopped taking the Sun.

[anotheoldgit]

jackthehat.

/// It seems that, even sidelining his comments about Ross Barkley, he still likes to give the city a good kicking. ///

That may well be but he is not on his own at making humorous remarks regarding Liverpool and it's inhabitants, once the removal of hub caps and now the removal of alloy wheels etc.If one dared to park their car.

But apart from that what has Hillsborough got to do with the accusation of racism being levelled towards MacKenzie?

[jackthehat]

He made 'alleged' racist remarks about Ross Barkley.

He added insults about the rest of Liverpool for good measure.....and given his history with the city he really ought to have been aware of what was likely to happen.

[Togo]

I suppose Barkley himself is happy. Up until this he was reviled by The Red half of the City for being an Everton player, and the Blue half for refusing to sign a new contract. He had received precious little sympathy in the City over getting himself clocked in a night club. Now he is a precious "victim", you know how the morally superior love a good victim. Bless.

[mikey4444]

I agree that is was probably not racist but it was rude, ill-advised and insulting, and that is enough to be going on with.

Dougie has it right,MacKenzie is a (foul-mouthed) mouth on a stick.

[Jackdaw33]

Of course, in the ideal socialist world such criticisms of so-called icons would not be tolerated.

[wolf63]

Gorillas are actually quite intelligent, at least they are more intelligent than your average football player.

[Old_Geezer]

So it wasn't anything about being compared to a drug dealer ?

[ichkeria]

An extraordinary piece of gutter 'journalism'
Given the Sun's reputation on Merseyside already it is astounding that this piece of trash was subbed through

[david small]

PC Agenda being conveniently evoked Surprisingly.

[sp1814]

AOG

As you already know, racists often like to compare black people to apes.

This is probably where the complaint stems from.

[sp1814]

If you're one of the remaining few who can still bear to read Kelvin MacKenzie's column in the Sun, you'll maybe have wondered why he's been mentioning his price comparison website A Spokesman Said, so much recently.

Well, it's because he desperately needs it to take off.

Kelvin is facing an expensive divorce. Remember a couple of years back it was reported that he was having an affair with a secretary at the Sun, and was all set to shack up with her until getting cold feet at the last minute?

His wife has finally decided to give him the boot and is set to take him to the cleaners.

Presumably the reason he's working the self-promotion
angle so hard is that he knows Rebekah Brooks is aching to bin his £300K a year column - cutting costs and helping to detoxify the Sun's brand in one easy
move.

He's hanging on by a thread (thanks to support from
editor Tony Gallagher and owner Rupert Murdoch) so is almost literally trying to make hay while the Sun shines.

[sp1814]

What has this got to do with his current suspension?

Well, think of how newspapers work. This comment piece by MacKenzie would have been read and proofed by a sub-editor. It would definitely have been checked prior to publication.

The cynic in me thinks that the editorial team let this piece through simply bacause Brookes wants rid of him.

If this is indeed what's going on, Rebecca has been quite clever.

[Peter Pedant]

But apart from that what has Hillsborough got to do with the accusation of racism being levelled towards MacKenzie?

he was the one who peddled the false story that the fans had urinated on dead people

Quite untrue but taken up by all and sundry who were looking for scape goats.

as for calling someone with a nigerian grandfather - a gorilla
well I wouldnt like to have as my only defence - "I didnt know it was racist your honour - and yeah I mean I would do it again"
Your love of freedom of speech may be greater AOG

[Togo]

Doncha just love confected outrage. According to Shakespeare "I think he doth protest too much". Not alone mind....... the whole of Liverpool seems to be suffering from an Irony Deficiency. :))

[mikey4444]

The support that MacKnzie is getting from the usual suspects is quite amazing but entirely expected !

[johnk]

Chester zoo has banned Sun reporters, the gorillas are very upset at being compared to an Everton player!

[Togo]

Haha Mikey "sneaks " in @ 4:41 in the early morning to leave a deposit whilst in semi precious mode. Maybe it is difficult for some to discern the difference between, disdain for the willingly offended, and the support for the antagonist. Never mind.