Crosswords5 mins ago
Feed The Monkey
Nasa decided they’d finally send a man up in a capsule after sending only monkeys in the earlier missions.
So the next flught they fire a man and a monkey into space. The intercom crackles, 'Monkey, fire the retros’. A little later, 'Monkey, check the solid fuel supply’. Later still, 'Monkey, check the life support systems for the man’.
The astronaut, feeling peeved, radios Nasa, 'When do I get to do something?’
Nasa replies, 'You're just there to feed the monkey’.”
__________
Fifty years later, the old NASA joke has come back to haunt Roy Hodgeson, the England Football Manager. When asked during half time on Tuesday by the defender Chris Smalling, what his job was, apparently, Hodgeson replied "Feed the Space Monkey" , referring to Andros Townsend, a black player.
Was that:
a) A good joke?
b) Racist?
So the next flught they fire a man and a monkey into space. The intercom crackles, 'Monkey, fire the retros’. A little later, 'Monkey, check the solid fuel supply’. Later still, 'Monkey, check the life support systems for the man’.
The astronaut, feeling peeved, radios Nasa, 'When do I get to do something?’
Nasa replies, 'You're just there to feed the monkey’.”
__________
Fifty years later, the old NASA joke has come back to haunt Roy Hodgeson, the England Football Manager. When asked during half time on Tuesday by the defender Chris Smalling, what his job was, apparently, Hodgeson replied "Feed the Space Monkey" , referring to Andros Townsend, a black player.
Was that:
a) A good joke?
b) Racist?
Answers
Gromit, not often I agree with you but your last line says it al for me. Incidents like this fuel the racists who will use it as a case to show how the white man can't say anything without it being analyzed and incite others to their warped views and beliefs. This then detracts from the problem we have, particularly in football, with real racists. And there are...
08:49 Thu 17th Oct 2013
not sure but both players are black aren't they, i don't know much about football except that racism has been a problem for many years, on and off the pitch, but i wonder would the boss make such an overt remark - if andros townsend had been white would it make news, seems a strange thing for anyone to say, let alone a football manager. perhaps he just meant that his job was to feed the better player, i honestly don't know...
interesting take on the explanation
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I thought it was a funny thing to quip.
The test for me is "would the same joke have the same meaning and still be funny if Townsend was white?"
I think it would, so do not see any racist intent, or even any unintentional slur.
Other interpretations of the phrase do not really fit the context. Feeding an addiction or to have sex would be meaningless. I think it was clear Hodgeson meant "your job is to look after the other player".
The test for me is "would the same joke have the same meaning and still be funny if Townsend was white?"
I think it would, so do not see any racist intent, or even any unintentional slur.
Other interpretations of the phrase do not really fit the context. Feeding an addiction or to have sex would be meaningless. I think it was clear Hodgeson meant "your job is to look after the other player".
Sorry, just realise there was no link to the news story. Here it is
http://
// Roy Hodgson was forced to issue an apology last night after becoming embroiled in a bizarre row over a joke he reportedly made about a space monkey and England winger Andros Townsend.
It is understood that Hodgson told the joke at half-time of England’s 2-0 win against Poland, with the intention of encouraging right-back Chris Smalling to play the ball more frequently to Townsend. //
http://
// Roy Hodgson was forced to issue an apology last night after becoming embroiled in a bizarre row over a joke he reportedly made about a space monkey and England winger Andros Townsend.
It is understood that Hodgson told the joke at half-time of England’s 2-0 win against Poland, with the intention of encouraging right-back Chris Smalling to play the ball more frequently to Townsend. //
Gromit, not often I agree with you but your last line says it al for me.
Incidents like this fuel the racists who will use it as a case to show how the white man can't say anything without it being analyzed and incite others to their warped views and beliefs.
This then detracts from the problem we have, particularly in football, with real racists. And there are plenty of them.
Incidents like this fuel the racists who will use it as a case to show how the white man can't say anything without it being analyzed and incite others to their warped views and beliefs.
This then detracts from the problem we have, particularly in football, with real racists. And there are plenty of them.
hilarious...heres an idea lets ban any references to monkeys in any way or form if theres a black within a predefined hearing radiuus...even better lets ban the word monkey completwly , that should keep these idiots happy...until they find something else to get offended by........
the church of the perpetually offended is alive and kicking
the church of the perpetually offended is alive and kicking
Not at all racist, but as others have said, an unfortunate indictment of society today. Typical of The Sun to make something out of nothing! Hate that rag and all it stands for. Just wish people wouldn't buy it, but unfortunately that will never happen. One other point....Why did Chris Smalling have to ask what his job was at half-time? Surely he knows???
I believe that racism should be kicked out of touch in sport or in any other walks of life, but this is absolutely ridiculous, one has to be so very careful what one says these days in case they get labelled a racist.
In answering an earlier post from a black ABer, when I was referred to as a sheep who followed a particular flock, I was tempted to return the slur by saying "that is good coming from the Black Sheep of AnswerBank," but instantly thought better of it because undoubtedly I would have been given yet another racist label and goodness knows I have enough of them.
In answering an earlier post from a black ABer, when I was referred to as a sheep who followed a particular flock, I was tempted to return the slur by saying "that is good coming from the Black Sheep of AnswerBank," but instantly thought better of it because undoubtedly I would have been given yet another racist label and goodness knows I have enough of them.
