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John Mangos speaks about racism row

Greek-Australian and former SKY News presenter John Mangos says he is horrified to have been branded a racist.

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Former SKY News presenter John Mangos has told News Limited he was horrified to be branded a racist, especially when he has been on the receiving end of plenty of names himself.

“I’ve been called a wog and a dago and spiv all my life. I’m disappointed by what’s happened. I admit it was a silly remark and I apologised.

“When I was in grade 4 I had salami and skordalia, a garlic spread, on my sandwich. We had (lunch) inside because it was raining and the teacher said, ‘Whose lunch pongs?’ … all the kids pointed to me and I got detention! That’s what I’ve grown up with.”

An official complaint has been made to the Human Rights Commission over the remarks.

The Greek-Australian, 54, was sacked by SKY News after comments he made about a Chinese lottery winner.

Many viewers consider the move an over-reaction following his fifteen years with SKY.

SKY recently announced it was extending its broadcasting deal with Chinese broadcasters CCTV and Shanghai Media Group. It is also bidding for the right to operate the Australia Network.

15 Responses

  2. The argument “people have been racist towards me therefore I can’t be racist” doesn’t really hold much weight.

    @steve Speak for yourself.

  5. Anyone that took offence to this does not deserve to live in a free country such as ours still(just) is.
    Narrow minded alarmists with self righteous illusions of grandeur tend to hop on little band wagons and are oblivious to the pretence that is worse then the original misdemeanor.

  7. I’d say it was racist, but it was more ignorant-racist rather than vitriolic-racist and I would say many people have a little bit of that since we’re all ignorant about most cultures that aren’t our own. It was incredibly stupid to say on TV, but it does sound like an over-reaction. I’m Chinese and I didn’t find it offensive.

    I don’t think he should be using his own upbringing to justify it though. Just because I was called a Ching-Chong-Chinaman (that cracks me up these days) it doesn’t mean I can call him a wog or a dago or a spiv!

  9. His alleged background of racist taunts as a child does not excuse him from making racially biased comments himself. If anything, it should make him more sensitive about this sort of thing. On reflection, it probably isn’t a sacking offence, more something you’d be suspended and warned for (like Sam Newman on The Footy Show) but unfortunately for JM his timing was absolutely appalling and he is paying the price. I was never particularly enamoured of him as a newsreader. His fellow Greek Aussie, George Donikian, was a way better newsreader.

  11. John is a sweet guy who made a mistake .. and appologised . If the Sky push into China was not on he would have survived , bad timing JM but that’s the reallity .
    He will turn up in the media again and good on him , just sorry for his dark nights right now .

  12. if he’s been a victim all his life then he should have known better. if he’d have apologised 10 seconds after he said it then it would be more sincere. he was a lousy newsreader on skynews. you have to be serious on a news channel – its not the graham kennedy show

  14. I hate the overly PC world we live in, when you can’t even make off hand remarks without it being blown out of all proportion.

    Yes they were stupid remarks and he apologized, it should have ended there. Seriously a complaint to the Human Rights Commission over a joke? I wonder who many the complaint? Were they of Chinese decent or just some do-gooder with nothing better to do?

    I’m all for human rights but this is ridicules but they shouldn’t be wasting their time on it and instead should be prosecuting those responsible for true Human rights violations.

  15. Just because he claims he was some sort of victim does not allow him to make the racially based comments that he did. It also does not mean that he is not racist. Most people from All backgrounds have some sort of racial preference.

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