Oops. Eddie makes a King Kong klanger.
Updated: Collingwood president puts his foot in it by joking about Adam Goodes & the King Kong musical. "I made a slip of the tongue.... and I apologise."
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Eddie McGuire has apologised after a misfired joke on Triple M this morning in which he referred to AFL player Adam Goodes when asked about the King Kong musical.
Co-host Luke Darcy said “What a great promo that is, for King Kong,” he said.
Eddie McGuire replied: “Get Adam Goodes down for it, d’you reckon?”
“No, I wouldn’t have thought so,” Darcy replied.
McGuire: “You can see them doing that, can’t you? Goodesy. You know, the big, not the ape thing the whole thing, I’m just saying the pumping him up and mucking around and that sort of stuff.”
The comment from the Collingwood president follows a 13 year old Collingwood fan being removed from a game after Adam Goodes complained about an “ape” remark. The girl has since apologised.
Last Friday the Hot Seat host, who has worked hard for tolerance in the AFL, apologised to Goodes on behalf of his football club. But his radio remark may have undone some of that work.
On radio today McGuire later said: “Just to clear up, when we were talking about King Kong there and I was mumbling my way through about Goodesy, I was trying to say ‘Imagine the old days of trying to get people in for publicity’ and I’ve mumbled my way through that so anyone who thought that I was having a go or being a smart alec I take that back.”
Darcy: “Yeah. Not sure where you were going there.”
McGuire: “Nah, neither did I halfway there I was that exhausted this morning, so apologies to that.”
Adam Goodes was quick to react on Twitter this morning, writing: “Morning Australia this is what I have woken up to.”
Updated: In a Press Conference this afternoon McGuire said it was a slip of the tongue and rang Adam Goodes to apologise.
“I wasn’t trying to be a smart alec and nor was I certainly trying to racially vilify anyone,” he said.
“It was said and I do not resile from that situation.
“I put my foot in it, so I stand here today and I’m happy to cop any criticism or any critiques. But also to point out that I did the wrong thing, not intentionally, but nevertheless it caused hurt. And for that I am absolutely sorry.
“I’m happy to sit here in front of the country and say that we do not stand for racial vilification, I do not stand for racial vilification.”
However The Age is reporting Goodes has not accepted McGuire’s apology.
Update: Age now reports he accepts the apology.
Source: news.com.au
Share
- Tagged with Hot Seat
35 Responses
Why don’t the other nationalities in Australia jump up and down for the racist taunts they have and still do get directed at them maybe they don’t want a career in public life.
Update: (courtesy news.com.au) “Eddie McGuire may stand aside as Collingwood president after ‘King Kong’ reference to Adam Goodes”.
Although I believe Eddie McGuire is not a genuinely racist man, he is going to have to get a suspension from one of his employers as punishment. Although he made the comment on his Triple M radio breakfast show in Melbourne, I would be surprised if he was taken off air by the Triple M / Southern Cross Austereo management considering what Kyle Sandilands has said on-air at 2Day FM in Sydney. I don’t have access to Fox Footy channel where I live, but based on the reports of how soft Gerard Whately went on him during the AFL 360 program I would have to assume Foxtel will give him a warning this time and let him off the hook as long as no more inappropriate comments of any kind come out of his mouth again.
Just add racist comments to the list that includes his sexist and homophobic comments from the past.
Foxtel gave Eddie AFL360 tonight to defend himself,I had a lot of respect Gerald but he went soft on Eddie and I believe he may have lost a lot of respect of viewers loyal to the show hes has lost mine !!
Is Australians are racist, so is every other nation in the world.
Ugh. Not two days ago I was saying to someone how I respected Eddie for his stance on the issue and how I thought it was good the club even offered counselling to the girl, and now this. It’s not a slip of the tongue. It’s just ignorant and stupid.
@Stan LMAO!!!
I have heard in the media that his comments were ill judged and a brain fail but when the 13 year old girl said similar comments the media constantly referred to them as racist comments. I for one don’t think Eddie is racist but media doesn’t give the same benefit of the doubt to the general public.
I thought The Projects analysis was spot on, especially from Dave. That press conference was extraordinary, I think this will escalate into a sacking from somewhere.
One small remark can be a slip of the tongue. But not when you keep going the way he did.
Sorry to jump on the @Stan bandwagon but if David ever compiles a ‘best of’ comments’ list that one will be right up there.
I am sorry but if MMM and Channel 9 and Foxtel and Collingwood have any credibility then Eddie has to be sacked considering what has occurred since Friday. Think of the punishment David Morrow copped for a story told when he thought he wasn’t on air (he is not allowed to call origin or finals).
@Stan – You win the internet today.
@Stan: LMAO!
I can’t believe this. I was just starting to like Eddie after the way he handled Friday night’s situation perfectly. Now, he goes and says basically the same thing as that 13 year old girl.
A slip of the tongue? Feeling tired? It was John Oliver from The Daily Show who labelled Australia as one of “the most comfortably racist places” he has ever visited.
I know I become more racist when I’m exhausted.
People in the public eye are always sorry when they’re caught out. Get them away from the close guarded confines of a studio or their management and at a moment of vulnerability – he said he was “tired” – and you get a glimmer of what sort of attitudes or mindset they have. To make a comment like this, one has to already have the attitude.
as far as on air WTF? moments..this is right up there.
Exhuasted or not, it’s quite a brain snap.
Eddie has a good history of promoting tolerance in the AFL, so, lets not hang him out to dry over this though
I missed the 2nd half of last nights The Block repeat because of this media conference of Eddie flapping his gums repeating the same crap over and over. He is only sorry because he has to be. No excuse. I’m more angry that I missed The Block. Eddie is always saying stuff he shouldn’t, and for people to say “it’s not like Eddie at all” are fools.
“… anyone who thought that I was having a go or being a smart alec I take that back.”
He was clearly having a go.
Rather than making the usual celebrity non-apology – (i.e. “if anyone took offence…” or similar) he should have just come out and directly said sorry for his words.
Goodes said “It isn’t a Collingwood issue” but Eddie has just contradicted that and shown us that maybe it is.
Just don’t get this one. Cannot understand why he said it. Eddie is way too media savvy to think he could get away with this as a joke. At least the girl has youth as an excuse. she was march off by herself and interviewed for a long time. eddies incident will be passed off as an oversight or something.
As if anyone needed another reason to despise Eddie McGuire!
McGuire need to stick with what he knows best. Oh, he is. Carry on.
not a stunt at all.
Being a Pies supporter, I have copped it that the three landmark discrimination moments (Winmar at Vic Park/ Long calling out Monkhurst’s discrimination/the Ape call recently) have all invloved Collingwood. Now our Prez has slipped up trying to make a joke. As Effy would say “How embarrassment.”