Ministry for Blithering Idiots
Boris Johnson: "down with the ethnics"
If mayoral candidate Boris Johnson had a theme tune, what would it be? We haven't actually got an answer, by the way. Well, we were going to list a series of popular songs that dealt with the themes of embarrassment and stupidity, but that meant all kinds of pesky 'research'.
Anyway. Suffice to say - should dear old BoJo have a continuing musical backdrop - it would no doubt occasionally halt and break out into a full on 'wah-wah-wah-waaahhh', as favoured in 1970s childrens cartoons. Yep - not content with having offended the whole of Liverpool, Boris now seems intent on upsetting ethnic minorities. How? Oh, you'll see. You'll see ...
During an interview with the BBC Asian Network, presenter Nihal Arthanayake asked Boris the - presumably ironic - question: "are you down with the ethnics?". Never being one for subversive humour - the man prefers Biggles to Salman Rushdie, remember - Boris instantly went on the offensive:
"I'm down with the ethnics. You can't out-ethnic me, Nihal. My children are a quarter Indian, so put that in your pipe and smoke it."
The outburst created a strange aural hybrid that filtered across the capital city - the bizarre combination of sniggering listeners and fevered groans ememating from Mr. Johnson's PR team. His opponents have latched onto this mishap in characteristic fashion, instantly decrying the man as an imbecile. Lib Dem candidate Brian Paddick ranted:
"Sitting next to an Asian presenter and saying he can 'out-ethnic' anyone just shows how stupid an intelligent man can be."
The irony being? That's probably the most memorable thing he's said during the whole campaign.
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1 Comments
Wow - you guys really like to push a non-story - a politician with a sense of humour. The problem is you - trying to highlight an issue about race, religion, diversity at every oppotunity when there isn't one. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself whether YOU are furthering race relations in this country or hindering them