Two members of the KATV team in Arkansas are getting a little extra time without pay after a stunt went awry.
With a southern cold front coming through, temperatures were dipping into the 70s.
So, as a joke, meteorologist Barry Brandt and Anchor Chris May decided to don some 70s hairstyles as a joke.
Well, it was perceived to be racist, and now both of them are on the sidelines, and their boss was reportedly fired.
Not Funny
The two had no sooner gotten off the air when they found out they were going to get hit with a suspension.
There were all kinds of pushback from viewers, saying the stunt was blatant racism.
The “afro” wigs being worn on white men, even though plenty of white men donned an afro hairstyle in the 70s, were not perceived well by an almost half black audience (Little Rock has a demographic of about 42 percent black).
The doll was followed by the main anchor wearing an afro wig to celebrate the 70 degree temperature. Here's the crazy part, all of this happened after the station had gone through "diversity" training. We know there were suspensions and we're told more action will be taken. pic.twitter.com/8XxETFK09G
— Dorothy Tucker NABJ (@Dorothy4NABJ) September 23, 2021
A spokesperson for the station stated, “Swift action was important to hold the responsible parties accountable.”
John Seabers, a Sinclair Broadcast Group vice president and group manager in charge of local stations in Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, could not apologize quick enough.
He stated, “We apologize to all viewers who were rightfully offended by the segment, and we promise to enact and enforce new measures to prevent future incidents from occurring.”
Seabers later held a phone call with local black journalists calling the wig stunt “abhorrent” and “juvenile.”
Now, KATV has vowed, “further training for sensitivity and workplace conduct, in line with our commitment to ensuring events like this don’t happen again.”
Not everyone took the joke as a racist attack.
One commenter stated, “I’m African American and I saw the weather report with the wigs.
“I really didn’t think too much about it. Everything is not racism. There were white men in the 70’s who wore Afros just like blacks.
“I think sometimes we go overboard. Its [sic] a shame someone had to lose their job over this.”
Another wrote, “Good grief. As evidenced by all the comments here there were tens of thousands of white guys with ugly Afros in the 70s and 80s.
“She had to lean way over to get hit by the pitch. I can’t believe they apologized.”
Those two clearly did not get the memo that anything and everything must be changed to a racist narrative these days, even if you have to reach like Stretch Armstrong to make it racist.
When their suspensions are over (if they don’t ultimately get fired), we can probably expect the obligatory apology on camera begging forgiveness.
Source: New York Post
22 Responses
Ridiculous…. Sick of this over used -overdone RACIST CRAP
Amen, right on. I too am sick to death of all this childish behavior on the backs of those calling everything they do not agree with, racist.
Right on!
Such bull…$…
This is results of cancel culture, how some people are quick to judge no matter what just to hate feels good to them.
Cut the CRAP! Stop with the RACISM GARBAGE.
What is PAST is just that- PAST!
Some sound exactly like BIG MOUTH RACIST, MAXINE WATERS. She had the GALL to say “What WE went through with being Slaves.” She has not and was not born when Africans were Slaves. Don’t forget the African Chiefs SOLD them to the White Men! If you need to place the blame on someone, put it on YOUR SELVES! Ask the “Chiefs” to PAY you what the white men paid them. I yield my time!
Carol, you are so right. I have been to three former slave castles in 3 different countries in Africa. I have heard the talks given by locals in charge of the former slave facilities—how the chief sold their tribe members to ship captains for rum, beads and other trinkets. How no white person could make it to the port, or up the river to obtain slaves without the consent of the chief. It was after hearing the same stories repeated in Ghana, Nigeria and Zanzibar that all the guilt I had felt for years regarding slavery just went away. Slavery was awful. We have grown as a country and as a people. Enough quilt. Let us work to accept all regardless of skin color. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is my hero.
The left doesn’t have a sense of humor. Then again, most demonRATS don’t have any common sense at all, proven.
These people and their(offended) nonsense need to stop. It was meant to reflect the 70’s and be funny,nothing more nothing less. It seems the left isn’t happy unless everyone is miserable. Lighten up and laugh a little.
You want to be hating try the I idiot in the White house. Him and Obama are the most racist in the country.
HEY! Thy have to have the “gimme me free-be’s” bunch, or else the democrat planation will disappear.
“Seabers later held a phone call with local black journalists “. How is this not another example of racism? IF he had held a phone call with local white journalists, you better believe there would be an uproar.
These knee grows got to get over themselves. Just ain’t that important.
And I respect them twice as much as they respect me.
Don’t burn that burger on the grill, or you will be called racist!
All this proves is how a hand full of racist ideas can bully people into being their muppets. Criticizing someone about the style of wig they are wearing and going so far as to suggest that it is racist is another form of intimidation. These are all tactics that control freaks’ use.
Hypocrites..You see it’s only racist if it’s come from the white .blacks do it l the time and not helt accountable
This lousy web site just lost my post. Poor quality so-called protection program reCAPTCHA has struck again. Totally unacceptable and unreasonable.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaa, I want my mama.
Maybe people like her need to go into their purses wallets and check the date on their “race card”. You can’t use it anymore: its expired. Blacks minorities have more access to government aid/programs than anyone else. I see more commercials on tv with black or minority actors/actresses than white ones.
If white people do something, we are racists. If black people do something, it is ok. The most racist people I have ever knows were not white.
Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t the station’s reaction a violation of the “free Speech” amendment?
Get a life you bunch of snowflakes!
I am white and used to curl and fro my long hair up and no one then accused it to be racism.
This hole bunch are triggered by the communist democrat cult party and needs to get a life!
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