David Baddiel: Is anti-Semitism a blind spot? | Spectator TV 

Racism as experienced is such a weird thing. As a Scot, who moved to London in my twenties, and lived there for 25 years, I experienced quite a bit of racism: a whole lot of black on white racism - some violent. Some specifically black anti-Semitism. And one very nasty incident of a group of young Jewish boys attacking a "Jews for Jesus" man (on Hampstead Hight Street), involved a lot of spitting. I also experienced a pretty regular amount of anti-Scottish racism (not moaning -- did it bother me - not really). The worst incident of racism I ever witnessed, again in North London, was seeing a standard, "you spilled my pint" incident between a Scottish lad and an English lad, turn almost instantly into a gang of English lads kicking the shit out of the Scots lad as he lay on the floor, the circle kicking this poor lad getting bigger with the encouragement to the crowd to join in being "it's a sweaty." I had no connection with his Scottish lad. I just happened to be in the same pub. Seeing the instant explosion of animosity towards my fellow Scot (the sweaty) I kept my mouth shut. I guess what I find odd about the progressive's model of racism is that it's all "white on black/brown -- in a system of whiteness." Empirically - what I saw, in 25 years, was almost no white on black racism. And a whole lot of anti-Scottish racism - well I would it happened to me. I guess what I am saying is racism - as represented by the BBC - the Labour party - the popularized conception we are fed -- bore little relation to my experience. My "lived experience" as the progressive say. On the Y word turning it into another N word, I think that would be a big mistake -- as long as the N word is fetishized by blacks there will be a barrier between white and black -- Jews shouldn't make that mistake.

This guy is the biggest tart in comedy, he is anti-comedy and is absolutely riddled with woke.

I lost all respect for Baddiel when he did that Holocaust denier programme where he tried to link Brexit voters and deniers.

I don't know if it's just because I live in the northeast of England? But, I've never actually heard any anti-Semitism? I'm 46 and remember racism against Pakistanis and other minorities but have never to my mind witnessed any hateful remarks towards Jews?

"This is the worst kind of discrimination: The kind against me!"

I don't necessarily agree that there aren't many British Jewish comedians or comedy shows. Stephen Fry? Friday Night Dinner? Simon Amstell? Ben Elton? Matt Lucas? Alexi Sayle? I'm sure there are a lot more than that.

I always think of wall-to-wall coverage a 'blindspot'.

Strange David should quote Starmer,who was in the Labour party,and only party ever to have been investigated for antisemitism. And the main reason for that antisemitism was Corbyn. A man who Starmer tried his hardest to get elected as PM!

Is that the same David Baddiel that was quite happy to perform for years in BLACKFACE on national TV?

Always nice in the comments section that people who talk about 'woke' and 'tribal' act exactly like that when someone they disagree with is on this

The never-ending victimhood.

If the Spurs didn't sing it it would be sung at them with menaces by the supporters of Chelsea, West Ham etc with no response whatsoever. Baddiel is wrong to pin the blame on Spurs fans. It didn't start with Spurs fans and if Spurs stop singing it, the word won't go away. It will be reclaimed by the far right. That's the reality.

Excellent interview.

I think I disagree with the notion that the history of the word doesn't matter. If the history doesn't matter in the context of using it in a positive fashion, then the origin and historically negative connotations of the word doesn't matter either, which would make the word meaningless. The N word is just a word, without considering the historical connotations, it has no weight whatsoever. So either the Y word is a historical slur that has been reclaimed positively, or it is a word without meaning. It cannot have selective historical meaning.

He was bleating on about this on Fantasy Football in the 90s. I never hear anyone else mention it. He likes football culture when they sing his song but wants to shut it down when he's upset. Get over it.

Baddiel (who hasn't said anything funny in 15 years) dares to criticise Jimmy Carr!

must be exhausting for baddiel crying about his oppression 24/7 365

Who exactly are the far right? A lot of people are being called far right at the moment.

The Chelsea incident is more confusing because Roman Abramovich himself is Jewish. But then idiots are not called idiots for nothing.

Thanks for this David. Looking forward to you apologising for your racist slurs towards the GRT community over the years, or is that such a ‘blind spot’ that it doesn’t matter?

Very interesting discussion. Pity there are some unsavoury people in the comments section.

Can't we all just get along?

Personally speaking, I wish David Baddiel would change the record............

Maybe look a little deeper at Christopher Bouzy. He’s not what he portrays.

To rather prove his point, I came into the interviewing with a vague idea that David was or would be a Spurs fan. He's not. My attitudes to Spurs clearly at least 50 years out of date.

Do Tottenham fans use yid as a negative because in of itself it is not a negative word here in America or israel? Yes, I am Jewish.

I've lived in 4 continents and the only anti semitism I've ever experienced is towards arabs.

It's still censorship, David. We can see it for what it really is.

Baddiel says that anti semitism comes from the far right, but it existed for a very.long time before the concept of right wing even existed.

The "Y word"? Bloody hell, just say "Yid" for crying out loud. It doesn't mean you approve of the use of it, but this "N word", "Y word" is puerile.

David Baddiel. An absolute waste of space. Rode on the back of Frank Skinner. Get a job.

A whole new sub-genre: wokerati kvetching.

Err... Erm... Err... Erm... Err... Erm... Just ask the question, kid. Don't be so hesitant.

Baddiel is a self-confessed, non-practising Jew so I don't know why he feels he has to make his heritage his raison d'etre, almost. My heritage is half Derbyshire coal-mining Methodism and half middle-class Plymouth Brethren. I feel neither pride nor shame in that, it's an irrelevance in my life. What my ancestors did or believed in was their business, I don't care.

Richard Dawkins is humourless. Of course he was offended by David's "trolling" joke.

Why is black the default for all other sufferers of isms to use as a comparison, its racist to think that way because you also see black as the worst at moaning. We don't care ,as I said we have our own battle, its not a competition

Being an admire of Aishat Ackanbi, my guess is that there are a few things that she, one of the deepest and honest British thinkers of our time, (I believe, of Nigerian origins) won’t approve in the book ‘Jews don’t count’: 1. The author writes : « I agree that being white does bring with it enormous privilege », « It means you are protected… from prejudice, discrimination, second -class-citizenship, dispossession…” Aishat hates the idea of «White privilege » as she thinks it’s racist and carries similar notions of dangerous oversimplification, lies, potential hate and division, like the phrase “Jews are rich”. As a very well informed person, Aishat knows how many white people are poor or struggling in this country, despite the fashionable narrative, can be easily discriminated because of their weight, height, looks, age etc. 2. D.Baddiel complains that while choosing an actor for a Jewish character film directors and producers far too often give them to non-Jewish actors, which is in author’s view, is disregard for Jewish ethnic sensitivities. Aishat would completely disapprove both the “monopoly on sensitivity” as well as the whole idea that an ethnic minority character should be played only by an actor of the same race. She thinks of it as a neo-segregation-like, and again, dangerous and disuniting. I’ve been to her talks and listened to lots of her podcasts - I do highly recommend them. I could think of a few other points of the book A.A.might disagree with. There is a chance I might be wrong. It’s best to ask her.

It's unbelievable to see the number of comments posted here that only serve to confirm this "blind spot", one commenter even stating that the fact it's being talked about negates it being a blind spot. While I'd like to offer the poster the benefit of the doubt, it's quite obvious in this case the expression could be interepreted as being an intentional or consciously deliberate act (which in my view makes it all the worse).

Birmingham City fans call themselves the Zulus..racism is not a race or competition for the sufferers..badie needs to stop comparing and focus on anti semtism, because pointing fingers distracts for the perpetrators actions ...

I'm a Spectator Subscriber. I'd be obliged if my comments weren't deleted. Especially if they are about David Baddiel, who got old an insecure and then suddey remembered HOW JEWISH he was only after him and the likes of him had turned London-and a lot of other places- into an unliveable mess, especially for Jews.

11:52..... Tells you all you need to know... "A thinking sport publication". In other words it is a subscription based journal for people with the right opinions.

Baddiel is one twisted manipulator

If you need to read an into........sad

Now be honest, this interview was a waste of time.

Come on man, Amnesty has just declared Israel as an apartheid state, are we supposed to ignore that?

Islam and Judaism are religions so why are they put into the race category?

Reading some peoples comments only validates what he saying. It’s amazing to watch it in real time

I find badiel particularly unfunny..oh and somehow annoying. Not my thing at all

Boring.

Spectator TV why are you wasting your time on this bell end Baddiel?

Eye opener for sure. David is a very Intelegent man...Aswel as a good song writer! 👍

Irrelevant

Sop with the victimhood bullshit. It's tedious.

Ok Jew