For
those who have never heard BBC Radio Four's Gardeners Questions,
it's the closest thing you can come to a favorite comfy
chair and a mug of coco on the radio in the predominantly
white middle class homes of the UK.
A
panel of gardening experts answer questions phoned or written
to them...
A
listener phoned in to ask about the Rhodochiton Volubilis,
otherwise known as a BMW, Black Man's Willy.
| This
is a black man's willy: |
|
|
|
Rhodochiton
Volubilis (aka black man's willy)
|
If
you are easily offended it's probably best to click away
now.
The
problem seems to be that the panel tried to make light of
the question... and made a number of comments laden with
innuendo...
According
to a report we saw on the Daily Mail website, a gardening
author said he had "only ever seen one close up - and
not that colour".
According
to the same newspaper, a female horticulturist followed
up with: "I've never seen one in my life. They don't
really like the cold, as you can imagine. They shrivel up
and look very unhappy."
There
was hilarity all round, but the BBC received a number of
complaints and have now ruled that the comments should never
have been broadcast as they were potentially racially offensive.
