Even though the Danish TV station officially apologized for airing perceived disrespectful comments comparing Moroccan national football team players and their families to monkeys, anger fueled by the incident is not even close to over, with netizens continuously commenting on the issue, expressing their indignation.
The host of TV 2 NEWS was talking about players and their families, and then proceeded to the next news section about monkeys and how they gather to keep warm with a picture of the animals being displayed.
“In continuation of the talk about Morocco [players] and their families in Qatar, we also have an animal family gathering to keep warm,” he said in the video, which went viral online.
Later, the channel apologized, saying the comment was “wrong and offensive,” and could be “perceived as a racist” one. The presenter who was holding a picture of monkeys apologized for the incident, but said he wasn't the one who expressed "the inappropriate remark." The host who made the offensive transition, in turn, as cited by the broadcaster, offered an apology for his comments, underlining that it wasn't his intention to draw such a wrong comparison.
“We’re extremely sorry for the comments linking to the next program about animals. We apologize deeply for this,” the channel tweeted in response to a viral post with a fragment of the program.
The channel explained that the photo was dedicated to the next section about wildlife and not connected with "the debate about the World Cup."
Following the apology, media users expressed their opinions on the “clumsy attempt at linking news stories on the spot,” calling it a “disappointment” and “inappropriate” for broadcast on national TV.
“The funny thing is he’s the one who resembles the monkeys in the picture now that I look at it,” one user wrote on Twitter.
Some of the comments stated that the host's remarks were racist, and that the incident simply exposed the "true colors" and "deep nature" of those who had previously condemned "the tournament for being played in the Middle East."
"How is that a mistake? That was prepared and approved in advance by a bunch of human that thought this was acceptable," one user claimed.
Even several days later, the Internet hasn't gone silent over the incident. Netizens continue to question how the channel had even allowed it to appear in the broadcast, saying that "the state of western journalism is embarrassing." They said that the photos of Morocco's players with their mothers, which have been "praised worldwide," emphasize and promote healthy relations and the importance of family values.
Some users, for instance, wondered if there are “any problems when embracing with moms in Denmark,” as players hugging their mothers is a normal expression of joy, and not “an animal matter.”
Others noted that Moroccans and Muslims in general have great respect for their parents and "are good with family and relatives," with some assuming that "this might be because these journalists never experienced family warmth, never cherished mother's love or never knew who their mothers and fathers are!"