Triple M’s national One Percenters show has drawn criticism from ethnic Colombians for racist comments about drug usage in the South American country.
A campaign has been launched on change.org petitioning Matt Tilley and Joe Hildebrand to apologise to Colombians for the “racist rampage against Colombia and its people” on air last week.
The Colombian Embassy has also lodged a formal protest with the station.
The comments, part of the sport focused drive time comedy show, have angered the petitioners, who feel Colombians were stereotyped as all being drug users. They want “a formal apology and punishment” of the pair for comments such as:
“it seems to me that if you mention Colombia the next thing that people generally mention is cocaine…”
The petition, which has reached more than 11,000 signatures, says:
Matt Tilley and Joe Hildebrand from Triple M went on making jokes about the drug trade which has seen a lot of deaths and devastation of the people of Colombia, diminished the fact that Colombia is one of the best producers of Coffee in the world and mentioned about the death of Andres Escobar, in a time where the country was swept by violence. Not only that they also appear to be making fun of Rene Higuita relating his famous hand stand saves to that of a donkey.
On the Drug trade side, they go on to affirm that EVERYBODY in Colombia, owns, sells and do Cocaine. Saying this is a public insult as that is not the truth and we do not want to be associated with it because of the devastation that this has brought to our country. No Matt Tilley and Joe Hildebrand ALL COLOMBIANS ARE NOT RELATED TO DRUGS saying this is insulting all Colombian people and those whose life has been devastated because of this.
..…The Ambassador of Colombia to Australia Clemencia Forero, has replied to our petition. She as well as all the nearly 5k people who have signed the petition, agrees as well with the unacceptable comments from those radio hosts. From the Colombian embassy she has proceeded to communicate this incident to the Ministry for External Affairs in Colombia in order to take corrective action...
The petition quotes some of the One Percerters’ comments, which are now no longer in the show’s audio podcast.
“Then they had Rene Higuita the goal keeper who famously could do a handstand and flip his legs up and save it that way. Hands? Too easy! Chimpanzees could do that, I’m going to do a donkey kick”
“The Colombian team has been described as Colombian coffee growers” ” Is Colombia really famous for his coffee?” “Are you suggesting that there is another stimulant beginning with C that Colombia is more famous for than caffeine” “I just want to say this; it seems to me that if you mention Colombia the next thing that people generally mention is cocaine”
“Oohh the coca cola, white lady, snow. I mean everybody has it, is on it, sells it, I hear of people who go there backpacking and say it’s crazy, Oh yeah a bit of blow everybody has some, (Laugh)”
“Colombian people who go, well you know what we are a bit more than that we have gangs and we kill people too you know and coffee.”
“Sometimes after you’ve done a big night on the blow you need a cup of coffee to straighten yourself out. We are saying that Colombians love it”
It is not sufficient for Matt Tilley and Joe Hildebrand to apologize. They should be fired immediately. Triple M (like any radio station) has a responsibility to ensure that its hosts are not xenophobic, ignorant, and offensive. I could (facetiously) argue that Australia is known as a country full of paedophiles: Geoffrey Robert Dobbs, David Shane Whitby, Gerard Ridsdale, Mark Pendleton, etc. However, it would be irresponsible and hateful for me to thereby claim that ALL Australians participate in and enjoy paedophilia. Furthermore, if I did so as a part of my job in a public forum, that would undoubtedly be a fireable offense. Please relieve Matt Tilley and Joe Hildebrand of their duties.