Oklahoma anchor apologizes to black co-host after comparing him to gorilla on air

Cox Media via WPXI ^ | August 28, 2019 | Kelcie Willis

[rightwingintelligentsia]

OKLAHOMA CITY - A local news anchor issued a tearful on-air apology to her co-host after she compared him to a gorilla on television.

USA Today reported that KOCO morning show host Alex Housden, who is white, made the racist comparison of co-anchor Jason Hackett, who is black, to a gorilla in a segment about one of the animals at the Oklahoma City Zoo.

The Washington Post reported that Housden was specifically reporting on Fin, the zoo's baby western lowland gorilla, who was seen taking selfies during an Instagram takeover by one of his caretakers.

"As you can see, Fin was fascinated," Housden said, wrapping up the report.

"Definitely ready for his close-up there," Hackett said.

The segment cut to a traffic report and when it returned to the co-anchors, Housden said to Hackett, "Kind of looks like you when you take a picture."

Hackett hesitated and then responded, "Yeah it does, actually, yeah. Very close to the camera."

Many viewers took issue with her remarks because of the racist historical association of black people with monkeys and being animalistic. The Post reported that viewers called in to the station and wrote complaints on Facebook, saying Housden's comment repeated racist stereotypes.

Housden tearfully apologized the next day, Deadline reported.

[Richard Kimball]

It was stupid to make that comment.

She's in the profession, and should know better.

Ali used gorilla as an insult to Frazier. You don't insult your cohost, and if you can't figure out that comparing a black person to a gorilla is an insult, you're too stupid to even read the news.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Alex Housden may not get fired, but she will never get another job in broadcast media, or perhaps anywhere.

Don't be so sure. A former news anchor here who was forced from her job over "racist" online remarks (which were actually nothing more than reasonable speculation about the perps in a drive-by shooting) was just named the afternoon talk radio host on a 50,000 watt blowtorch.

Liberal heads are, of course, exploding. Once a name, always a threat.

[Midwesterner53]

Remember that there is no forgiveness for whites saying anything the left does not like. Meanwhile, minorities can say virtually anything without a second thought.

[Rebelbase]

"Everyone knows that gorillas are native to equatorial Africa only."