'Simply a bit of banter'
'Simply a bit of banter'
Mayoral hopeful explains controversial podcast comments
Good morning Patchers — here is your Thursday briefing.
One of the candidates hoping to be West Midlands mayor has insisted a podcast he appeared in that featured jokes about violence against women was “simply a bit of banter”. That news leads our Brum in brief today, followed by criticism of Joe Lycett’s pranks in the New Statesman and a heartwarming story from Handsworth. Plus: we recommend a fun folk music night in ten days time.
Our mid-week article will be going out later today. It’s also about Handsworth and asks why so many YouTubers have been visiting the area lately to make so-called ‘poverty porn’? Look out for that one in your inboxes. All subscribers will be able to read the opening of the story but free readers will hit a paywall part of the way down. We know, paywalls aren’t fun. But to fund our journalism and avoid having to plaster it with annoying adverts, we are looking for as many people as possible to become paying members of The Dispatch. In return, you’ll get access to all of our stories, as well as the ability to have your say in the comments and access to our upcoming events. Join us today — we’d love to have you.
Brum in brief
🗣️‘A bit of banter’: The Dispatch spoke to Independent Mayoral candidate Akhmed Yakoob — popular on TikTok — after he appeared in a podcast during which guests joked about violence against women. After a fellow guest on the Minted Minds podcast claimed he would give his wife a “backhander” if she earned money by ‘dancing on TikTok’, Yakoob responded by saying: “Are you saying, if she comes up in your personal space you will defend yourself?” All of the podcast guests then start laughing. Yakoob also appeared to praise the controversial misogynist influencer Andrew Tate. The Dispatch questioned him on the former comments and he said “it was simply a bit of banter” and that he meant “you would only attack someone if they were attacking you and you defend yourself”.
🤣Practical Joe-ker: Joe Lycett’s recent fake news stunt has been called ‘shallow self-promotion’ in a national newspaper. Sarah Manavis, writing in the New Statesmen, criticised Lycett’s practical joke which saw his team send fake press releases to journalists to try to get nonsense stories in print, including a fake ‘Banksy’ and a story about Birmingham men having larger than average penises. Lycett said the articles were meant to “take up space” where more harmful fake news would otherwise be printed. But Manavis suggests that the hoax didn’t teach anything about how fake news proliferates and it merely targeted “inexperienced, exhausted journalists” in underresourced newsrooms. What do you think? Was Lycett’s joke worthwhile? Let us know in the comments.
🏆Outstanding school transformation: St Micheal’s C of E Primary School in Handsworth has achieved an Outstanding Ofsted rating following a transformation by headteacher Philip Hynan. The Dispatch understands that the school serves many students who are recently settled, living in temporary accommodation, or in financial hardship, so the result represents a hugely positive outcome for the community. Hynan said that when he started at the school in 2021 (when it was given a ‘requires improvement’ Ofsted rating), it was suffering from “reputational damage”, falling pupil numbers and a high turnover of staff. Today it provides services like a community food cupboard and allotment, an urban farm, free countryside retreats and even a monthly supper club. Deputy Headteacher Daniel Martin, who was born and raised in Handsworth, said: "St. Michael's is a personal mission to bring an outstanding quality of education to a community that means so much to me.”
🎻Folk Friday: Enjoy live folk music at this night at the Grand Union Folk Club where dancing is encouraged! “Innovative” duo Burd Ellen will be joined by artist Elizabeth Still and DJs Nettie V and Hedge Priest for the evening at Centrala on Friday 26 April. Tickets from £9 but if you can’t afford it, no worries — just shoot them an email.
It’s odd how it’s always the racists, the homophobes, the transphobes, and the misogynists who try to explain away their bigotry by calling it ‘just a bit of banter’, isn’t it?
The news about the school has made my morning