Phat Joe suspended for ‘unacceptable’ comment
Parents of children with Down Syndrome were outraged by the controversial DJ's comment.
POPULAR radio deejay, Phat Joe remains suspended following a comment he made on one of Durban’s biggest radio stations, East Coast Radio. He caused an uproar when, on his afternoon drive-time show last week, he said said to thousands of listeners that he felt ‘Down Syndromish’.
In a Facebook post the radio station said,”As a well-known and well-loved KZN brand, we will always endeavour to protect the interests of our listeners. We disagree with the comments that Phat Joe has made over the past few days and have decided to take him off air, for the duration of this week. We will provide a further update as soon as we are in a position to do so.”
Speaking to the Northglen News, Courtney Masterton, ‘a proud mother of a down syndrome child’ who commented on ECR’s Facebook page about Joe’s comment, said that she is pleased to see that the necessary steps were taken. She went on to say, despite that, she does not take pleasure in seeing someone’s career suffer and would rather have him return and use the opportunity to create awareness.
“The fact remains that he is seen as a public figure and can use this as an opportunity to educate and reach out to those that lack understanding and empathy for people with Down Syndrome. I hope that through all of this that something positive can emerge,” she said.
However Janus Horn, who laid a complaint against the radio personality with the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) was not pleased with the length of the suspension saying, “Is a week going to make a difference.” Horn is himself a father of a child with Down Syndrome and said he would prefer it if Joe is fired.
