German Broadcaster Criticized for ‘Racist Coverage’ of Royal Wedding

German public broadcaster ZDF has been lashed for what critics called “racist” coverage of Britain’s royal wedding Saturday.

Announcers {snip} repeatedly referred to Meghan Markle and black wedding guests as “exotic,” and said the gospel choir at the wedding sang “beautifully black,” {snip}.

HuffPost Germany complained: “The station never tires of emphasizing that Meghan Markle … is black. Black, black, black. Can we please talk about hats again?”

At one point, a ZDF announcer wondered: “Are those dreadlocks on Meghan’s mother?” Another responded, according to DW: “It’s curly hair that’s been somewhat de-curled, same as Meghan probably does all the time.”

The broadcaster was hit with criticism in emails, on Twitter and by phone. ZDF has not apologized for its coverage {snip},

One tweet about the coverage complained: “Dear @zdf, it is extremely annoying that Meghan’s lineage is THE subject for the reporters. If Meghan were white, what would they snigger about? Please treat them equally.”

{snip}

Another tweet, translated by DW, sarcastically proposed a very British drinking game: A shot of Pimm’s every time ZDF mentions “African-American background.”