The joke which has been repeated here many, many times is not racist unless you want it to be

Exactly. Bernard Manning wanted it to be. That's why people on this thread who called him a racist are correct to do so.

Those who wish to defend him on any grounds whatsoever have to accept they are defending a racist - not a comedian.

By the way, I could not stand BM because of his bullying type of humour. Pick on someone in the audience (like the waitresses)and ridicule them? That is bullying but not necessarily racist!

He didn't pick on them because they were waitresses he picked on them because they were black. That is both bullying and racist.