Ed Byrne: 'Sachsgate' prank phone call negatively changed the face of TV comedy

Mock the Week star Ed Byrne says the infamous ‘Sachsgate’ prank phone call by Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand negatively changed the face of TV comedy.

In 2008, Ross was a guest on Brand’s BBC Radio 2 show, where the pair left a voicemail on beloved Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs’ answerphone, making lewd and sexual remarks about his granddaughter.

Although Brand resigned and Ross was suspended without pay, the two protagonists’ careers remain largely unscathed.

That, according to Byrne, cannot be said for the BBC, who, along with TV comedy producers, have restricted what comedians can and cannot say ever since the scandal.                    
           

 “Around the whole Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand incident, comedy had to conform to a lot of different forms of compliance, including Mock the Week,” he said. 

“There was a much stricter view on things and since then everything was looked at more carefully across TV in general. It did have a limiting effect on what you could and could not say.

“It had a negative impact on TV comedy as there was increased control in terms of watching what you had to say.”

TV host James Corden was recently lambasted for his churlish jokes over the Harvey Weinstein scandal, bringing up the age old question, ‘Where is the line for comedians?’

“The joke has to be really good when covering controversial topics. An audience can sometimes forgive you if you do something politically questionable if it is utterly hilarious,” said Byrne, who is currently on the road with his Spoiler Alert tour.

“If it is just a hack joke that it wasn’t worth bringing up the subject, then people are less inclined to give it a pass.

“Frankie Boyle is a perfect example of someone who can make a joke and you can hate yourself for laughing at it. But because it is so funny but you don’t care that it is wrong.

“Everyone has their own line personally. For many it is not the subject material, it is how you handle it.

“In theory nothing should be off the table, no subject should not be talked about but it is how sensitively you go about it and whether or not you take humour from something without taking the piss out of it.

“Making a joke that concerns a subject is not the same thing as mocking that subject.

“Paedophilia would be a classic example. It is the most horrible, shocking and stomach churning topic that there is. But to say there aren’t a bunch of jokes that people are doing concerning it would be a lie.

“It also depends on the comedian and the audience. Generally however, that is not a furrow that I plough, I am not someone that is considered a shocking comic.”

The Last Jedi: A real headscratcher! (Spoilers)

Comrades, brothers in arms, sisters in... legs? May I invite you to my second ever film review blog (Nobody cares).
After dipping my toe into these tenebrous waters for the Force Awakens, something I took a smidgen of satisfaction from before racing off into the cosy confines of sport and other rambling things, here goes the follow up.
So, The Last Jedi. If the Force Awakens was a carbon copy of the New Hope, this is a polar opposite.
Perhaps irked by the safeness of its predecessor, director Rian Johnson has gone out of his way to be as ambitious, ballsy and unpredictable as possible. To quote Luke: "This isn't going to go the way you think."
When the credits rolled, my first thought was, 'Huh, odd.' Followed by a 'Hmm', and finished with a 'Crikey.' I wouldn't have been able to do a review then as, to me at the time, it was ineffable. But now I have pondered, enjoyed an apple and a crisp sandwich, and I am ready to disappoint you all.
So, for me the Kylo Ren is great in this once again. He is as complex and well-thought out a character as you could hope to imagine. The fight scenes are an improvement on the last, although still not amazing, and the special effects are better still.
Seeing Yoda again was cool. Kylo and Rey's back and forth from across the galaxy was something new and creative.
But. And it is a BUT so vast and so all consuming, that it cannot lie, something that brothers cannot deny.
It really leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions and unsatisfying takeaways.
Finn and his new pal Rose end up almost being redundant apart from introducing us to a few swanky places.
To paraphrase Frankie Boyle wh
en describing Darth Vader, "Phasma, you look like a big silver dildo."
They have an endless, elongated chase with the big ship thingy with the annoying purple haired woman, who actually ends up doing something awesome and going lightspeedy on the First Order.
Now to Supreme Leader Snoke. An intriguing but woefully under explored character - we know nothing about him. Where he came from? Who is he? Does he like sit down showers and appletiser? THESE QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ANSWERED.
He is dead before you can say 'Where the feck did Leia get force powers from when she was about to become a popsicle like Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and why does she look like she's gliding through the ducking matrix?'
I actually guffawed at that bit in the cinema and I was not the only one.
The huge hype of Luke for me was a let down. This messiah-like character admitted to falling in love with his own legend and being a coward. However, I do think he was a bit powderpuff at times in the original films but he is anything but that here.
Kylo's words of: "Let the past die, kill it if you have to. It's the only way to become who you're meant to be," stuck in my mind for an important reason.
I have never been a massive Star Wars fan, I mean it is nothing on Lord of the Rings, FACT, but I think many die hard fans will be let down as it sort of shatters the Jedi image.
For them, this film has wiped the slate clean and that is a bad thing. Anywho, I digress ever so slightly.
The fact that Kylo and Rey, who are relative novices in terms of kick-assery, are now like the two head honchos seems a bit nuts.
I reckon Anthony Joshua could have a say and try and unify the Jedi heavyweight division with a unification bout.
There was just so much going on it was hard to keep up. It had a quantity over quality feel, especially with the drawn out length of the film.
For me I would give it a 5.553 out of 10. I liked bits but overall it did not live up to the hype at all but I will definitely watch the next one, just so I can put the four people who will read this through more agony.

Lewis Moody: Tom Croft was a 'unique' talent

Leicester Tigers and former England forward Tom Croft has been hailed as a 'unique' talent by his old teammate Lewis Moody.
The 32-year-old was forced to retire on medical grounds this week, ending a glittering career which included playing 40 times for England, five tests for the British and Irish Lions and 173 appearances for his beloved club.
And from one flanker to another, Mad Dog Moody, who also had his fair share of injuries, paid tribute to Croft, describing him as a player like none other.
"He was a very special player and a unique talent," he said.
"He was like none other. His athletic ability, the core strength he had, the speed, the balance, he was phenomenal.
"Tom was my player of the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour. It was a wonderful sight seeing a giant of a man burn a backline with ease. I remember when he left the French team for dead a few years ago, that was incredible."
Croft's last competitive game was back in March and Moody was quick to praise the resilience of his former Leicester Tiger during his injury-hit career.
"There is nothing more annoying than not being able to do the things you love because of injury," he said.
"It takes huge mental resilience to keep on going and keep overcoming every setback and Tom had that. He had a tonne of injuries but he kept coming back, it is just such a shame that he has been hampered by so many setbacks in recent years.
"All I can say is that it was a pleasure to play with him. He loved the game and he played with a smile, although I remember him not smiling as much through training.
"I am not sure if he has mentioned this but I know he did dance at school so maybe he put some of his athletic ability down to that. I wish him the best."

Lewis Moody: Level of criticism of England is 'unwarranted'

Former England captain Lewis Moody says that the criticism levelled at Eddie Jones' side is unwarranted as any other side would 'dream' of achieving their results.
Pundits and the media alike poured scorn on England's win over Argentina on Saturday, branding them uninspiring, laboured and not befitting of the second ranked team in the world.
But Mad Dog Moody was quick to point to the fact that England achieved a world-record equalling run of 18 test wins, a first Grand Slam since 2003 and a series whitewash of Australia in their own backyard.
This, coupled with not being able to call on Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola against the Pumas, was enough evidence to suggest the condemnation was over the top, according to the former flanker.
"I have never understood the criticism of this current English team. They are striving for greatness and their record under Eddie Jones is phenomenal - any other team would dream of having that record," he said.
"They have lost just once during his tenure. They are building a team with a world-class core that is similar to the 2003 side.
"They went from calamity in the World Cup to number two in the world. We should look on this more positively. The media's criticism is just unwarranted when you look at that record.
"We have strength in depth in every position. There is an embarrassment of riches and it is a very exciting time.
"Clive Woodward said it is about winning and ultimately that is right. Sure the performance was not pretty against Argentina but they are a good side, England had key players missing and they were a bit rusty.
"Expectations are certainly growing but there should be less negativity in my opinion."

India: A pasty white man's tale

A wise man by the name of Robert Herrick once wrote: "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, old time is still a-flying and this same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying."

So when my dear friend Dipak (aka The D) kindly invited me to his Indian wedding in the country's western most state in Gujarat back in February, I ran to my computer, loaded up Youtube and put on Starship's classic, 'Nothing's going to stop us now."

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was going to climb every mountain (with the help of a cable car as my knees are knackered), ford every stream (preferably with suitable footwear as I have a growing collection of holey shoes), follow Dipak's rainbow, with a little bit of Jim Beam. I kid, I hate that ass gravy.

So the whitest man to ever set foot in India *these claims cannot be verified and may not hold up in a court of law* left the shores of Blighty alongside my gal pal Suzy, a wonderful and vivacious creature but one that is a selfish git for being so tanned, into Asia for the first time.

Photo from Tahuko.com

Part 1: D's wedding!
After two flights over the course of nearly 20 hours, zombie one and zombie two were picked up at Bhuj Airport at around 8am and were taken to our accommodation.

One ever so slight difference between back home and here was the fact that cows chose to take over the roads. They sat or stood, without a care in the world, on busy roads as cars, motorbikes and trucks weaved their way in and out, so as to not hit these sacred creatures. No chance of a beef burger here then.

Also, motorists do not care for lanes, right of way, using the car horn sparingly or even driving on the right side of the road! It was brilliant but also scary to watch.  The camels, pigs, dogs, goats and locals went about their day, with the hooter orchestra playing to their heart's content. 

We were unfortunately too wiped to join in the Henna painting partay but after a hearty sleep, we were ready for the evening event known as Sanjhi, where we enjoyed very loud music, dancing, singing from attendees, who together made up Joseph's technicolour dreamcoat.

The place was awash with colour, vibrancy and celebration - not a bad way to dip our toes in the local water.

Next morning it was the Mandvo, a pre-wedding ceremony where Hindu traditions and rituals are carried out under a wooden canopy called a mandap. Despite not having the foggiest idea what was going on, witnessing something so different was fascinating to see.

Then that night came an event I do not think I will ever forget. A 30-strong party of Dipak's family took part in a procession through the village, banging drums as we went, attracting the attention of hundreds of excited onlookers. 

This was Pholiku, where Dipak, flanked by me acting as some sort of bodyguard, would visit several temples and carry out prayers. When he was doing this I had to stay by his side, carrying his coconut and sword when inside each temple, one of which had several thousand people turn and stare at us in glee, it was nuts but quite the honour!

And finally on the third day, we were treated to the wedding itself. We were picked up before 6am to be kitted out in a sari for Suzy and for me a tailor-made sherwani, which I can keep!

She looked like the visible personification of absolute perfection, to quote Oscar Wilde, whereas I looked... well you can be the judge of that!

What followed was hours of a carnival like parade, a bus journey to the village of Dipak's wife-to-be, dancing, drums, rituals and music, before the bride Preety gave tearful goodbyes to her village in a very moving moment.

The whole thing was exhausting but incredible. It really is another world, one with no alcohol which was a nice change to be honest.

A land that dishes out a sensory overload, where you see, hear, touch, taste (I am a massive lightweight on spice but somehow survived) and smell (good and bad) more than you could ever imagine. 

We were welcomed as part of the family, we were treated like celebrities by locals, all eager to get a glance of these strange and white intrepid adventurers and I was even asked for an autograph. I acquiesced to his plea, how could I disappoint a fan? 

Part 2: The golden... square?
After the thrills and spills of the wedding, Suzy and I flew to Delhi and boy were we in for a shock. The city runs on chaos. I think the Joker would like it.

To be frank, I was not a big fan of Delhi with its 12+million people, brutal humidity, non-stop badgering in terms of transport and people asking for selfies. 

You see wealth and poverty intermingled in a way you cannot really comprehend. Women are still not seen in the same way as men which annoys me no end.

17th century architectural feats mixed with countless beggars who live and die on the slum-ridden streets. 

We also got Delhi belly, but I won't expand on this. I mean, who wants to read about back-end troubles, doing a fecal Jackson Pollack (to quote comedian Greg Davies), squatting into little holes in the ground with flies flitting about. As I say, I won't expand on this.

I am probably coming across as spoilt but it is a massive culture shock. The monuments were pretty spectacular but the city was not and I was glad to get away and head to Agra and the Taj Mahal.

A four hour coach ride took us to the city to see one of the most famous monuments of them all. As we got our tuk-tuk ride to the hotel, I got a glimpse of it and my jaw felt like it came apart from my face. 

Luxury 5-star hotel, that we didn't stay at...

I was transfixed. It was one of the most breathtaking and majestic sites I had ever seen. 

Everyone knows it is one of the seven wonders of the world but not many will know that the ivory-white marble mausoleum  was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

Together they had more than 10 children but to learn that this wonder was just a husband's way of placing her in special honour was just barmy. 

The following day we were supposed to head to Pushkar, a very religious, remote and picturesque lakeside town in Rajasthan, a few hundred kilometres away.

As we waited for our train, we got acquainted with 'India time'. Our 7.30am train ended up being a tad late, six hours to be precise.

Thankfully a German couple (we didn't mention the war!) called Julia and Andreas came to our rescue and we shared a cab ride, which ended up being cheaper than the train.

Some say people are still waiting for the Zirayat Express, who knows.

Here we got a much needed break from the constant selfie requests and the masses for a day or so.

It started on a sour note however as we encountered a dose of 'holy' extortion.

Just as we reached the lake, we were separated by two so-called brahman, who led us to the edge, gave us flowers, a bit of face paint, wished our family the best and ended up ambushing us out of 2,500 Rupees.

Apart from that frustrating episode, Pushkar was my favourite stop. The markets, where we enjoyed a bit of haggling (Suzy with a bit more success than myself), monkeys, camel rides, temples and no rear-end problems, were a delight!

Then we had two nights in Jaipur, which was pretty manic as well but the Amber Fort in particular was spectacular.

And to round it all off we headed back to Delhi for one last sightseeing trip to the exquisite Lotus temple and a final foray with an Indian meal - we did not do well with that one. 

Throughout the 10 days I was lucky enough to spend in India, I have been mulling over just how to describe what it is like.

Epigram extraordinaire Mark Twain said the country was the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grand mother of tradition.

I however possess an infinitesimal amount of writing ability compared to the great man, hence my current predicament of not delivering a satisfactory final verdict. 

I cannot think of a felicitous way of summing up India. It is like nothing I have ever seen or may ever see. Nothing really happens linearly, everything goes on at 110mph and you get swept up in it all.

Although it has its fair share of criticisms, I am so grateful that I was able to do this, for Dipak's hospitality, that Suzy rescued me from bunging around the place on ma todd and experiencing a whole new world. 

I have the travel bug even more now. Despite just finishing one epic journey (which unfortunately made me look only slightly less vanilla ice cream looking), I think I am quite ready for another adventure!

Gramps

Maaa maaaann!

Not to sound too much like Sinead O'Connor's hit 'Nothing compares to you', but it has been 22 days and around 10 hours since my grandpa, Bernard Louis Gosschalk, died.

Making it to 91 years is a heck of an innings - bearing in mind the myriad of health problems Gramps had - but to me, and many others, the world is a darker and less beautiful place.

The passing of Gramps causes a heartache that I am not sure will ever heal but equally what Gramps meant to me and those that loved him is something nobody can ever steal.
I find it hard to sleep these days, as my thoughts invariably drift to him. At least in my dreams there is a vestige of my hero that I can spend time with. He burned the candle at both ends and it gave off a lovely light (Edna St Vincent Millay), but that light has been extinguished.
The planet has been depopulated with an 'oy vey' here and a 'shucks' there.
Undoubtedly cheese sales will most certainly take a hit at Jarlsberg - one of his faves.
The day Gramps left this world was the worst day of my life, his funeral overwhelmingly melancholic.

Quite simply, I worshipped the man in so many ways. I suppose I had this puerile image that Gramps was invincible, that the big man would be with me forever - I was wrong.

To paraphrase novelist and poet Lawrence Durrell: "The best way to get over someone is to turn them into literature."
That, and reading his autobiography Gramps made for the family, is what I will try to do.

So who was BLG?
Gramps was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in 1925.
BLG studied, practiced and then taught architecture.
Together Gramps and his wife Ruth did all they could to oppose the Apartheid regime, the former went to prison twice for, in short, supposedly betraying his 'race' and fighting for black rights and the latter, with her young children, being put under house arrest for the same sort of thing.
Gramps was tortured by the police and beaten to make up lies that certain blacks did certain things, but he was unmoved, or as it goes in one of his favourite poems 'Invictus' - his head was bloody, but unbowed. He was the master of his fate, he was the captain of his soul.

One legend with another!

The pair also campaigned for women's rights, before getting thrown out of the country in 1966 for helping the black cause. No actual crimes were committed by the two but that didn't matter then.

In 1994, Gramps was personally thanked by Nelson Mandela himself (that photo has sat by my bedside for many years) for his efforts in the anti-apartheid struggle. As he said, "Gosschalks never surrender."
That is just a glimpse into why we treasured him.

Gramps also possessed a brilliant mind, rapier-like wit and a kindness that made you feel very special. Oh, and a healthy dollop of kookiness. Now that I have in spades, the kookiness bit.
Of the many wonderful stories that I have of my grandpa, one sticks out.

In the late 1940's, The Queen Mother paid a visit to the University of Cape Town, where Gramps was reading architecture. To toast her arrival, a bottle of Bristol Cream sherry was laid out for her and as a representative of the university, Gramps was there to greet her.
Whilst old Elizabeth was touring the facility, an interesting idea began to fester in BLG's mind.
Gramps and a friend of his rushed down to the university bar and bought a shoddy bottle of sherry - I think you know where I am going with this...
When nobody was around, they ever so sneakily emptied the vile liquid into the container and then made off with the precious drink themselves.
They returned not long after to watch the Royal Family guzzle down that bitter drink without a flicker of disgust or any emotion on their face. I can only begin to imagine what it must have been like to witness that.

Kooky!

So that was the time my beloved Gramps robbed the Royal Family. He said he would write a letter of apology one day, but I do not think he ever did.

I always knew Gramps was cut from a different cloth but it was only when I finally got my act together, became autodidactic and developed a feverish thirst for knowledge just before I turned 21, did I fully appreciate what a wonder he was.

When he moved from his house in Manchester to a care home in East Finchley around three years ago, we became very close. I would go along to the home, alone, and we would have history lessons together for many hours - maybe with a cheeky glass of Appletiser, god's nectar, or two.
Without fail he would tell me, in such detail, the ins and outs about the Munroe Doctrine, about Otto Von Bismarck, the Ancient Greeks and, most important of all, the significance of why Ricky Ponting chose to bowl first at Edgbaston in that legendary second test in the 2005 Ashes.

But time waits for no man and with each visit, Gramps' health declined and our chats became shorter and more one-sided. BLG would curse his memory, his increasing frailness and what life was becoming for him - a nightmare.

He had already been hit with strokes, skin cancer and the loss of two wives, firstly Ruth to cancer in 1994 and then his second wife Zelda to Alzheimer's in the mid noughties.
To see my hero reduced to skin and bones was soul destroying.
I was torn between not wanting my living deity to pass on but being very aware that Gramps was in agony and wanting nothing more than to die.

Gramps got his wish on March 4, the hurt is over. Gramps is now free.

For now, at least, I have not really come to terms with that. Since his death I have composed two emails asking him questions before stopping myself short and realising he won't answer them. It is so very hard to accept.
Because I loved him with a longing, I loved him without knowing how, or when, or from where. I loved him straightforwardly, without complexities or pride. I loved him because I know no other way than this (Pablo Neruda).

A verse that changed my life for the better was reading the words of Walt Whitman in his poem 'Oh me, oh life.'

Happier, sleepier times

"That the powerful plays goes on and you may contribute a verse."
That is a mantra I think we should all live by. But what will your verse be?
Gramps carved out an extraordinary verse or two in his life and it made my life and the lives of countless others immeasurably better.

I will never forget when Gramps said he had tears of joy when I got my first job in journalism and I know that Gramps was incredibly proud of his four fantastic children, his many wonderful grandchildren and now his little great grandchild, Lara.

It was a privilege to follow you my brother, my teacher, my legend.
Thank you Gramps, I loved you more than you ever knew.
Thank you for teaching us all how to be heroes.

P.S. We did this for his 90th birthday :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GbskIlK__I

Barack Obama: "He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"

There is no doubt Barack Obama is a polarizing figure and certainly divides opinion. Those on the left treat him with reverence and lament his imminent departure as the Commander in Chief and those on the right see him as a malevolent being that is the Devil incarnate.

A Nobel Peace Prize winner who dropped more than 26,000 bombs in 2016. Hmm.
Usually my blogs are lighthearted and sanguine affairs (apart from my recent, out of character tirades that have nothing remotely to do with the 'World of Sport').
But at this juncture comrades, I regret to say, there will be an unpleasant switch. The atmosphere will change, the storm clouds will gather and before we know where we are, the jarring note of tedious verbosity will come bounding onto the scene.
In this piece I will blaspheme and criticise Obama. Say it ain't so shoeless Joe! Sorry Joe, can't do that. This is focusing on Obama's ups and downs and not comparing him to anyone else. Therefore, I will try to keep this brief.

First off I will rattle off the good he has done.Releasing around 1,000 non-violent drug offenders. The prison system in the US is nuts. America are number one in the world for military spending, incarceration rate and for the number of people who believe in Angels. Fact. Obama doing this is a massive tick in his column and is just common sense. Some of these guys had decade long sentences for smoking some pot. Asinine.

The Iran deal. Again, Obama should be applauded for this imo. Cutting off Iran's path to a nuke by reducing its uranium stockpile, limit research activities, more inspections and ending the crippling sanctions bogging the country down.

Opening up trade with Cuba. This was fairly historic. Ending a nonsensical hostility with Cuba which should do wonders for both parties. Bailed out the auto industry which most say worked, improved overtime rules for lower paid workers and cut the deficit in half to about $600b.
He gutted the Keystone and Dakota access pipelines, which were Republican wet dreams and bad for the environment, ended off-shore drilling in the Arctic and was part of the Paris Agreement to limit fossil fuel use.
They also killed Osama Bin Laden, did a watered down wall street reform in Dodd Frank, came out in favour of gay marriage and ushered in Obamacare that made more than 10m people get affordable health insurance - a definite step in the right direction.

Now to the not so good stuff. Under Obama, the US has committed some heinous acts, namely drone strikes.
If the principles for the Nuremberg Trials were still in place today, indictment and death would be the punishment for this President as it was for high ranking officials of the Third Reich.
I am not saying in anyway this is on the same level as that but I think that nearly 800 civilians from drone strikes being murdered is despicable.
Families, women and children slaughtered at weddings, funerals, hospitals, schools, in their homes and on their streets.

The drone program has been put on steroids from the George W. Bush days. The US has used these silent killers in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. For what gain?

Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai pointed out to Obama that droning "fuels terrorism" and "kills innocent victims". Terrorists by the handful may perish but hundreds more shall be birthed into society following it.

Don't just laud him because you think he is "cool". Also how about giving billions and billions in weapons to Saudi Arabia who have killed nearly 4,000 civilians in Yemen? Or how about $38b to Israel who have used that to continue with illegal settlements? 'Yes we can'... kill thousands of innocent people. Great.

There's more. The city of Flint in Michigan has been without clean water since 2014. The record for mass deportation has been smashed under Obama.He was a cheerleader for the Trans Pacific Partnership which would outsource hundreds of thousands of American jobs, drive down wages, allow countries that tolerate slavery (like Malaysia) and Brunei (who implemented Sharia Law recently) to benefit from the deal.
He expanded NSA spying and heavily punished Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning who highlighted the awful things the US government were doing, bailed out Wall Street and did NOTHING to try and get money out of politics, the issue that means that everyone in the US political system is bought and paid for and works for corporate interests and not the people.

The first black President, who garnered over 90% of the black vote, was treated as a messiah like figure when he was running for President.Eight years later, are things better for black people?According to the Pew Research Center at the end of 2014, the black poverty rate was 27.2%, up from 25.8% when he took office.
Black on black crime in cities like Chicago, Atlanta and Baltimore has been at an all time high under Obama.Median income in "minority households" fell 9% between 2010 and 2013, compared to a drop of 1% for whites and net-worth for blacks has fallen.
In 2009, white households were seven times richer than their black counterparts and as of 2014 that gap grew to eight times richer. Maybe this is why more blacks voted for a Republican than they have in a long time.

He did have an obstructionist Congress but he also had a majority where he did not push through progressive reforms on education, healthcare, closing Guantanamo Bay, drug reform etc.
Obama was a step in the right direction for many things BUT in other areas he was far from a saint.