No.
The irony is, in his own out of date way, he will have been trying to be as non-offensive as he could be and (incorrectly) chose that word to reflect that.
He's an old man, influenced by the language of his time and nothing more (or at least nothing more to my knowledge).
I cannot stand the legions of "PC gone mad", "you can't say anything these days" bores like the OP and Clarkson who make it their lives work to try to make out that they are some sort of persecuted little lambs just because they are expected by society to temper their language and offensive opinions in public.
However, the furore around any use of this word is one where I have sympathy with the view. I have never heard it used by someone with the express intent to be racist. People with those intentions use far worse language and imagery. Yet there is always a queue to jump on people like Hansen, with the irony being that his intention was completely the opposite.
Yes, I understand why people want the use of it to be discouraged. But I don't think there should even be pressure on him to publicly apologise as it is no more than a generational misunderstanding.
He should now educate himself and learn his lesson. I cringed when I heard him say it but only because I knew he would get grief for something that was the opposite of his intentions.
There are a lot more worthy, more important causes in the same field that are much more worthy of people fighting against.
Within thirty years no-one will even hear the word in that context as all those who are used to it being the polite term will be dead.
