It’s a normal experience to show up on set for a live show or scripted series and find, as Noel Clarke revealed this week he had, an all-white crew.
This won’t change while we have a government more interested in its invented culture war than in taking the steps needed to improve the industry. This is not a favour we are asking. As the increasing popularity of subscription channels such as Netflix shows, audiences given a choice between the status quo and fresh, diverse stories will vote with their feet.
Dowden could start by setting up a regulator that truly holds the industry to account for diversity and inclusion, something Ofcom – as Olusoga and so many other authoritative broadcasters have pointed out – has failed to do.
Without this kind of drastic action, there is nothing to suggest we won’t be having this exact same conversation again, 20 years from now.
Ghanian-Jewish TV presenter, commenting upon Nigerian-British TV presenter’s success at the peak of the profession, decries the racism inherent in the British TV system.
Entertaining to see the lady feels that the broadcasting industry will be improved if those involved in it don’t have white skins. There’s no doubt that gross and blatant racism is alive, well and triumphant in the UK.
She has the answer right there. If there’s such a huge demand, then why doesn’t she set up Blackflix? All the massive profits she’s going to coin in she could promise to donate to wokery everywhere.
It’s a normal experience to show up on set for a live show or scripted series and find, as Noel Clarke revealed this week he had, an all-white crew.
This won’t change while we have a government more interested in its invented culture war
She definitely inherited the chutzpah gene.
…an all-white crew.
This won’t change…
Wait, why does it need to?
BiW: “She has the answer right there. If there’s such a huge demand, then why doesn’t she set up Blackflix?”
See also Russell T Davies whinging in the ‘Guardian’ that the Disney+ channel carries ‘family friendly’ content and not stuff he – as a gay man, dontchaknow? – personally prefers…
Is Afua letting her children watch Cuties on Netflix? Are her children already well-versed in twerking?
“there is nothing to suggest we won’t be having this exact same conversation again, 20 years from now.”
Most likely we’ll be hearing about it every day of those 20 years. Not that being lectured to is a conversation.
I was amused to read that the multi-millionaires of the American National Basketball Association, possibly the most racially unrepresentative sportIng body in existence, have refused to play on account of the most recent case of a black man exercising his right not to be arrested.
It appears that the ability to count is beyond people such as Hirsch and Olusoga. In all British TV shows and Netflix shows I have seen recently, there are so many people from ethnic minorities that it seemed they must have been shot in Nigeria rather than the UK and Los Angeles. That gives the real clue for what they want: no whiteys on the box
Our future ruling class is flexing its muscles. When the Lombards invaded Roman Italy, they took a third of the houses, a third of the land and a third of the other property as theirs. And reduced the rest of the population to serfdom.
Why should crews be non-White? Why should *we* have to change because we were stupid enough to take in people claiming to be refugees and “fellow” citizens?
We need a British Zionism. A country where we can be free to be ourselves.
“audiences given a choice between the status quo and fresh, diverse stories will vote with their feet.”
Hmm, so how come the comics industry is going bust after introducing a glut of ‘diverse’ characters that nobody asked for?
“It’s a normal experience to show up on set for a live show or scripted series and find, as Noel Clarke revealed this week he had, an all-white crew.”
Working in TV is one of those jobs people really want to do. Like playing music, running an independent bookshop, being a museum curator, creating an internet startup. Oversupply of people vs jobs. So, often people who do it come from money. They can last longer at trying to do it, or just doing it. And the money tends to be white.
You want to find the Indians? They’re working in corporate IT and medicine.
(You can spot a dying field because women take over in larger numbers. And they’re also so happy that they’re now priests, journalists or conducting orchestras without asking why the men seem to have left)
As the increasing popularity of subscription channels such as Netflix shows, audiences given a choice between the status quo and fresh, diverse stories will vote with their feet.
So let me get this right, the ugly lesbian version of Ghost Busters was better than the Bill Murray original? The recent less ugly lesbian version of Charlie’s Angels was better than the joyously heterosexual Cameron Diaz version much less the infinitely more sexy and rather restrained 70s TV Show?
I have never heard anything more full of shit in my life. That idea that anyone would choose Melissa McCarthy or Leslie Jones or Kristen Stewart over Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith is *insane*
As usual virtually everything or any worth in the modern world is created by people who are rather Pale. Often male. Unfortunately it is all too often true that all the rest of the world can do is parasitise off those populations
Is there any evidence of white folks getting overwhelmed with all the in-yer-face diversity in every programme and advert and voting with their feet and wallets? Is that not over 85% of the audience?
How is all this to be calculated?
I suspect the Ghanaian-Jewish % of the population is quite small, however we obviously mustn’t exclude them in any way. Worryingly though, there may not be enough of them to go around. The Test cricket team can only have eleven players at any one time.
And do we count lapsed Catholic Ghanaians as Catholic? As Christian? As neither?
Meanwhile, the excess gay and lesbian talent in entertainment may prefer to stay where they are, rather than making up the numbers in other fields.
Whites in England ???
Mr Womby.
“Hmm, so how come the comics industry is going bust after introducing a glut of ‘diverse’ characters that nobody asked for?”
See also, all the attempts at making movies starring women, like Ghostbusters and the new Star Wars trilogy, that fell on their arse.
I think audiences are actually fine with “diverse” if you stop thinking like that. It’s when people go in for clunkingly awful make-a-point/hate-white-men stuff about diversity that everyone hates it. I’m not even against films that make a point, but do it intelligently, like Get Out.
Can someone explain to me how Melissa McCarthy gets so much work ? Is it just because she is fat ?
It’s certainly not because she’s funny or can act.
I think audiences are actually fine with “diverse” if you stop thinking like that.
I refuse to watch any film with Melissa McCarthy in it. I don’t get how she expects to be utter unpleasant on screen and yet have the audience on her side.
Diversity is fine if it works. Nothing wrong with Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop. First one anyway. Consider their first choice was Mickey Rourke (speaking on which Lisa Bonet was the best thing in Angel Heart but that is not saying much) and their second choice was Silvester Stallone. Would anyone think either of them would have been any good?
It would take me a while to think of a film which really *had* to be done by an Asian. A particular Asian or an Asian in general. Apart from, obviously, characters which are Asian.
Not to mention the godawful PC Predator reboot.
Arnie actually had himself killed and buried just so he could climb out of his grave and strangle whoever was responsible.
SMFS,
“It would take me a while to think of a film which really *had* to be done by an Asian. A particular Asian or an Asian in general. Apart from, obviously, characters which are Asian.”
The Big Sick is really good, and about a guy from a Muslim family. And all sorts of things about Muslim families trying to marry you to other Muslims and their general attitudes.
“Beverly Hills Cop. First one anyway. Consider their first choice was Mickey Rourke…and their second choice was Silvester Stallone.”
Would have made for interesting screening tests “we need you to be a wise-cracking hip black guy”
SMFS,
“It would take me a while to think of a film which really *had* to be done by an Asian. A particular Asian or an Asian in general. Apart from, obviously, characters which are Asian.”
Can’t remember which film it was but a scene where a tenant is being thrown out of a house;
Tenant – How can you throw me out, I’m Pakistani like you
Landlord – I’m a professional landlord, not a professional Pakistani.
Bloke on M4 August 27, 2020 at 10:52 am – “And all sorts of things about Muslim families trying to marry you to other Muslims and their general attitudes.”
But they are just Jewish films written by Jewish men who happen to cast Muslims. How many of these films say “You need to marry her or it will break your mother’s heart” as opposed to “You need to marry her or we will kill you for dishonoring the family”
@Andrew C – It was “My Beautiful Launderette”.
Andrew C August 27, 2020 at 10:53 am – “Would have made for interesting screening tests “we need you to be a wise-cracking hip black guy””
I assume there was some re-writing of the script. Which must have sucked if they wanted Mickey Rourke to do it.
The question is how many Sylvester Stallone movies would have been improved if they had cast Eddie Murphy? Judge Dred would have been much better I reckon. Demolition Man too.
Andrew C August 27, 2020 at 10:56 am – “Landlord – I’m a professional landlord, not a professional Pakistani.”
But does it have to be Asian. Could someone say they were a professional Scot and make it work? A professional Jew? I think so.
la Hirsch implies that TV producers are more focused on race than money.
As BiW points out, if this was true an easy opportunity arises regardless of skin colour.
“Judge Dredd would have been much better I reckon.”
(imagines Donkey from Shrek intoning “Ah am the Lawwrr!”)
Nope sorry.
This diversity stuff had me thinking and a couple of examples came up. In Dr Who they introduced Freema Agyeman : pretty, toothy and I thought she did a really good job as Martha ( although the producers didn’t like her) compare her to “Bill” – black lesbian, dull and irritating but diversity points a plenty. With Martha one barely noticed that she was black, with Bill it was rammed down the throat.
Look at the film Attack the Block (2011), very funny sci-fi film about a load of kids in a S London tower block being menaced by aliens. One ends up really rooting for the kids, the last thing on your mind is whether they are an accurate cross-section of society.
Perhaps she should train as a camera person?
Thanx Ottokring. I’ve been trying to find the name of that film for years. Saw the middle of it in someone’s house but not the start or end. The bit I did was hilarious.
Afua Hirsch seeks to intimidate whitey whenever she can, hoping that whitey will then meekly accept the Great Replacement currently scheduled for 2066.