This actually made the national news in this country the other night. It seems that Blair is really having to smooth things over in India. Apparently the show seemed to accentuate the perception that the British are not all that civil and polite. He seems to be more concerned about that perception than the racism.
Originally posted by kirksey957Its all a bit "Wag the Dog" to me. Blair is having a lot of political trouble at the moment due to corruption and arrests amongst his top aides.
This actually made the national news in this country the other night. It seems that Blair is really having to smooth things over in India. Apparently the show seemed to accentuate the perception that the British are not all that civil and polite. He seems to be more concerned about that perception than the racism.
Talking about Big Brother is much easier than talking about real issues.
D
Originally posted by shavixmirIts true that in parts of India (untouchables, thats the people that do all the dirty cleaning jobs) are not spoken too or touched etc (not that I agree with that perosnaly).
What would Shilpa's treatment of an untouchable be in the big brother house?
And once that's been unearthed, then let's talk about kettles, pots and the colour black.
But at the same time, that tends to happen in remote or less educated parts of Indian as far as I know.
Thus to apply that to Shilpa does not really hold true as afterall, she was the one that was racial bullied on TV by the 3 women (even though they did not realise what they where doing) also as far as I can see, she has been cooking, cleaning etc....so if she was that type of person, then its unliky that she would make the effect in the house.
Interesting letter in today's Independent:
Sir: Two stories break in consecutive weeks. The first involves a prominent and attractive ballerina who is a paid-up member of a party various of whose leading members are opposed to all mixed-race partnerships and children, and advocate wholesale repatriation.
An anti-fascist group organises a peaceful protest saying that her membership and advocacy of this party is incompatible with employment by a state-funded institution which is committed to multi-cultural policies under its charter. The primarily white middle-class ballet audience are disdainful towards the protesters. No major politician other than the Mayor of London is prepared to make any adverse comments about her advocacy of the BNP.
The following week, on a reality TV programme, there are antagonisms between a high-caste Indian actress, from an extremely privileged background, and three working-class girls over trivial matters. There are undoubtedly racist elements behind two of these girls' comments; yet the primary focus is upon a mixed-race, not particularly attractive, working-class girl from Bermondsey, who speaks in a common accent peppered with expletives, who remarks in particular that the actress should go to the slums in her home country and see how less fortunate people live - not a racist comment in any sense.
There is a major hate campaign against her in the international press, the Prime Minister, Chancellor and leaders of all the major parties make disdainful public comments, effigies are burned, the sponsor pulls funding from the programme, the perfume to which she gives her name is withdrawn from shops.
Am I the only one to notice double standards here? Is the real issue not about whether one stokes racism, but the class of the alleged perpetrator?
Originally posted by RedmikeWhy should they. The BNP is not an illegal or banned party. It's just an extremely right wing party that a lot of people don't like (me included). But it's not illegal.
No major politician other than the Mayor of London is prepared to make any adverse comments about her advocacy of the BNP.
Originally posted by knightwestI think the point the letter-writer is making is that we have a ballet dancer who is openly advocating the politics of the BNP, and there is barely a murmur, while we have a daft working class girl making some stupid racist statements and we get a diplomatic incident with politicians queuing up to condemn her.
Why should they. The BNP is not an illegal or banned party. It's just an extremely right wing party that a lot of people don't like (me included). But it's not illegal.
He's suggesting a double standard.
I've seen MANY times those maneuvers from the semi-dictatorial,
semi-colonial underdeveloped, corrupt-rotten Latin American
countries, like Mexico.
When something is rotten or the elite wants the 'masses' not to pay
attention, suddenly something happens to divert the attention:
a football thing, a disease, a TV show, a celebrity in trouble, etc. etc.
IMO, This U.K. big brother thing is something to divert the attention
from a really important matter. And I'm afraid the ballet dancer thing
is also a curtain of smoke.
In Mexico the heavy devaluations took place while world cups or big
football events were taking place, so people would be 'high' on TV
and didn't protest that much.
What could it be? That I don't know at all. UK politics is not my thing.
Originally posted by RedmikeIn both cases it is ignorance, although I agree there are double standards with regard to the reaction. For example, the ballet dancer admitted herself that most of the BNP policies went over her head.
I think the point the letter-writer is making is that we have a ballet dancer who is openly advocating the politics of the BNP, and there is barely a murmur, while we have a daft working class girl making some stupid racist statements and we get a diplomatic incident with politicians queuing up to condemn her.
He's suggesting a double standard.
David Cameron is telling me not to watch BB. How to alienate young voters.
68 MPs sign a letter condemning the racist actions in the BB house. Are we watching the same programme. Jade lost her temper in a pressure cooker atmosphere. Dannielle showed her naivety and ignorance in a pressure cooker atmosphere. The BB editorial team deliberately stirred it up - which made great telly.
The best thing about BB is watching how people react to certain situations. It would be great to lock 12 MPs in the BB house and film for 4 weeks. That would be real politics.
Originally posted by invigorateI think thats a great idea.....Good "old George Galloway" was on last year doing his cat impression
David Cameron is telling me not to watch BB. How to alienate young voters.
68 MPs sign a letter condemning the racist actions in the BB house. Are we watching the same programme. Jade lost her temper in a pressure cooker atmosphere. Dannielle showed her naivety and ignorance in a pressure cooker atmosphere. The BB editorial team deliberately stirred it ...[text shortened]... would be great to lock 12 MPs in the BB house and film for 4 weeks. That would be real politics.
I think that the broadcaster should intorduce standards into what they show on TV, its very clear that C4 just tried to manipulate the public and after 40,000 complaints that they should be fined or something at the very least.