Posted by kozmicstu on Thursday, 18 January 2007 15:25:06

I like the backstage footage. Please tell whoever does your video to de-interlace it, though, the lines are very distracting! I think the most worrying thing about the Big Brother situation is the 2 million extra viewers they have had in the last few days. This is why Channel 4 is defending these obviously offensive remarks. I hope the Carphone Warehouse boycott goes some way towards convincing C4 that they need to change their attitude fast.

There is no way that the clips I have seen on the news are anything other than racially motivated - C4's insistence that the people involved don't believe their own remarks are racist seems entirely irrelevant - the question is not one of what they believe, but whether this is suitable content to broadcast on national television. 20,000 complaints suggests that it isn't, but beyond that the fact that "the National Bullying helpline has reported a rise in phonecalls since the alleged bullying on Celebrity Big Brother" I find to be the proof in the pudding. Regardless, how can you say someone should "go home" on the basis that "she can't even speak English properly" be anything other than racially motivated?

(Quotes from the BBC coverage of the 'alleged' bullying)

Stu

 

Comment edited by kozmicstu on Thursday, 18 January 2007 15:26:25

Posted by canvas on Thursday, 18 January 2007 16:41:12

Big Brother couldn't sink any lower - unless of course they decide to throw in the repugnant Jeffrey Archer or his ghastly wife Mary Archer. Now that would be about as low as you could go...

 

Comment edited by canvas on Thursday, 18 January 2007 16:41:26

Posted by Geddes on Thursday, 18 January 2007 16:50:38

I don't think that CH4's Big Brother will ever recover from this.

I would also have expected that advertisers would not want to advertise during Big Brother in case they are in any way promoting Big Brother, if that makes sense.

Is there nothing the government can do to intervene?

Posted by BunterFCockayne on Thursday, 18 January 2007 21:49:48

What an inspiration. This man was born to lead the Tory Party. No matter the subject David radiates passion - from Starvation in Africa to Big Brother. Forward with Thatcher!

Posted by Curly on Friday, 19 January 2007 14:20:14

David's comments about this bloody awful reality show Big Brother are amongst the most sensible I have heard from a politician "switch it off" if it doesn't agree with you.

Nice one!

Posted by Shaftmonde on Friday, 19 January 2007 14:26:37

I think we really need to try very hard clearly to define the term racism.

The way it is interpreted today, it seems that if anybody dislike what someone else says, provided there is an obvious racial difference between the two parties, then the 'offended' party has the option to play the racist card.

What is race? Is it defined by skin colour, hair colour, eye colour, first language, place of origin? The term is used indiscriminately to mean whatever you want it to mean, and its often just an excuse to bolster one's own argument.

Posted by canvas on Friday, 19 January 2007 15:44:14

I think Big Brother is providing us with some good examples of 'Everyday Low-Level' racism. At first I thought it was just pig ignorance -but I've changed my mind. It's both - racism and ignorance. What we are seeing in Big Brother is definitely 'Everyday Low Level' racism - which is actually deeply unpleasant.

An example of this 'everyday' racism in the office would be something along the lines of hearing comments like 'get Mrs Tikka Masala on the phone'. I think Jade Goody said something like this on Big Brother this week.

Dictionary: noun
1. the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races
2. discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race

Racism exists in many different forms.

 

Comment edited by canvas on Friday, 19 January 2007 15:45:44

Posted by kozmicstu on Friday, 19 January 2007 16:54:10

"Racism exists in many different forms"

I don't think it does - you either treat people equally or you don't. It's an objective concept and has only one meaning. We all must discriminate between people, when considering who we wish to be close friends, for instance. Racism is actively discriminating against people purely on the basis of their heritage, ancestry, of their place of origin. It doesn't matter what heritage, ancestry or place of origin that is. It could be seen as just as racist to speak of 'white trash' as any other racial slur (though admittedly 'white trash' doesn't necessarily refer to white people, it's a very specific term). There is only one form of racism, but it can be seen in many different places.

Jade Goody and the others' derogatory comments are racist because they are made purely on the basis that Shilpa Shetty is from India. There is little doubt of this - you wouldn't nickname her 'Shilpa Poppadum' for any other reason. Had Jade been making insults based on her personality, or because of something she said or did, it would have been equally deplorable, but not racist. As it is, it is both (as canvas says).

I still can't see how such a simple notion eludes so many people.

Stu

Posted by canvas on Friday, 19 January 2007 16:58:05

http://www.childline.org.uk/Racism.asp

 

Comment edited by canvas on Friday, 19 January 2007 16:59:50

Posted by canvas on Friday, 19 January 2007 17:02:19

http://www.new2teaching.org.uk/tzone/Behaviour/pupil_bullying/different_forms.asp

Posted by canvas on Friday, 19 January 2007 17:12:40

I think the best way to combat racism is to teach children from a very young age that it is wrong. Racists probably exist because they were brought up believing this is 'normal' and acceptable behaviour . We should stamp out racism and bullying in schools and stop letting parents perpetuate this nonsense. Hence the links above...

Posted by AndrewFarnden on Friday, 19 January 2007 18:25:19

I should turn it off, but I have found it compulsive viewing. I have never wartched the programme before but have been drawn in mainly through Shilpa's original stated aim which was to get people to see India and those from that nation in a different light.

I think the episode we have witnessed, though it may be harsh has done 10 times what Shilpa would of liked. The dignity in which she has dealt with the situation has won the nations heart and quite right too.

I think justice will be done, and the nation will be a lot wiser in a couple of weeks. I'm sad to say this awful programme has done a lot of good.

Posted by kozmicstu on Friday, 19 January 2007 19:11:08

Speaking of compulsive viewing, 24 STARTS ON SUNDAY!

I'm quite excited. I'll admit I sneakily downloaded and watched the first episode yesterday, and I'm seriously looking forward to the second on Sunday (they're showing the first two in succession from 9 on Sky One). Jack Bauer is coming back from 2 years in a Chinese prison, and we can hope that some seriously OTT terrorist action with intermittent nonsensical techno-babble will ensue!

Can't wait!

Stu

Posted by CliveLarman on Tuesday, 30 January 2007 01:46:09

I feel uncomfortable about the idea of a television company profiting from racism, but the end result was the clearest possible demonstration by the British people of just how vile we find racism to be.

If Channel 4 had booted the racists out of the house, it would have forever begged the question of what the public might have done. But because they didn’t, the world now knows where we stand, and the racists amongst us now know where they stand!