TV soaps 'stereotype minorities'

[Anth]

TV soaps 'stereotype minorities'


The Ferreira family were portrayed stereotypically, the report said

TV soaps EastEnders and Coronation Street stereotype ethnic minorities, according to a report.

But talent shows like The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing represented the UK's diverse ethnic mix, it said.

The report's leader, Trevor Phillips - head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission - said TV companies remained "hideously white".

It was commissioned by Channel 4 after the alleged racist bullying of Shilpa Shetty on Celebrity Big Brother.

About 100 people were questioned in focus groups for the report.

Mr Phillips, who wrote the report in a private capacity, said its findings highlighted the need to "change and to embrace diversity".
"Everyone knows that if we don't we are headed for oblivion," he said.

He added: "Our problem is that as an industry we have no idea what to do about it.

"We have too little knowledge, too little diversity amongst our decision makers and, above all, too little incentive to act decisively."

Viewers cited Asian corner shop owner Dev in Coronation Street, Asian family the Ferreiras - who used to run the minicab firm in EastEnders - and road sweeper Gus, a black character in the same soap, as examples of stereotyping.

Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Home and Away were singled out for having "virtually no ethnic minority characters".

US show Friends was criticised for being "too white" as was the Vicar of Dibley starring Dawn French.

'Positive examples'

The report said that respondents found quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? "very UK-centric in its general knowledge questions which made it more difficult for minorities to get through".

Reality shows including The Apprentice, current affairs programmes Dispatches and Panorama, and dramas including Casualty, Holby City and The Bill were all cited as "positive examples of diverse British programmes".

Indian respondents praised Channel 4 News and the recent BBC series on the partition of India.

Doctor Who was singled out for praise by some respondents

Black members of focus groups singled out Doctor Who - which featured black actress Freema Agyeman as the doctor's assistant - and US shows Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Cosby Show.

Mr Phillips, presenting his findings to a meeting of television executives at Channel 4's London headquarters on Wednesday night, called for a levy on all major productions to establish a diversity fund.

The fund would be used to finance schemes to improve diversity.

"These might include training, content development, shadowing schemes, or any other programme that would encourage and deliver greater diversity," Mr Phillips said.

Firms that could prove they had similar internal programmes in place could reclaim the levy, he said.

In May, BBC non-executive director Samir Shah complained that a "tick box approach to equal opportunities has led to an inauthentic representation of who we are".

He said this had led to "a world of deracinated coloured people flickering across our screens - to the irritation of many viewers and the embarrassment of the very people such actions are meant to appease".

In 2001, after being appointed director general of the BBC, Greg Dyke accused the corporation of being "hideously white".

BBC News Link

Posted here because of the rant thats heading this way in the next post

[Anth]

Stories like this irritate the life out of me, so here goes a rant. I'll try to keep it within site rules, but I'm not promising anything!

About 100 people were questioned in focus groups for the report.

So what proportion of the 100 were from the "minorities"? My guess is that over half were so that they got the results they wanted. Why was it only 100? 12.7 million people watched the final of the Wimbledon tennis championships this year, so their survey was 0.00000787% of those who watched the tennis. Bit stupid, and stinks of statistics being used to back up an argument in front of those who don't understand stats.

Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Home and Away were singled out for having "virtually no ethnic minority characters".

US show Friends was criticised for being "too white" as was the Vicar of Dibley starring Dawn French.

Emmerdale is set in the middle of the countryside, as is Vicar of Dibley (if I remember rightly). Very few foreigners get that far inland, so what they're showing is culturally and factually correct even if it isn't politically so. Home and Away and Friends are imported, so who cares? We're not going to ask the Australians to put a few Pakistanis or blacks in Home and Away just so it keeps the penpushers happy when I doubt Pakistanis have any idea of where Australia is or even care.

The report said that respondents found quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? "very UK-centric in its general knowledge questions which made it more difficult for minorities to get through".

Aye, "Millionaire" is a British program. If some "minority" wants to get on the program for a chance of winning the cash they should have some knowledge of the country they're living in (and probably claiming benefits from). I wouldn't expect an easy ride if I went on the American version of the show.

Indian respondents praised Channel 4 News and the recent BBC series on the partition of India.

Well Indians would praise something about their homeland, wouldn't they? Channel 4 gets less than 8% of the viewing audience anyway.

Remember - this is Britain, not the Middle East, and programming should take note of that. White majority in the country should equal white majority on tv, not what the Political Correctness lot want.

[Woodmonkey]

In 2001, after being appointed director general of the BBC, Greg Dyke accused the corporation of being "hideously white".

What's so hideous about being white?

[Chrisj]

Originally Posted by Anth

It was commissioned by Channel 4 after the alleged racist bullying of Shilpa Shetty on Celebrity Big Brother.

It funny how there was little mention of some of Shipa Shetty's comments about Jane Goody.

Originally Posted by Anth

About 100 people were questioned in focus groups for the report.

As you say 100 people is hardly a representative sample of the UK population.

Originally Posted by Anth

Viewers cited Asian corner shop owner Dev in Coronation Street, Asian family the Ferreiras - who used to run the minicab firm in EastEnders - and road sweeper Gus, a black character in the same soap, as examples of stereotyping.

Our local corner shop is run by an Asian so how is that stereotyping, the majority of the taxi firms in Huddersfield with one exception are largely Asian drivers.

Originally Posted by Anth

Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Home and Away were singled out for having "virtually no ethnic minority characters".

US show Friends was criticised for being "too white" as was the Vicar of Dibley starring Dawn French.

I have done a lot of work in rural areas and ethnic minorities do not feature as a prominent part of the population. except for the influx of East Europeans working on the farms during harvest.

Originally Posted by Anth

The report said that respondents found quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? "very UK-centric in its general knowledge questions which made it more difficult for minorities to get through".

A UK based quiz show so it seems reasonable to have questions on the UK.

Originally Posted by Anth

Black members of focus groups singled out Doctor Who - which featured black actress Freema Agyeman as the doctor's assistant - and US shows Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Cosby Show.

Aren't Fresh Prince and the Cosby Show "hideously black" with few if any white characters or doesn't a truly diverse representation of society extend to these shows as well.

Originally Posted by Anth

Mr Phillips, presenting his findings to a meeting of television executives at Channel 4's London headquarters on Wednesday night, called for a levy on all major productions to establish a diversity fund.

The fund would be used to finance schemes to improve diversity.

"These might include training, content development, shadowing schemes, or any other programme that would encourage and deliver greater diversity," Mr Phillips said.

Firms that could prove they had similar internal programmes in place could reclaim the levy, he said.

This smacks of tokenism, have the "right" cultural and ethnic mix and there's some cash in it for you. You either have good quality Tv or a sham created to show that you as a program maker will attempt to tick the right cultural boxes. Characters should be in a drama because they advance the plot, are relevant to the programs context or help set the background not just because they are required to meet some arbitrary criteria. Quiz show and competitions should reflect the the general knowledge base of the population so the majority of viewers can try to beat the contestant. Tv should be there to inform and entertain, the terms of the BBC charter not to act as a tool for social engineering. And lastly what about the most maligned group on Tv, the hopeless white male portrayed in so many adverts, if the attitude of advertisers towards men isn't stereotyping I don't know what is.