Obviously some kind of fantasy

[webofevil]

Given the perfect storm currently surrounding Big Brother (latest: Carphone Warehouse have suspended their sponsorship of the show), wouldn’t it be enormously ironic if anyone senior at Channel 4 turned out to be openly racist? Just imagine if, for example, they had previously been known to harp on and on about the diverse racial backgrounds of their staff and then, when a black member of staff was replaced by a white Australian, told the person who had hired them, “I’m glad to see you’ve abandoned your policy of positive discrimination. I hope to see more improvements in the future”.

Luckily, that could only happen in some fantastical, libellous alternate reality.

Comments

[pipistrellus.livejournal.com]

The leaglity issues amongst other bits have made for some very interesting discussions at work. The implications for the sponsors, the broadcaster and the contestant are actually pretty ground-breaking and as a TV exec, it's interesting to hear what my manager, amongst others has to say.

For once Big Brother is remotely interesting..

[pipistrellus.livejournal.com]

Shilpa abuse a 'racial incident'
Vikram Dodd
Thursday January 18, 2007
MediaGuardian.co.uk
Police have formally recorded the abuse Shilpa Shetty has suffered at the hands of three white Big Brother housemates as a racial incident, MediaGuardian.co.uk can reveal.
The development adds to the pressure Channel 4 faces over the row and further undermines the broadcaster's defence of the onscreen antics that have caused outrage in Britain and India.

The Big Brother home in Elstree is covered by Hertsfordshire police which this morning began a criminal investigation after receiving more than 30 complaints from the public about the alleged racial abuse suffered by the Indian actress.

The definition of a racist incident is drawn deliberately wide and the abuse can be classed as a hate crime even if a third party reports it.

However, Ms Shetty's onscreen allegation broadcast on Wednesday's programme that the abuse she was suffering was racially motivated, added to the pressure for police to act.

Legal experts say the three white contestants and Channel 4 could have committed offences under the 1986 Public Order Act.

In a statement police said: "Hertfordshire Constabulary is investigating allegations of racist behaviour in the Big Brother house and will be conducting enquiries, including a review of the tapes.

"We will continue to liaise with Ofcom and with Endemol, whom we have strongly encouraged to ensure that any form of behaviour that could raise similar concerns, does not occur.

"We will continue to closely monitor the situation over the next few days.

"Hertfordshire Constabulary will not tolerate racism in any form and is taking these allegations seriously.

"The constabulary has experience of investigating and resolving incidents in the Big Brother house in past seasons."

[webofevil.livejournal.com]

Gordon Brown has wound up having to discuss all this during a press conference during his trip to India. It's the last thing he wants to be talking about.

[chiller.livejournal.com]

My feeling on this is that it makes great copy / brings in the controversy vultures, but it's all vastly inconsequential in terms of changing anyone's attitude. Of course there are [openly?] racist (and sexist) people at the top of CH4. There are such people at the top everywhere. The very nature of "the top" implies the significant presence of a generation which was not brought up in the eq.ops culture, and having succeeded without reference to it, has seen no need to revise their attitude.

Given what's been said in the BB house it has become interesting to ponder what our definition of "overt" racism is. CH4 repeatedly states that there has been no "overt" racism, which presumably means they condone racism which is worded in such a way to allow for plausible deniability (Danielle: "I don't remember saying that").

I guess we have to wait for them to actually rig up a burning cross in the garden, then, eh.

[webofevil.livejournal.com]

Popbitch has pointed out that since she originally emerged from the BB house she has been managed by the same company as Davina McCall, Dermot O'Leary, Russell Brand and Chantelle. C4 and BB are reticent about criticising her, as (a) they're protecting their interests and (b) they're the ones who thought it would be a good idea to bring in her and her "family" in the first place.

[chiller.livejournal.com]

Ah, so now we have racism AND incest.

Now that's what I call family entertainment in post-modernist Britain.