Celebrity Big Brother and Racism

When I turned on the rather pedestrian Radio 4 news yesterday and heard about Celebrity Big Brother, I knew immediately that something extraordinary must be happening. It turns out that the events in the now infamous "Big Brother House" have had repercussions in the "outside world", as it's known on the show.

What fascinates me more than anything is that the debate seems to be as much about whether what we're seeing is racism, or whether it is "just bullying". I'm not sure that it matters, actually. I don't think anyone on a national television program should be required to submit themselves to the kind of sustained abuse flowing from the mouth of Jade Goody.

Imagine yourself in Shilpa's position, having to deal with Jade Goody screaming her head off in the way that she has. I think I would feel frightened, intimidated and not a little shocked.

It's a well practiced technique for Jade. She knows that if she lays into someone hard enough, they will eventually seek peace, but with her animal rage at the back of their mind at all times. After that, each interaction is flavoured by the knowledge that Jade could "kick off" and so she gains power and infelence.

It must be working, because she is the 25th most infelential person in the world, according to Heat Magazine, which is itself, of course, only second to Who's Who for defining world status.

Joking aside, (and it certainly is, sadly) Shilpa is different to Jade, Danielle and Jo in so many ways. What we see is them trying to deal with that difference. Unfortunately, they have chosen to employ the methods of the playground in mocking and humiliating her, rather than by trying to understand her.

This then begs the question: What is racism?

I guess it would be easy if Jade were to just make monkey noises behind Shilpa - or maybe call her a "pakki" or some such other recognised racist slur. The fact is that all but the most hateful people would avoid this kind of behaviour at all costs.

Racism has changed in this country. It has hidden itself in understated attitudes and avoidance of issues. I know that I was brought up to be a racist, particularly by my mother. I doubt she ever intended that for a second, but she was brought up as one herself so she had little option.

We were brought up to look down on black people - not that God didn't love them just the same, but that they were simpler than us, less educated and, on the hole, less fortunate. Worse still, many of them believed in false Gods and held dangerous non-Christian beliefs.

This is used as the basis for what we have come to term "Missionary Work". Sending Christians out to foreign countries to tell them how to live their lives and to impose our western standards wherever possible. All under the guise of "God's work". I don't doubt that the organisations at work today are far more enlightened in their attitudes, but I fear that our western arrogance has enabled us to believe we are "decent" and "right" and has done much damage in the world.

Against this backdrop of xenophobia and arrogance, in walks Shilpa - obviously educated and with real class. We haven't really been taught to look up to and respect Indian people, have we? Even on celebrated TV series like "Goodness gracious Me" we are, essentially, laughing at Indian culture and stereotypes. That's OK, but I'm not sure we have the grass roots respect for that culture to frame the comedy effectively.

Even good friends of mine are openly racist, and I find it very hard to hear. I try to argue the point, but I know that I am also part of the problem. If, though keen to be free of it, I still catch myself thinking the odd unworthy thought, what hope is there for those who are content to be racist? The shifting of attitudes towards race in this nation is going to take a long time.

At the moment, I think we have tried put a stop to public or obvious racism, but it exists underneath, like a smouldering fire. I'm not sure we can ever stamp it out without pouring in, at an early age, the life-giving water of acceptance and respect.

So, tonight, as Jade gets evicted from the Big Brother House, the nation will wash its hands of this embarrassment. A mug of water will be thrown on the fire and our consciences will be eased.

All will then be well.

Sort of.

Comments

[Tim the Enchanter]

Well put Andy....you Huddersfield git.

[Angela]

I'm a geordie through and through, like. And even moreso I'm a proper georgdie born and bred cos I was born in Jesmond, ie within the city, like. I'm proud of my roots and have a massive chip on my shoulder so if anyone disses a geordie, they diss me man! Racism comes in many shapes and forms...... (This is a non sober comment - is it cos I is black and white?)

[Liz Curtis]

No, just white, Angie.
Tim - please don't lower the tone of Huddersfield by inferring that Andy comes from there. He wasn't born in Yorkshire, you know.
I find it very difficult to define where racism starts and bullying ends ... in fact, I might even define racism as comments on a person's colour or culture used in order to bully them.

[AndyC]

TL: I think Ange meant Newcastle's football team colours.

Also: Can't I just be Yorkshire and forget the other bit. Please...?

[Liz Curtis]

You /know/ you're posh northern.

[Aaron]

And doesn't it sound that much worse with that ghastly accent of hers? Whoops! Was that racist?

Jade Goody (or Baddy in this instance) comes from an area of London called Bermondsey which is known for its racial attacks. I think growing up around this area has probably made her not really give much thought as to whether what she is saying might offend only to discover afterwards just how much damage her cake-hole has caused and apparently be sorry for it.

And to top it all off, the girl is mixed-race herself. Her career is probably ruined now, she'll still be famous but for all the wrong reasons. It has to be bad when people are burning effigies over 4,000 miles away. I feel a bit sorry for her, she's like a little 5 year old girl that just didn't grow up.

[John Cooper]

Before I went to China last year I had a very fixed view of the type of country it was. Especially as I was going to work in an orphanage where parents abandon children with disabilities at the gates. It was far too easy to think of this repressed communist country, with inhuman inhabitants who would throw away disabled children at the drop of a hat. But, of course this is just a myth. We have no idea of some of the pressures from society that other people in the world have. We have no concept of some of the other cultures which people live in. And we have the arrogance to think our western ideals are superior. Democracy is counted as the only true way for a country to govern itself, and we go to war to defend it in countries where it doesn't even exist.

I'm like Andy I was brought up to be a rasist, just because that's all we knew. I've changed my views because the people I've met just don't conform to the stereotypes I was fed. The type of comments, bullying, and ignorance that came out of BB are endemic in our society. No matter how much gloss we try to put on our multi-cultural society; the kind of comment that were made on BB are pretty much being made everyday in most workplaces (I know that's a bit of a generalisation).

The truth is we need to treat people as we find them.

[Grim Reaper]

Jade Goody - amoungst the most influential people in the World. Perrlease!