The Big Brother racism row has highlighted our insidious brand of racism, says ravi somaiya |
|
It is a uniquely British 'not-quite racism' that we have seen on Big Brother.
We have never had the KKK in this country. We have never had apartheid. In America, racism exists at the extremes of society - in militant white supremacists and the forgotten black underclass displaced by Hurricane Katrina. But for the most part, in a nation built on immigration, you are American first and a different colour second.
Here, race is an everyday issue - you are different until proven British, a potential bomber until you whinge about the weather, or mention that you could murder a cup of tea. At which point your ethnicity evaporates.
The same people who blame refugees for eating swans genuinely do not see Ludmila, Ali or Nwankwo next door as part of the problem. They'll happily drink with them, and ask blithely for their advice on cooking curries. |
|
 |
 |
 |
| If the other contestants had liked Shilpa, her colour wouldn’t have prevented them cracking open a Bacardi Breezer with her |
|
|
If the Big Brother contestants had liked the Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, her colour and background would never have prevented them cracking open a Bacardi Breezer with her, and inviting her to their Hello! weddings.
It's only when disagreements arise that ugly confusion and ignorance manifest themselves and racist remarks are made. The only surprise is that, in a programme that wants to observe the average Briton chatting like the average Briton, such views have not been revealed before. This, sadly, is how people talk.
Only in a country where it was acceptable until recently for actors to black up and put on silly accents in the name of comedy can you observe such a dichotomy. The 'BNP ballerina' Simone Clarke, a dancer who came out in support of the racist party, is married to a Chinese/Cuban with whom she has a child, perhaps the ultimate example of 'you’re alright, it's just the rest of them' syndrome.
It's a shame it took Jade Goody to highlight our hypocrisy. 
FIRST POSTED JANUARY 17, 2007
|
