The BN Village - View Single Post - GUS IN EASTENDERS

Black is my colour · (#1 (**permalink**))

I watched some of Eastenders this week and on Monday (28/4) witnessed the character of Gus being tied to a chair and threatened with violence by Sean's character. I could not bear to see a black actor cowering and sobbing in fear, all in the name of ratings. How many more times are black people on TV going to be cast in submissive and humiliating roles? I switched over channels in disgust as I was outraged to see Gus being treated in such a shocking way by Sean. As a black women I find Eastenders scriptwriters appear to be totally out of touch with the average black person. We are not all doe-eyed, compliant, passive individuals who shake and tremble anytime a bullying Caucasian person tries to intimidate or belittle us. The scene in where Gus is terrorised by Sean WOULD NEVER HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE. Black man can defend themselves when the need arises, and are powerful and noble. Watching the character of Gus reduced to a sobbing wreck due to the psychotic acting of Sean was pitiful. Gus is meek and mild in the series and appears to have no further ambition than to sweep the streets of 'Walford'. Why has his character never developed into him marrying, having children or setting up his own business? What kind of message is this sending out to our young black men? That we cannot aspire to achieve anything further than cleaning up people's mess? In view of the negative press that we constantly attract this portrayal in Eastenders is unhelpful, unconstructive and totally out of touch. The token black person's role in TV programmes such as Eastenders is an insult to all black people. These characters are not a true representation of how we live in multi-cultural Britain. In fact EE is notorious for depicting black characters as drug dealers, prostitutes or the village idiot. When are we going to see a positive, well-rounded black character or family on this programme? Its been running for 23 years yet still insists on caricaturing us as happy-go-luck, laughing, unambitious simpletons who are content to stay on the bottom rung of the ladder, cannot hold a job down or stay within a marriage or relationship. I challenge the BBC writers of EE to spend one day amongst intelligent, articulate black people who are eduated,successful and driven and are a million miles away from the poor characterisation of black people in EastEnders. BBC scriptwriters please wake up and take a reality check! This is the 21st Century - black people stopped picking cotton and shining shoes over a hundred years ago.