I remember two years ago I saw an advert for detergent (I think it was Persil) and it showed a black UK couple on tv with a baby. There was no hip hop music in the background or any 'jive talking' and it was just a normal atmosphere. I remember literally being shocked and making a thread about it.

But one thing that disturbs me about the media is the fact that probably 98% of the time, whether it be on tv or newspapers, they always have to show black people paired off with europeans. And what I've noticed as well, is that whenever there is a known black celebritywho has a black partner, if the newspapers can help it, they will almost never show a picture of them together - they will just mention such and such's husbandor wife. Notice how they very rarely show pictures of Fashunu or Ian Wright with their black wives, or Lennox Lewis with his African American fiancee? But they're quick to show that idiot boy from eastenders and Simon or whatever his name is from that pop group slobbering over some blue eyed white female.

I'll admit that as a black man I find the majority of UK black male stars a f**king disgrace because not only do they disregard their blackfemale counterparts and go on with all sorts of debauchery ie Dwight Yorke, but you would think that at least ONE of them would have the spine like African American actor Eriq La Selle(sp?) and at least demand to play a role alongside a black female without the sterotypical dysfunctional mess that we regularly see blazing from our screens.

I read a letter in New Nation newspaper a fortnight ago when someone from ligali made a similar claim and I couldn't help but agree. In America you do have a lot of stereotypical roles that are played but at least they have some kind of balance, because you have an abundance of black family shows WITHOUT the token white person and nine times out of 10 the characters are paired off with a fellow African American.

Maybe what another poster said in another thread is absolutely true: the powers that be know that the black family unitis the ultimate sign of African unity and that's something that they can't handle.

Prince Hakeem: I have another theory maybe its not about them not being able to 'handle' the idea of 'black unity'.

Maybe its more about them putting themselves visably at the centre of EVERYTHING.... ie African countries only work when whites are involved (ie Rhodesia South Africa, Seirra Leone and now Liberia etc), mass participation events only have value or work when whites get involved,(ie the year on year subtle hints of possible under current of fear atttributed to Carnival but yet ignores simular behaviours at Reading,glastonbury & football matches week in week out.)That black relationships only work or have value when whites are a part of it..(can it be a coincides that all our black stars have white partners, is it possible that they have been advised or are control by their managing agents to have a certain 'look'.)you get the picture... Could it be that We are subjected to and that Europeans are conciously or subconciously 'Branding' themselves by always positioning their ideals or their participation as 'good' or as having 'value'..I'm begining to seriously wonder..

Kunjufu...African heart African mind

@ Prince Hakeem

Well said my sentiments exactly and I too remember that persil advert it brought a smile to my face everytime I saw it the same as the advert with the black lady advertising a skin creme ....no not a bleaching creme I think it was vasaline.



@Kunjufu

Reading your post is exactly the same thoughts I had when I responded to a topic on old blacknet. It was a Conference on Race and it was held up/stalled because some whites turned up and many attending was under the impression that it was a conference soley for black. Do you remember this?

When reading up on it I felt that although it may not be thepolite thing to do but the whites should be asked to leave and the conference proceed as itis a very important subject matter. Anyway don't mean to drag up a debate from the past but reading your post that topic came straight to mind.

But you are right they feel they have to have their hand in everything......it only takes one worm to spoil the whole barrel of apples.

Mafdet: Yes I remember the conference you spoke of, it was in Barbados if memory serves.. However whilst I naturally feel that we need to meet and talk without white folks deh 'bout.. I really had mixed feelings about what took place in Barbados, especially as many of those kicking up dust were part of Galaxy Radio.. I personally felt that in that situation there were a number of contradictions that undermined their argument..the first being why hold a conference of that nature in BARBADOS (AKA little England.) I mean Barbados is practically indentured to the American & British Economies..

Kunjufu..African Heart African mind

Why is anything on TV important in the first place? NOTE TO POWERS THAT BE: please providethe viewers with requested psy ops. *hint*

In reference to 'more of race doing', I'd rathersee something a little more functional like astronauts, physicists, engineers, philosophers, etc.

savage om wrote:
Huh??

Prince Hakeem wrote:

Quote:

Huh??

Sorry- perhaps my comments area bit scattered LOL. What I was trying to say is- why is 'media' even an issue in the first place? Of all the interesting things to see people doing, why even fret about something as mindless as entertainment?

savage om wrote:


Sorry- perhaps my comments area bit scattered LOL. What I was trying to say is- why is 'media' even an issue in the first place? Of all the interesting things to see people doing, why even fret about something as mindless as entertainment?



Well isn't entertainment a powerful medium anyway? I'm not just referring to entertainment I'm talking on a general basis. You can't tell me that we shouldn't fret about how we're portrayed in entertainment or anything else in the media.

General basis? Your examples are actors, musicians,and icons**entertainers**, butI think I see where you are going with this now.

The powerful medium of entertainment has a negative impact on the viewers. They look to it as a source of factual information, or (in the event they actually realize there's not a whole lot of depth) are bombarded with unappealing images/ideas they are 'forced' to watch. Somewhere therin lies the little hypnopaedic phrases "buy..conform..reproduce..work..obey". All of a sudden, a frightening demographic emerges of interracial couples, single parent families, higherdivorce rates....all in the black community.The little illuminati panel controlling the media feed cackle as the master plan succeeds.

Gimmie a break. All the media wants to do is get paid. OK- so maybe they have nerds thinking they know how to appeal to the demographics, andwriting the scripts. Doesn't mean thathead executiveHakeem couldn't come in and set them strait. If you have a vision, then go with it.

I'll respond to this at a later time when I understand what the hell you're talking about....

I'm sorry - my bad :?

here are a couple of resources that might help (I'm not sure where the gap in communication is):

http://www.m-w.com/

http://babel.altavista.com/

Thanks...but too bad your lame sarcasm doesn't faze me in the leastso come better next time. What you probably should have done is post a linkteaching the "scattered" language you speak.

LOL @ "Gimme a break" - for what? :?If this thread upsets you then that's too bad.

Have a nice day.

I wasn't being sarcastic. I chat on a few forum boards here and there, and occasionally run into a postI have trouble understanding. Babel fish at alta vista, and mariam websters online are critical resourcesI use to decrypt. I'mjust trying to be helpful.

When I said 'i'm not sure of where the gap in understanding is', what I meant was that i was unsure if it was a context problem (IE-viewer unable to connect to terms or references), or if it was a language barrier (IE- savage om is american chatter discussing subjectsin united kingdomforum with someone who possibly speaks english as a second language).

'Gimmie a break' was being sarcastic though. I'm not upset- it's one of those phrases people use like "are you for real" or "are you serious" or simply "aw come on..".

Ah well-- this has gone 'off topic' for lo