Now I like the odd satirical comedy show... Have I Got News For You, 8 Out Of 10 Cats etc. But I was watching Mock The Week on BBC 1 last night (well... I say watching, but more like I was lying there in a stupor brought on by the severe heat and my hayfever... staring at the TV, too tired to move...) which is a show that mocks the (political) events of the week (name kinda gave that away!) At one point they were discussing Michael Jackson and how he was innocent - later on corrected to "not guilty enough" - when Jo Brand states that had he been black, he would have gone to jail...

... I actually woke up at that point and became very alert, hayfever forgotten. True, she higlighted an injustice towards black people, but is that how we're perceived. "Oh, he's black, so he's going to jail." Really? I was so pee'd off with her and her tactlessness...

...that statement just got to me big time. Am I overreacting? Or should she just bugger off to Celebrity Fat Farm again?

BUT MJ IS NOT BLACK

why worry anyways about millionaire white musician who was black then became white with his all white weird supporters,lawyers and ..PETERPAN

LET IT GO

My gripe isn't with Jacko. Couldn't care less about him (as a person) My point is this perception that can so casually be thrown about on TV that should someone be acquitted of a crime - or series of crimes - it's okay to say that had the person been black, he/she would have gone to jail.

That's what I was on about...

she, within a joke expressed a view held by white people here in the west.

how do you think they deal with the fact that their democratic and free countries

crimalise and jail africans dis proportionately?

they simply say africans are more criminal than europeans

simple


how many backward brain dead negroes do you know that think the same way>

It's called satire.

Me thinks she was trying to point out (albeit using a tired old joke line) that in the white 'justice' system being black makes it more likely you would be found guilty (and hence sent to jail) irrespective of the facts of the case. In order words, the guilt of a black accused is assumed merely due to the fact that he/she is black. The satire comes in becomes MJ, in reference to his appearance is not (well not anymore) black.



Respect

I know that it was said for a laugh, but there was no ignoring the subliminal message there, which overrode the humour. It's like while watching BB a few days ago - yes, I am as guilty as others!! - Saskia got Derek to bark. After he did, she said something along the lines of "Just goes to show you really are a dog." Thinly veiled insult there again. I'm just annoyed, though the prejudice still so obviously (and not so obviously) exists, that it rears it's ugly mug and there isn't much that can be done about it...



Backatya... pointing out that "It's called satire" is tantamount to pointing out that it was hot yesterday, as, if you look at the opening line of my original post, I wrote, "I like the odd satirical comedy show..." But beyond that, perhaps it was an old joke, but it's just a joke that just should be shared. Anytime. On or off TV.

Although I didn't see the show; you could be overreacting, but I understand what you mean untitled. It's like when is a joke a just a joke?

Truth is, there are a lot worse 'jokes' out there and that one soundsjust mild in comparison.

i really like jo brand, and she is a really left-wing comedienne. i too watched mock the week and heard what she said, and laughed.

she didnt mean that she thinks all black people are criminals etc etc etc...

she highlighted that the justice system in america is corrupt, and because he is seen (whether we like it or not) as a white person and has such status, he got let off as innocent. she was not sayin that he should've been found guilty because he is black.

she was merely showing that she recognises that there is a lot of sh!t in this world, including racism. institutionalised racism at that.

when saskia got derek to bark it had absolutely nothing to do with him being black. she did that to get him back for b*tching about her.

let's not go over the top here.

@ BlackMatta and Untitled

To be fair you guys do have a point. MaybeI was being a littletoo flippant with my "it's just satire" comment.

Satire and wit are very subtle, but effective ways of indoctrinating (my favourite word today) us into accepting certainprinciplesandstereotypes which may actually warrant giving more thought to. Therefore instead of strongly questioning and opposing'why?' a situation exist we end up meekly accepting that it just does.

Respect

jo brand is right if he looked black he would be in jail know with the rest of the brothers.

the sooner black people understand the system the better it quite simple if your black you are guilty until proven innocent. if your white your innocent until proven gulity, and if the crime was against a person of colour then your still innocent.

Michael jackson was trialed based on how he looks, not what he his.

She said what EVERY black person ALWAYS says. So if the message was subliminal it was no different to the one we constantly send out ourselves.

And furthermore it was no joke, it was almosttrue (Jackson is still a Blackman joking apart)

I do see your point untitled but i think you've misread hers, which is as Ms Millz pointed out, more of a dis towards the corrupt American justice system rather than an attack at black men.