Should it take Shilpa Shetty's Experience on 'Big Brother' to Get People's Attention on Euro Racism

[JCMach1]

Here is the story so far... Don't think it has played as much in the States as internationally...




London/New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) The billowing racism row involving Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty took on a new dimension with the sultry beauty herself saying that she indeed was a victim even as British leader Gordon Brown called the much publicised slurs "unacceptable".


"This is unacceptable. Thousands of British people have already condemned it," British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, the Labour's prime minister-in-waiting, told reporters in New Delhi.

"India and Britain are bound by shared values that support fairness and tolerance. We are against any form of racism or intolerance," Brown stressed at a joint press conference at the Taj Mahal Hotel here with Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

"There is no strain on ties between the governments of Britain and India. Nor is there any strain between the people of India and Britain," Chidambaram said after launching the India-UK economic and financial dialogue in New Delhi... http://www.teluguportal.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=28794

Jade Goody, unaware of the controversy brewing around her, continued to make allegedly racist comments - calling her housemate Shilpa "Poppadom".

In scenes shown on Channel 4, Jade was asked to explain the nickname she used for the Bollywood star. She said that while talking to Danielle she wanted to use an Indian name and the only word she could think of was an Indian food... http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6355389,00.html

...Whipped up by an internet campaign, the protesters claim that Shetty is being victimised and bullied. Shetty, 31, broke down in tears after allegedly being taunted about her skin colour, accent and cooking.

Syal, 45, who stars in The Kumars at No 42, said: "What this treatment of Shilpa has done is remind a lot of Asian people in Britain of the type of uncomfortable treatment they've received themselves over the years. This is bullying."

The alleged abuse involved Jade Goody, 25, a regular reality show performer, her mother Jackiey, Danielle Lloyd, 23, a former Miss England, and Jo O'Meara, formerly of S Club 7... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/17/nbb17.xml

Video
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/news?ch=61492&cl=1697734&lang=en

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyvZWoQ39wM


Let's see... Riots in France didn't do it... Terrorist acts by disgruntled Muslims in Britain didn't do it...
Ah well... Big Brother (definitely!!! ) :sarcasm:

On a personal note, I have constantly been shocked at the racism I have seen firsthand across Europe. While America is no picnic, the decades of progress have been substantial. I am afraid it may be the rest of the world that needs to catch-up now...

[northzax]

1. poppadom is rascist?

please.

[JCMach1]

2. That was just the latest... this is ongoing

you can check the video...

[northzax]

3. I did

what I saw was jealousy, not racism. and the eventual endpoint of putting people in a competitive setting like that and getting them drunk all the time. Jade is just a fucking jerk, she hates and belittles everyone.

[JCMach1]

4. I am also raising the issue of 'how' this is playing

There seems to be VERY thin skin on all sides about the issue of racism in Britain and Europe at the moment...

[Exultant Democracy]

11. Thin skined? Please explain.

In this Big Brother fiasco there is clearly a lot of racism going on. No one should ever have to tolerate any racism.

[JCMach1]

12. In the sense of how this exploded...

Good grief, Gordon Brown apologizing to India... That's a big deal...

At the same time, there have been protests over this.

If this becomes a catalyst for positive change-- awesome.

If this is a meaningless media side-show-- definitely not so cool.

[Exultant Democracy]

14. Well the point is to get people to pay attention

this is huge problem not only in Europe but also in America and just like the Devil's greatest trick for some reason people don't seem to understand what a huge problem it is. Out of sight out of mind, there should be protests all the time and there are, but people are only paying attention because of this Big Brother thing.

Perhaps you saw a special that was on a few weeks ago about sundown towns, there are still thousands of towns (thousands in the US!) that African Americans don't feel comfortable in after dark and they are not just in the south they are everywhere. I know from when I lived in CT there were a few town near me that I avoided.

You are right about one thing Gordon Brown shouldn't have apologized, Tony Blair or the Queen Mother should have.

[Nihil]

21. That would have been an impressive trick ...

> Gordon Brown shouldn't have apologized, Tony Blair or the Queen Mother
> should have.

The Queen Mother has been dead for a few years now ...

:P

[donheld]

22. Please stop disturbing us with facts.

:D

[northzax]

13. this is a good point

and worth bringing up. moreso than the idiotic antics of Jade...

[Karenina]

25. Is "Beaner" racist?

Please? :shrug:

[northzax]

29. in what frame of reference?

is my calling my scottish friend "haggis" (which I strangely enough actually do) racist?

[Karenina]

35. Is that the best comparison

you can offer? Do you do that when there's tension between the two of you?

[JCMach1]

8. remember 'meat head' from Archie Bunker

It can be racist...

Remember Macaca?

[philosophie_en_rose]

30. It's not the word. It's the bullying that is racist.

They are targeting and bullying her, at least partially due to her race. That's racist.

[northzax]

32. no, they are targeting and bullying her

primarily because THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT OF THE SHOW. This is Big Brother, people, you gang up on people you think are stronger than you to get them eliminated, increasing your chances of winning. To be targeted for elimination is, in fact, a compliment, that your fellow contestants think you are stronger than they are.

[philosophie_en_rose]

34. So no one on Big Brother can be racist, then?

A person that uses someone's race as a means of bullying (for whatever reason) is a racist.

Even if bullying is the goal, then there are a million other ways to degrade someone without using race.

[MyNameGoesHere]

33. no i guess not

so names like "Watermelon" John or "Chicken" George probably aren't either. :crazy:

[riderinthestorm]

5. It seems to be more of a "class" thing for this woman

sounds like she comes from a pretty wealthy Indian family (she has servants for example).

But that doesn't take away from your points about racism in Europe and especially in the UK where East Asians have been getting slammed for too long....

[magellan]

6. This is true

And it made me very uncomfortable when I lived there.

[JCMach1]

7. the majority of Indians have servants... it's cultural...

But, yes, most of your Bollywood stars come from the Upper-Middle Class, or Wealthy... Bollywood is also famous for nepotism as well.

[riderinthestorm]

9. Regardless of whether it's class or race, putting a spotlight on race problems is a good thing

and this actress sure seems to be able to take the media glare - she's strong enough to change a lot of stereotypes, always a good thing!

[JCMach1]

10. She would do best to step away from the mess and speak out now

[Karenina]

28. It's called "Mobbing."

What I saw on that clip was a classic case of it.

[malaise]

15. How ridiculous is this?

"India and Britain are bound by shared values that support fairness and tolerance. We are against any form of racism or intolerance," Brown stressed at a joint press conference at the Taj Mahal Hotel here with Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

-----
Tell that to the poor untouchables in India. Both India and England are racist societies. In India's case, their are racist towards their own fellow citizens. Physician heal thyself.

[JCMach1]

16. That's right... people tend to forget India is a multi-racial, multi-religious

society with something like 52 different spoken languages...

Oh, and don't forget the classism as well.

[JI7]

19. in the UK the hindus and muslims don't get along so well either

[tenshi816]

24. Yes, you're right.

I've travelled quite a bit through India and was struck by the classism and the animosity between the various groups there. One big happy melting pot it ain't.

[ConsAreLiars]

17. I suspect you spend a bit too much time watching

the Corpulent Media selling its outrage at what the Corpulent Media does to fools whose reality is being defined by that vary same Corporate Media. This is probably where the advice to "get a life" or "get real" is needed. Babies blown to bits by Chimpy and the PNAC gang's murderous war, and this gets your panties all twisted up?

(edit typo)

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. On the other hand, people are burning effigies in the street in India

this has caused the largest ever number of complaints to the TV regulator in Britain, a motion was raised about in in the UK parliament, and the Indian government is talking to the British one about it. It's on the front pages in India as well as Britain. Dismissing this as "Corpulent Media", and the OP getting his panties twisted, seems too dismissive.

[JCMach1]

40. It has touched a nerve because it has been building in the South-Asian

community for years... :(

[fedsron2us]

52. Prolefeed for the masses.

Why else call the program Big Brother.

Britain may or may not be a racist society but when it comes to hypocrisy our politicians and media are world class. Their rush to lynch the rather silly Jade Goody (who incidentally is of mixed race herself) over her childish comments on this lamentable show is simply breathtaking. Moreover, no one in the UK, including sadly some in the Asian community, seems too bothered about describing her and her cronies as 'pikeys' and 'chavs', racist terms used historically to abuse gypsies and other travellers. It all rather makes you despair of your fellow man.

[Karenina]

53. Bread and circuses ohne ende, ohne frage...

What "mixed race" is Jade, if I may inquire?

[fedsron2us]

54. Afro-Caribbean

She comes from Bermondsey in South London where there is a sizable black community, including quite a lot of Africans. Afro-Caribbean and White people marrying is not that unusual in the UK. Indeed. it is probably more common than intermarriage by either community with Asians. Race divisons in the UK are not straight forward as the riots in Lozell in 2005 proved

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/4367654.stm


Some people might suspect that Jade Goody being working class and part black makes a perfect scapegoat for the failings of our society particularly as people from her background do not have the political and economic clout of middle class Asians.

[JI7]

18. JMach, have you ever been to India ?

[JCMach1]

20. I live in the best city in India: Dubai

Okay, that was a joke.

I have many Indian and Pakistani friends. And yes, racism is bad here as well. And, it gets ridiculous.

I am planning to get to India soon...

[Karenina]

26. You should have done a n/t

with that subject line JUST to see who got the joke. :evilgrin:

[cool user name]

27. From one TV show, you think Europe needs to catch up to America?

I'm pretty sure that it is the other way around.

[Karenina]

36. Apples and oranges.

[JCMach1]

37. I have been able to travel extensively in Europe

each Summer and some holidays the past 4 years... I go there as often as I go back to the states.

And yes, I heard the racist comments against Muslims in a Swiss village. I talked to Iraqis and other Muslims in the Netherlands. I have talked to Africans and Punjabis in Britain. I have talked with Moroccans in Paris. I have had all sorts of Europeans who live in UAE describe how they hate one group or another.

And yes, it is 'better' in the US I am sad to say...

[Karenina]

41. Well, JCM... That ALL depends

upon what you mean by "better." I'm MUCH more comfortable on this side of the pond because I KNOW what I'm dealing with. What you see is what you get. People lay their cards on the table. The Europeans are not in the deep, deep state of denial that Americans are and as such, it IS POSSIBLE to cut through the crap.

If I register an affront, my European friends want to talk about it. And talk about it some more. I'm often touched by their efforts to see a situation from another perspective, their openness to the subtleties AND PARTICULARLY their honest admissions that they DON'T GET IT which rarely include negating my perspective. Then thy want to discuss it some more. Often my shit detector registers xenophobia rather than racism, it's VERY nuanced but there is a BIG DIFFERENCE.

I can count on one hand the number of times in my 45 years growing up blach in white America, that my "friends" stood by me after witnessing me being the target of a racist attack. The Ami response is to circle the wagons and DENY, DENY, DENY. The DENIAL is WORSE than the insult (case in point, post #1) as it often includes negation and disdain.

Racism and sexism are worldwide problems. The key is how we deal with them.

[JCMach1]

48. I have heard 'liberals' call for a virtual pogrom of immigrants

there is REAL hatred there now along with the racism in many countries.

I simply wanted to make two points:

1. Racism has gotten better over time in the U.S.
2. Racism has gotten much worse in Europe over the past 10 years or so.

I think is largely due to immigration and the EU's freedom of movement that has brought massive population shifts, especially to the larger and wealthier countries of the EU. They are no longer pockets of culturally and racially homogeneous white folks.

That raises the specter that racism will make a big comeback in the US with increased illegal immigration. For example, will there be a new flood of Cubans when Castro dies? Imagine the outcry in Miami when the 'other' Cubans realize it's the return of those lower-classes they always despised anyway.

Sigh, nowhere is perfect. When I began traveling in Europe I just had greater expectations of the societies there. I was wrong about that.

[Karenina]

50. I gotta ask, JM...

are you speaking as a target or as an observer?

[cooolandrew]

31. Look this story has nearly all blown over there is 2 in the argument and by vote 1 goes tonight.

This show is fantastic to watch, yes there was some very mild racism but it has got blown into 50 times a bigger deal than it was. Nothing anywhere close to the comedian who talked about lynching. Anyone wanting to watch the show can view it by going to www.channel4.com/4od and through that you can downloade the show free.

[JCMach1]

38. Will have to update this later as one will be voted off...

[muriel_volestrangler]

39. They're not allowing a crowd outside because they worried about trouble

Press coverage has more or less universally been anti-Jade Goody - and some of the tabloids have gone after her as only they know how (I don't think anyone bullies quite as effectively as British tabloids). Goody is the overwhelming favourite to get voted off - but she seems to have apologised quite well today (whether at the instigation of the producers or not, I'm not sure). I suspect this will die down.

[AspenRose]

42. One of my friends was advising me to avoid going to Austria

because when she went out with black friends there, the waitstaff refused to acknowledge her friends (on several occasions and at different restaurants).

Being born in Germany myself, I was stunned that this was (still) going on in the 21st century.

[Karenina]

43. Bad advice about Austria.

If you haven't been there, you MUST go given the opportunity. Wien, Salzburg, Graz, SO MUCH TO TAKE IN!!! It's a GORGEOUS country, the landscape mitigates the weirdness of the Austrians. When I was there I actually understood their xenophobic defense of their paradise. ;-) Many are FUCKED in the head, like everyone else in this world, but there are many diamonds in the dung heap. Wear latex gloves. Ditto for the Swiss, they're out on the fire escape three flights above the roof too.

"Being born in Germany myself, I was stunned that this was (still) going on in the 21st century."

Sweetiekins, listen up to your Tante Karenina, this doo-dah goes on every day ALL OVER THE WORLD. If it isn't your color, it's your gender. If it isn't your gender, it's your caste. If it isn't your caste it's your... WHATEVER.

[JCMach1]

47. It can be bad, but i wouldn't avoid it because of that

:(

[R_M]

44. Continental Europe is just horrible.

This is why I want to work to save our nation. We offer alot more than most other parts of the world. Europe is not a place that I would want to live in.

[Karenina]

45. I daresay you've never been here.

[JCMach1]

46. Jade Goody Kicked-off

Shilpa's tormentor kicked off reality TV show

Agencies


London: British television star Jade Goody, at the centre of an international row over racism and bullying for her treatment of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, was evicted from the "Celebrity Big Brother" show on Friday.

The show held its scheduled public vote on Friday, with both Shetty and Goody nominated for eviction from the "Big Brother" house, where contestants live together, cut off from access to the outside.

Neither Shetty nor Goody were fully aware of the furore the show had caused.

After annoucing Goody's eviction live on Channel 4, show host Davina McCall said: "Jade obviously has no idea that for the last week she has been at the center of an international crisis."... http://gulfnews.com/world/United_Kingdom/10098187.html

[mr blur]

49. Oh, please!

". I am afraid it may be the rest of the world that needs to catch-up now..."

With the US?
As what - some kind of moral authority on how people should treat each other?

This would be funny if it weren't so scary and out of touch.

Or is this some of that famous irony that we keep hearing you Americans don't do?

[Karenina]

51. Mr blur, De Nile is no longer

just a river in Egypt. When it comes to the Amis and their perceptions of themselves, out of touch does not even begin to describe it. And yes, it is quite scary.