AIBU to think that the lack of representation of Ethnic minorities on TV is part of the problem.

[Wellywangered]

I've been thinking about this for a while but AIBU to think that the lack of representation of people from Ethnic minorities(Apologies if that is an inappropriate term) in the media is part of the problem in the way that Muslims and other minorities are perceived. P.S I'm in no way absolving the Christchurch terrorist attack killer of any blame. That is 100% entirely his fault.

Now I appreciate that it isn't anyone's fault that people are too thick to realise that Muslims for example are perfectly ordinary people with ordinary lives but still, how often do you see their family lives being depicted on TV? Yes there are some programmes but too few.

I was watching the BBC Scotland programme Getting Hitched:Asian Style about Asian weddings and though I don't know if it could be considered a 'good programme' it shows people of Asian heritage at home living regular family life, arguing, teasing, helping each other, being involved in the community etc. It's refreshing to see South Asians being depicted as anything or discussing anything other than bloody terrorists/terrorism.

It isn't just South Asians of course. How often do you see East Asians in adverts, other than for Chinese food? Practically never. Likewise the black British community(from various cultures) is also woefully underrepresented. They deserve to be depicted for other reasons too of course, because they exist, they matter and are as much a part of British life as any white person but AIBU to think that the lack of depiction of minorities is partly responsible for the way that people from minorities are viewed and that the media ought to take more responsibility.

YANBU. It’s a problem in so many countries and it doesn’t reflect the reality of our world.

You want British TV industry to reflect the reality of our world? What reality is it that you don't feel is reflected? And why should UK TV worry itself about accurately reflecting the whole world? Surely accurately reflecting the UK is enough?

I think the UK TV industry is doing a pretty thorough job of making sure that people of all colours, creeds and ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities and disabilities can see themselves represented in a positive light on our TV screens these days.

Hi there
I’m the mum who was depicted in the first episode of Getting Hitched Asian Style, which was repeated last Thursday!
My family chose to become involved in order to change the narrative about Muslims in the media.
I loved doing the documentary and obviously none of us had control over editing, but I believe the BBC did a decent job! I hope you agree, even those who thought I was intense! I am a German/Pakistani Mama and that probably has something to do with it!

I always thought this too.

Growing up, tv shows and films would typically have a ‘token’ non-white person who had to behave in a stereotypical way as their role. There just wasn’t much depth. Asians had to be studious, black men had to be funny or die first or love chicken etc. Black women be ‘sassy’ or rude. Whereas white people would be able to be cast for a wide arrange of roles, rich/poor, popular/loner, gay/straight etc etc.

Forgot to clarify, just say a movie has a group of main characters. Out of that, the majority of the cast would be white and then there would be a single token non-white person. Again it’s just the scope of roles, several white people could be cast with a variety of different roles between them but the non-white person would be written in a stereotypical way for their ethnicity.

I agree; it’s not just about quantity, it’s about quality. We see a lot of BAME faces, but they tend to be in stereotypical or tokenistic roles and not in starring roles.

It’s always really pissed me off that all soaps have a black family and a Muslim family. But I have never seen a Chinese/Japanese/Korean etc family. Ever!

YANBU - as a non-white woman, I get frustrated by the fact that so many black women on tv are always the sassy, finger-clicking tough girls from the streets types. It doesn't reflect the reality of me or my friends. Actually I'd say that tv is slightly better than film - it's very rare to feel represented in film. I absolutely wept watching Hidden Figures because it just felt so amazing to watch a film led by clever black women in a non-tragic setting. Not just race as well, but class is an issue for representation - we miss out on so many fascinating stories from history because of our obsession with genteel country house period dramas.

@Wellywangered

I don't know what decade you're posting from, but it ain't the 2010's.

Never has there ever been so many ethnic minorities/POC on TV. On every TV programme, news bulletin, and virtually every advert.

Virtually 4 out of 5 adverts I see have mixed race/black people in them.

It's a joke to say that non-whites are under-represented on television.

@MissionItsPossible

WTF is the problem with a poster making an observation that there are plenty of non-whites on TV?

That's what the bloody thread is about.

Get off your high horse!

As the uk is 13% 'minority' I would say representation is right or too high, statistically speaking
www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/

Ethnic minorities are over represented in mainstream tv and print advertising. I work in the industry and we have to make sure every ad is 'diverse' which means over representation.

Not dissing it - I see why it's a good thing - but stating it as a fact.

I had a slightly related thought this weekend, I saw the first Harry Potter movie in a cinema and noticed that the only black character was the kid commentating on the Quidditch match. The crowd scenes of the children may possibly have had a couple more non white children in them, I didn't think about it until afterwards, but he was the only non white character with a speaking part. In the book he had a name, but not in the film. I think if the film had been made more recently it would be more ethnically diverse.
Not that I'd be making assumptions about races / people of specific ethnic origins based on what I had seen them do in a movie about wizards, so it isn't really about understanding or tolerance as such, more just the lack of presence.

I don't think your unreasonable. I have noticed that there is often comments of box ticking if minorities are represented (Doctor Who springs to mind)

Well in Harry Potter you have the Patil twins, Cho Chang, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dean Thomas and a few more minor characters.

So none of the leads, but at least they are characters who just happen to be BAME rather than it being the defining thing about them.

Cbeebies (my main tv channel these days) is great!

I also really like apple tree house, even though the show is quite boring, because the DC are living in flats.

DM and I joke DS would be great for international adverts, he's mixed race but you can't really tell where from.

The issue also is where you are and the proportion of ethnicities and their make up in your area. Parts of london- high afro Caribbean, parts of Bradford. - high Pakistani, parts of Glasgow - high South Asian. Most of the Highlands - very very low non white. I understand BBC and advertising standards agree disproportionately high enthic representation but helps to nudge acceptance of diversity. (Their words).