To ask if there's something I'm missing about the allegedly "controversial" Diversity performance

[GlummyMcGlummerson]

Diversity performed on Britain's Got Talent, a performance which incorporated a message about BLM. Their performance, as usual, was incredible and sent out some great messages. The video is below.

It's had 10,000 complaints. Why?! am I missing something? Did someone's nipple pop out or something? What is the basis of people's complaints? The only reason I can think is that some people (probably because they're part of the problem) don't like it when others point out that there's racism in the world? Boo hoo to them

@hadenoughbleach

Oooh I just watched the performance.

The routine is a fantastic artistic expression, and it's a great piece of social commentary through dance.

I loved it.

That is my reaction too. Powerful and hopeful. The kind of art and entertainment I want my children to absorb.

@Suze1621

I think Diversity's performance was fabulous - it was emotive, thought provoking and really well done. I am astonished by the number of complaints and think this demonstrates how much attitudes still need to change.

100% this. I do not understand why anyone would complain? Those of you who say that it would be disturbing to children- no, that's your bigotry and crazy ideas being passed onto your child.

Great to see people complaining about it being the wrong platform/should be for light entertainment/get back to the sport.

Excuse me if people are spoiling your tea time viewing by making a point about an issue that deeply affects them personally. If im oppressed or upset by an issue, the platform is whatever I say it is. Don't like it, then turn it off.

@Igotthemheavyboobs

I like the message and the dance but I worry about how George Floyd's family feel about his murder being reenacted for entertainment.

You've got a point there.

For the PP asking about white people dying in custody, nobody is saying they don’t, although surely that just leads to a discussion about how competent the police are if they can’t stop people dying when they have a care of duty. It’s not about white people dying, it’s about the fact that blacks people are 3% of the U.K. population but account for 8% of deaths in custody. It’s not about straight numbers, but proportional representation.

Also, the PP that pointed out that George Floyd allegedly held up a pregnant woman and called him vile for an act that there’s no proof he committed... what about the white armed man that knelt on aN unarmed black man’s Neck until he died? Or is it different because he was a police officer? If George Floyd did threaten to kill anyone/a pregnant woman then he shouldn’t have done it. Similarly, that police man shouldn’t have actually killed someone. The fact that you throw your vitriol at a black man that didn’t kill someone instead of a white man that did says an awful lot about you.

The fact that there were over 10,000 complaints just proves that this is an issue that needs to be highlighted in this country. Racism is not just an American thing. I thought the performance was excellent and what better platform than a prime time show watched by people who may not necessarily be thinking abut this stuff.It has certainly increased awareness.

Igotthemheavyboobs
I like the message and the dance but I worry about how George Floyd's family feel about his murder being reenacted for entertainment.
You've got a point there.
It really wasn’t for entertainment, it was for education.

@shivermetimbers77

The fact that there were over 10,000 complaints just proves that this is an issue that needs to be highlighted in this country. Racism is not just an American thing. I thought the performance was excellent and what better platform than a prime time show watched by people who may not necessarily be thinking abut this stuff.It has certainly increased awareness.

I agree 10,000 people riddled with complacency Or a great number of them

I was just about to start a thread on this and thought I'd better check there wasn't one yet

I genuinely can't see why there are 15000 complaints. As in, I'm not being willfully ignorant, i actually don't understand the reasoning.

There were 15000 complaints because they rein-acted the recent violent death of a person. It was a thought provoking dance performance but it was controversial.

There were 15000 complaints because there were 15000 racists got off their arses to complain. Violent deaths are shown on television all the time, the news, films and plenty of 9/11 footage today. Those that complained just didn’t want to face a reality they actually condone deep down.

@Gilead

There were 15000 complaints because there were 15000 racists got off their arses to complain. Violent deaths are shown on television all the time, the news, films and plenty of 9/11 footage today. Those that complained just didn’t want to face a reality they actually condone deep down.

Yes

I don’t agree at all with the above. Had a dance group re-enacted the Manchester bombing there would be complaints too. People complain about a lot less than that.

In fact Dermot used to say God bless at the end but too many people complained about that too. People like complaining.

That’s whataboutery stairway. And I suspect had they re-enacted the Manchester bombing there would have been far fewer complaints and it would have been seen as a tribute.

Possibly Gilead but we will never know. I loathed to blame everything on racism as I did flinch myself when then I watched diversity recreate that exact scene. It obviously made people feel bad and I don’t think it’s because they are racists.

No, it's because they can't cope with reality, so they blame it on the black community for bringing it into their cosy sitting rooms.That's racism.

Some people have way to much time on their hands..and if people were that bothered why wait till days later to complain...obviously because such a fuss has been made way to jump on the bandwagon.

Wasn't like the whole dance was to do with that incident either. Its silly! And the Mail are loving reporting it and stirring the huge pot!

We will never get anywhere with this if people (on both sides) insist on childish attempts to argue, instead of adult listen and talk.

Many of the posts here are a great example. Deliberately over simplifying another poster's point, using it as a way to pa insult them, pretending that they don't understand and so on.

It just holds us (all) back.

Possibly Gilead but we will never know. I loathed to blame everything on racism as I did flinch myself when then I watched diversity recreate that exact scene. It obviously made people feel bad and I don’t think it’s because they are racists.
Feel bad, or uncomfortable?

Many people will have felt uncomfortable because they highlighted an very uncomfortable issue on prime time TV (when most people don't expect it). Most of those people wouldn't complain.

The people getting wound up to complain about it are probably doing so because they don't want to confront the very real issues of systemic racism so find it easier to say 'I'm not racist but there really is a time and s place to talk about these issues and really I'd rather not have my evening interrupted by an act making me think. Why don't these people ever protest peacefully? Why do they always have to make a scene? They should focus on the dance so that I can have my quiet evening entertainment and then make my profile picture black on Instagram to prove I care'.

'Many people will have felt uncomfortable because they highlighted an very uncomfortable issue on prime time TV (when most people don't expect it). Most of those people wouldn't complain'

No. The people that 'feel bad' are the ones who look at Diversity recreating a scene that led to someone's death, that happened in another country and wonder why they would do this, this very successful and privileged dance group. 2020 was more than BLM, yes covid got a brief mention but that was it.

@Straven123

So just over one a year, was that police or prison custody - and how many actually at the hands of the police and how many due to drugs, alcohol, health issues? It's ridiculous to conflate American police behaviour (or even continental police behaviour where there is more racism and police are armed) with the U.K.

You do realise the USA has a much higher population than Britain, right? So you have to work it out per person to be fair.

Plus they have guns, so it's easier to kill people there. Our police have to put more effort into it. It's not that they're less racist. It's just not always as obvious to the public as a shooting.

No. The people that 'feel bad' are the ones who look at Diversity recreating a scene that led to someone's death, that happened in another country and wonder why they would do this, this very successful and privileged dance group. 2020 was more than BLM, yes covid got a brief mention but that was it.
It's fairly obvious why a group of BAME dancers might want to draw attention to an event that highlights systemic racism, but we get it, they should know their place and not draw too much attention to pesky race issues because they're successful.

I'll add 'sucessful and privileged' to the lost of reasons people shouldn't draw attention to race issues.
It really is like the 'protest peacefully... But not like that... Not like that... Not like that... Definitely not anywhere that has airtime where people might see it... Definitely not if you're successful enough to have a platform'.

No it was a brilliant performance

Art should not be censored art often makes political statements

Those complaining will be overwhelmingly racist and bristling as black peoples voices have had too much air time for their liking some just like to complain about anything

@GetOffYourHighHorse, so what if they are successful as privileged, should that prevent them from enacting what is still a reality. The fact that it was an incident in another country is irrelevant; black people are consistently marginalised and victimised here. It’s important to show that.