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

I disagree

I am pleased it's not just me OP! I came on here looking for a thread yesterday when there were 7.5k complaints and I was , saw the clip on youtube and even more .
10 000 people complained that it was inappropriately political/all lives matter/what about our decent policemen/we aren't american yadda yadda yadda. Blinkered, racist or sat in their own bubble, God knows. As to, it never happens here...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Sean_Rigg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Roger_Sylvester
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Joy_Gardner
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadwater_Farm_riot#Death_of_Cynthia_Jarrett

I don't get it either op. All this talk of politicising confuses me too, saying black lives matter isn't political, it's just human. Sadly racism is becoming more and more acceptable and it needs to stop.

I can't quite believe that some posters are saying that this was not the time or place... I am shocked.
Racism needs to be exposed everywhere and anywhere it occurs, whether in this country or elsewhere. Who gives a shit if it dramatised an event that did not happen in the UK? The fact it happened at all is reprehensible. The fact that people feel they have to justify their lives matter is reprehensible.
I actually feel quite upset at some of these responses.

Well done to Diversity for using the platform they have. More power to them and those like them that won't brush this huge issue under the carpet in order to placate those with their fingers in their ears.

Raising awareness across the board, within and throughout society, within sport and entertainment is not shinnanigans. This is what we need to eradicate it discrimination and persecution.

hardstare
The wiki links were over the last 40 years - there were more than 4 police killings a week in the US in 2019 . But why let the facts get in the way.
Sad that this stuff is spouted regularly without proper scrutiny.

The 10,000 complainants are testament that racism is still rampant in this country. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.

I disliked it. It was very well done and I was quite draw in when it started . I got a bit turned off when, to me, the message seemed to me to be ‘coronavirus has made us look at ourselves differently and what the big awful thing we have realised is the oppression of black people’. Too much. Too bandwagon and anti police.

I wonder how many of you would approve if they performed a routine which involved depicting some gay men being stabbed in a park ?

Or a woman being beaten and then strangled by her husband ?

Both also hate crimes. Both could start a discussion about homophobia or misogyny.

@vonny63

Because black people are only acceptable when providing light hearted entertainment. How dare they use there artistic self expression to amplify the abhorrent treatment of other black people!

Definitely this ! Using their dance and talent to send a very positive message and possibly educate can only be a good thing.

To those saying it's the "wrong platform" - what would be the right platform?

Because to me, educating people, including young children, about how systematic racism affects black Poole, the perfect platform would be a print IME slot that millions of people tune into.

Sorry if an important issue disturbs cushty comfort of dancing dogs and vapid judges.

I don't think most people have their fingers in their ears, most people aren't (or try not to be racist), so what annoys people is constantly being told they are racist -hence 10,000 people complain.
The posts on this thread are a good example of racist accusations.

It,s about the usa not uk, it wasn,t right for a light hearted family show.
It,s also about something that happened in a different country with a different culture and different laws.

Sould we show a hanging of a gay man from iran/ Depict a muslim from china in a prison? (Purely for being a muslim).

Because they dramatized a murder. It's distasteful.

Straven my links were for those who claim it never happens here, not how regularly it happens. In the last 10 years 13 who died in custody were black.

I wonder which is worse. Being told that you have benefited from systemic racism in Western society and that we need to change our behaviour, or experiencing systemic racism in Western society and being told you need to shut up about it.

It's a puzzler all right.

it’s ok to be black and good at street dance but it’s not ok to be black and political about it

And there we have it - black people can do entertainment but not serious issues. Lucky them.

As an aside, racism is not a political issue, it's a social issue. Claiming it's a political issue only allows people to disassociate themselves from racism when it's something we should all be concerned about.

@june2007

Sould we show a hanging of a gay man from iran/ Depict a muslim from china in a prison? (Purely for being a muslim).

Yes, if an act on BGT wants to highlight this then I don't see why not. They have both been frequent issues on the news.

@Straven123

I don't think most people have their fingers in their ears, most people aren't (or try not to be racist), so what annoys people is constantly being told they are racist -hence 10,000 people complain. The posts on this thread are a good example of racist accusations.

I admittedly haven't watched the video, but did they say that all the viewers were racist?

Don,t get me wrong there is a place for this performance BGT is not it.

I thought it was amazing. Powerful and moving. And no more or less political than the act which was people painted to look like sea animals talking about plastic pollution.

@CatsFantastic

I wonder how many of you would approve if they performed a routine which involved depicting some gay men being stabbed in a park ?

Or a woman being beaten and then strangled by her husband ?

Both also hate crimes. Both could start a discussion about homophobia or misogyny.

If they did the equivalent - so a gay man or a woman lying in the floor for a few seconds - I'd be fine with that. Did you even watch the routine? Ashley Banjo puts his cheek to the floor, in a tribute to George Flloyd, very briefly. Hardly a scene from the Godfather

@june2007

Don,t get me wrong there is a place for this performance BGT is not it.

Since it was put into BGT by the editors of said program then clearly BGT is the place for it.

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.