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 think it was very clever and genuinely ground breaking. There is no ‘right place’ for racism and consequently no ‘right place’ to challenge it.

The complaints fill me with deep concern about acceptance of racism but also about the blinkered majority who just want to sit in their comfortable little world of nice television shows which require no thinking, a nice shepherds pie, maybe a glass of cava or a lager and the curtains pulled against reality.

It’s why we have a government willing to breach international law. Why corruption in tendering major contracts is rife. Why hate crime is rising and our economy is plummeting.

I thought the performance was brilliant.
As another poster suggested, the DM deliberately whipped up outrage .
Ridiculous

@Hardstare and was there a similar condemnation of the complainers as being anti semetic?

To be honest, to all those folks who say this wasn’t the right platform. What is?

Protesting in the streets? I recall people up in arms about that.

Protesting at work? People have lost their jobs for that.

I think the underlying theme is, black people shouldn’t protest. Be thankful for your lot. And that is why there is a big fucking problem in this country.

I don't generally watch BGT though I've caught bits of it at times.
Inspired by this thread, I initially watched it with the sound of and thought it was excellent given the limitations of performing a piece that required a cleared stage before and after.
To be honest the vocal story track lessened it's power a bit IMO but I appreciate maybe it was felt needed for mainstream BGT audience understanding.
If that was the aim then I think they might have done better to connect it up to UK deaths ie Cherry Groce, Cynthia Jarret etc, to get it through to those who need it spelled out that this is a long and nasty history that just keeps giving and feels that no natural end is in sight, but that's just my armchair critique.

Why so many complaints? It does sound like some sort of campaign. Outside of that; fear, denial, and a a desire to say USA issues are different to UK one's?
They are, but they're all built on the same thing, and you don't stop being horrified and outraged because such deaths aren't as openly visible (as in happen and are filmed on the street) in 'your' country.

I'd like to know what the actual complaints are?

It's my decision to inform my children about race or political issues at my time at a pace of my choosing

Given your stance, I'm surprised that you can't empathise with the parents of black children which might wish to choose to educate their children at their own pace but don't get the chance because they need to prepare their children for being discriminated against from an early age.

Being able to 'wait' until you think they are old enough IS a privilege that people of colour don't have when or comes to explaining racism and it's impact to their kids. Maybe a bit of discomfort is a fair price to pay if it means that we can all enjoy the same opportunities to shield our kids from the worst in society.

Astounded at these complaints, absolute bullshit.

"Light entertainment, no place for it, children watching etc"

Racism is an endemic disease in our society, that MUST be addressed. The place for raising awareness of it is everywhere, until that happens, including when children are watching.

I'm not sorry if that makes some people uncomfortable.

[quote RedRumTheHorse]@SpecialWGM a toddler wouldn't understand the dance even if they watched it.[/quote]
My toddlers didn't watch it and I wasn't one of the people to complain. My point is though it may have shocked older young kids who weren't expecting it.

I wonder many of the 10000 who complained have actually watched it - or just read about it in the daily mail and thought they would complain to .

I didn’t see this (not my sort of programme) but the adverse responses don’t remotely surprise me as being typical of the attitudes of a lot of people in this country.

I was genuinely shocked yesterday to see a post on Facebook on a pet/breed specific group by an admin sounding off about an alleged attempt by a minority group to steal his pet. Some of the responses (including further comments by him) beggared belief about their assumptions concerning that group and going from the particular to the general. I posted quite politely about this (bit of a Niemoller moment). The admin responded, starting his comment about “righteous waffle”. This morning I find my post’s been deleted (and presumably those of anyone who might have supported it) and the ability to make comments removed. I probably lead a sheltered life but I am quite shocked.

It's up to me to give direction to my children, not Ashley Banjo. If I want my kids to be informed about issues, I will arrange that. If I want my kids to be entertained then I will arrange that as well. It's my decision to inform my children about race or political issues at my time at a pace of my choosing, not Ashley Banjo's.
That's why it's inappropriate. Not the message itself.

🤣 How old are your kids? This may work on very, very young children but good luck for when they get a bit older. They’ll hear and see things at school and through friends, and the internet and TV and books and......the list goes on. They will thankfully get ‘informed about issues’ from other sources much, much sooner than you think. Combined with parental input and encouragement to talk about a range of issues this is a wonderful and necessary thing.

I’d heard about Diversity’s performance but not seen it until I watched your link OP. I thought it was really powerful....I can imagine the type that are complaining about it. I’d like to say I’m surprised by so many complaints but sadly I’m not. Well done to Diversity for this performance. 👏 👏 👏

black lives matter isn't political, it's just human.

Well, BLM the movement is political, black lives matter as an ethos is human- there is a difference. I don't get the complaints either, the wonderful thing about a television anyway is that you have the ability to change the channel or turn it off if you don't like what you see, who would have thought it.

@Jazzybeats

To be honest, to all those folks who say this wasn’t the right platform. What is?

Protesting in the streets? I recall people up in arms about that.

Protesting at work? People have lost their jobs for that.

I think the underlying theme is, black people shouldn’t protest. Be thankful for your lot. And that is why there is a big fucking problem in this country.

Exactly. “Protest all you like so long as I don’t have to see it and it doesn’t impact my life in any way” Well then it’s not a bloody protest, is it?

I think a lot of viewers are just very racist tbh

The US is not 'much more racist' than the UK. If you think that, you have not been paying attention.

Yes it is. But that doesn't make the fact that it exists here at all any more acceptable.

I thought it was very powerful and incredibly well done. I believe any platform should be used to get a message across regardless of if it is during a light entertainment show.

That said it was a shame that it didn't include a lovely dance about black on black knife crime or, the Glasgow, Reading and Birmingham victims. Jacob Billingham. I bet many people don't even know who he was.

So yes Diversity great!! use dance to get a message across. Maybe try a bit of, erm, diversity though??

My issue is that less than a minute after the performance the Daily Mail was hailing it as iconic and brave. As soon as the backlash started they changed the narrative. Then stand back and wonder why the Diversity group are getting death threats

‘Legs Akimbo’ anyone ?

That said it was a shame that it didn't include a lovely dance about black on black knife crime or, the Glasgow, Reading and Birmingham victims. Jacob Billingham. I bet many people don't even know who he was.

Others can dance for them if they like, there's never an expectation that anyone else covers absolutely everything, except in regards to race where there's a tonne of whataboutery. Do you think things like black on black knife crime don't have anything to do with the issue though? And do we need someone to dance for white on white crime, or is that just crime rather than used to try and make an odd point about why we shouldn't be pushing for equality?

10,000 complaints because we live in a country full of closet (and not so closet) racists and cryptofacists.

'Others can dance for them if they like, there's never an expectation that anyone else covers absolutely everything, except in regards to race where there's a tonne of whataboutery.'

Of course they can. It is ironic however to be called Diversity and not to be diverse. A bit of inclusively would have been lovely. The recent stabbings aren't 'whataboutery' they are incredibly relevant. Can you name the victims from the Reading attack?? The performance was about 2020. Not just BLM.

except in regards to race where there's a tonne of whataboutery
I can only assume you have never posted anything anywhere about women. If you do, you will be inundated with 'what about the men?' It happens on nearly every thread on here too. I'm not excusing whataboutery - I hate it. But I also hate people pretending they can't see how women are subjected to it.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'Others can dance for them if they like, there's never an expectation that anyone else covers absolutely everything, except in regards to race where there's a tonne of whataboutery.'

Of course they can. It is ironic however to be called Diversity and not to be diverse. A bit of inclusively would have been lovely. The recent stabbings aren't 'whataboutery' they are incredibly relevant. Can you name the victims from the Reading attack?? The performance was about 2020. Not just BLM.

But surely they danced about the issues that affected them. As black people who aren't from Reading, or Glasgow or Birmingham.

I could name the Reading victims. I couldn't name the Glasgow or Birmingham ones. But that's because reading is my home town. I know people who knew the men who were killed. I had chatted to one of them in the pub once.

I didn’t see that the Daily Mail was ‘hailing it as iconic and brave.’ If they did I would say that they deliberately stirred up a backlash.

They know their market. When they buy unflattering photos of a female celeb looking obviously not svelte in a bikini they write it up in an achingly false positive way. They know full well that the celeb will torn apart in the comments - that’s why they bought the pictures. They do it this way so that they can conveniently stand back from all the negativity they’ve whipped up.

They knew that this performance would stir up the ‘all lives matter’ brigade, that a good % of their readers are the ‘all lives matter’ brigade and that they get loads of clicks on BGT articles. I’d say the ‘positive’ article was click bait for their readers and they followed that by stirring up faux outrage (and more complaint) under the guise of reporting on the complaints.

Of course they can. It is ironic however to be called Diversity and not to be diverse. A bit of inclusively would have been lovely. The recent stabbings aren't 'whataboutery' they are incredibly relevant. Can you name the victims from the Reading attack?? The performance was about 2020. Not just BLM

They provide Diversity amongst the sea of white dance troupes and groups that get any traction over here, so yes, their name is appropriate. They might be relevant, but not to fighting institutionalised racism and the murder of black citizens by the police. Nowhere did they say that violence towards white people doesn't exist, but if anything the lack of equality contributes to it, and shouldn't be used to try and discredit the push for every human being treated equally. They performed a dance of things important to them, on a platform not often afforded to black performers, if you cannot understand why BLM was a focus you underestimate the impact it has had on people. So yes, bringing other things into it is whataboutery, and you can perhaps help petition for equal access to mental health care for black people if you are concerned about the stabbings.