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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to be outraged that the two black contestants in Strictly Come Dancing...

250 replies

seeker · 19/10/2008 21:48

...were bottom of the public vote, even though it was obvious to anyone with eyes in their head that they weren't the worst two dancers?

OP posts:
pellmell · 19/10/2008 22:45

seeker, do you mind me asking if you still feel the same level of outrage now that several people have put a different viewpoint across?
Race relations are always going to be a very emotive subject but surely a judgement like the one you express seperates more than it unites.

pellmell · 19/10/2008 22:46

sorry seeker ( crosssed posts)
I'm so rubbish at typing

mamadiva · 19/10/2008 22:47

seeker I am no stranegr to racism it's all around us of course it is but it annoys me so much when people can't see past a bloody colour, you can not like somomne for the person they are rather than the colour they are!

Maybe the public/judges didn't like their dancing or hadnt that occurred to you?

Original poster
seeker · 19/10/2008 22:51

Yes, it had occurred to me. But the judges gave higher marks to Heather and Don than to Mark and Andrew (I think - I may have that wrong). And to me as a member of the public Mark and Andrew were so completely dreadful that I started looking for another reason that they were kept on while Don and Heather weren't.

OP posts:
mabanana · 19/10/2008 22:59

The public vote for people they like personality-wise or they like them from their TV personas. I think Mark must be fancied or felt sorry for (my ds begged me to vote for Mark as he was so hangdog!). I think if Don had more telly work he would have survived. I thought he was adorable, in an Eeyore-ish way.

pingping · 20/10/2008 13:09

Yabu

pingping · 20/10/2008 13:12

Its more about popularity rather than talent when it comes to the public vote the same happens in the X factor it has nothing to do with race or age just on who people like the most.

ChloeAnderson · 20/10/2008 13:20

Sorry, haven't got time to read all the posts... just wanted to express my views

Every year you'll find that it is rarely the worst two dancers that end up in the dance off.

As for racism, tho I am sure it exists, the fact that black contestants have historically done very well on the show (Aleesha won last year, Mark Ramrakash - of Anglo-Indian descent, won two years ago, Colin Jackson got the the final three years ago, Denise Lewis got to the final in the second series). I think it is a combination of personality and obviously their dancing ability.

It just happened to be those Don and Heather in the bottom two. Both were in dangerous positions after the judges scores. EVERY WEEK they say that it's dangerous if you are just above the bottom as people vote for the celebrity in last place in a panic.

wissyssis · 20/10/2008 13:29

I think that it's simply that Mark Foster, Andrew Castle and John Seargent got the sympathy votes from the public.
Last year as soon as Kate Garraway did a halfway reasonable dance she lost the sympathy vote and then the dance off.

Ivegotaheadache · 20/10/2008 13:31

I don't think it's got anything to do with race, or wouldn't they have been the first to have been voted off?
Gillian, Jessie and Gary Rhodes have gone and they're white.

theressomethingaboutmarie · 20/10/2008 13:34

Oh for goodness sake! What a load of old nonsense. We thought that Don was great but obviously he's not popular with the public. Heather was pretty awful. She was like a chair been dropped randomly across the floor.

Accusing the British public at large of being racist is ridiculous. I'm rather outraged at your reactionary nonsense.

Niecie · 20/10/2008 13:35

Don wasn't that good - it isn't a travesty that he got knocked out. He had only one more point from the judges than Jon (17 v 16 points) so it is not surprising he has gone given that most people under 30 probably won't know who is and he wouldn't have got the public vote. T

As for Heather, she isn't very high profile nor was her dancing that great either. She was in a dangerous position.

I don't think that in this instance, it has anything to do with race at all.

They weren't bottom of the public vote, they bottom of the combined vote surely.

So in answer to the OP YABU.

MissChief · 20/10/2008 13:38

well, I was struck by same thought as OP, rather a coincidence that they were both up.
And that was down to the public vote only I think? Yes, not great dancers but not sure they were the worst - Andrew Castle anyone?/!

Niecie · 20/10/2008 13:39

No sorry, I got that wrong - checked my facts on the Strictly website before posting and misread. Don didn't get 17 points he got 23.

My point still stands that he isn't very well known so would be very few people's first choice to save.

LazyLinePainterJane · 20/10/2008 13:40

You can solve the problem by not watching such tosh!

combustiblelemon · 20/10/2008 15:14

But there are sequins and everything.

mayorquimby · 20/10/2008 15:19

yabu.hiope this is a wind up as it really seems to be crying racism just for the sake of it.

BlackPussyCat · 20/10/2008 15:26

Hear hear MQ.

OP - Yabu

Gobbledigook · 20/10/2008 15:36

I didn't even register this at all.

I mean, John Sargent is crappola but he is cute and cuddly and v popular adn that's why he is still there.

It's a popularity contest by and large and neither Heather Small or Don are big, popular stars these days.

I mean, what has that Don bloke been in? I vaguely recognise him but I don't think I've actually seen him in anything.

As for Heather - what has she done in teh last 10 yrs.

I don't vote on it anyway btw, but people vote forwho they like. Like t'other year when that utterly crappo lad from Eastenders was there right till the end - he was like a blardy wooden soldier, utterly shit. But people knew him from Enders and thought he was cute

Gobbledigook · 20/10/2008 15:36

Ah Malory - we agree

Gobbledigook · 20/10/2008 15:37

heather small was rubbish!
She couldn't stop a pig in a ginnel either - she walks like a man

MadameCastafiore · 20/10/2008 15:39

YABU to me it says something when race is automatically brought up in things like this - I wouldn't have even thought about them being black - they are just celebs on the telly to me.

BlackPussyCat · 20/10/2008 15:39

Gobble
Lol at 'Pig in a ginnel'!

wtf is a ginnel?

SheikYerbouti · 20/10/2008 15:40

ginnel is an alleyway between 2 houses

BlackPussyCat · 20/10/2008 15:41

Ah right