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

[seeker]

...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?

DH and I were discussing this last night. There does seem to be a general trend for black contestants to do less well in reality TV shows.

I think with Strictly the audience generally votes for the most able or the most entertaining but there will be some skewing towards those that the audience identifies with or fancies. I'm guessing the typical viewer (and yes this is a very broad generalisation) is a middle aged white mother so she might vote say for Louise in this series and in the past Susanna Reid, as this is who she might most be like (I can only dream of looking like either of them myself), or they go for someone a bit tasty like Danny and Greg and then of course there are the entertaining ones such as Ed and Leslie.

Last week I was a bit about Melvin going as I though that if someone is unable to do the dance off that they should go. However, I think that Melvin was neither a good dancer nor especially entertaining - and I hadn't heard of him so I'm guessing that a lot of other people hadn't either.

This week, I would have happily waved bye-bye to Laura. She's Abbie Couch all over again. Tameka should have been well known being in EastEnders and she has a personality and wasn't bad at dancing so I can't explain why she was in the bottom two unless we do accept there is an element of racism. I thought Naga would go as she was pretty poor and not especially entertaining. Does she have a strong fan-base?

As Ore is one of my favourites I shall be gutted if he goes soon. I expect the BBC will be promoting him heavily this week.

I think you are looking too far into it! These shows are always a popularity contest.... People just obviously don't like those two as much as other people... Probably nothing to do with the colour of their skin.
I am in now way naive to the problems of racism but I do often think that if people didn't make such a stupid bloody fuss every time someone black doesn't win/get through/isn't in a show etc etc and people were assessed on their talents/abilities and even just popularity that maybe we could tackle real racism instead of the crap that people make up!

The first guy went out cos Anastacia wouldn't dance, and the rules of the show state that it then falls to the public vote.

Tameka went out because she was not as good in the dance off.

I'm black, and I don't think anything untoward went on. It is disappointing, but not the end of the world.

Is there really 'such a stupid bloody fuss every time someone black doesn't win/get through/isn't in a show'? Hmm...

Melvin would have gone out even if he had been white. He was the poorest dancer.

Can see why the question should be asked but here Melvin was indeed pretty bad, n oref to skin colour and Tameka was just a bit too annoying (for me anyways).

Are people forgetting that Naga is also black, could have been a candidate for the dance off?

She was also amazingly humble and gracious in defeat.

Except for that bit in her last dance when she pulled up her skirt to show the audience her strapped up knee. Short of actually kneeing Anastacia in the face, she could not have said "Not all of us get to tantrum our way out a dance-off" more clearly. It was my favourite moment of her whole time on Strictly.

she also issued a cryptic tweet on Sunday which indicated she had gone on Saturday, which suggests she was embittered and wanted everyone to know.

And for that alone I am glad she has gone.

The only contestant I've ever voted for was Louis Smith who eventually won and is black. Melvin couldn't dance and Tamika was irritating plus I'd never heard of either of them before strictly.

Louis Smith is as white as he is black.

I think it is quite unlikely that people referring to Naga Munchetty as black are using 'black' as a political term. In everyday language Naga would be referred to as Asian (in the UK), not black, which is usually taken to mean a person with African heritage. I can quite believe that even in this day and age some people look at Naga, see brown skin and go, 'Black, innit'.

The first celebs to leave Strictly in each series:

1. Jason Wood (White or possibly orange)
2. Quentin Wilson (white)
3. Siobhan Hayes (white)
4. Nicholas Parsons (white)
5. Brian Capron (white)
6. Phil Daniels (white)
7. Martina Hingis (white)
8. Goldie (mixed race?)
9. Edwina Currie (white)

10. Johnny Ball (white) 11. Tony Jacklin (white) 12. Gregg Wallace (white) 13. Iwan Thomas (white)

There does seem to be a significant trend for the worst male dancer to be voted off in the first week, unless the worst female is either loathed, or there is some additional element in play, e.g Scott Mills.

What might be almost a more interesting question is whether there is indirect racism given how much Strictly is based on name recognition - are people of colour given the same opportunities to have wide name recognition which will help them do well on this sort of show. I suspect the answer to that will inevitably be no.

Does this disprove the stereotype that all black people are good dancers then ..!

I'm only watching it for Will Young I skip through everyone else just to see him. Although has anyone else noticed that he's not featured or in the background as much as the other celebs.
Maybe they are classist too!

I'd describe Naga as black politically. I.e. None white. Asian or no is stages of non white.

I suspect people who aren't white get more bothered by degrees of blackness than white people. If you are accusing people of being racist then surely it's anyone with a different skin colour to you you'd discriminate against.
I hadn't realised Louis was mixed race, to me he's not white. I don't see light brown as "better" than dark brown etc.

The colour of someone doesn't matter to me, I don't grade people according to colour tone like a paint card.
I do find fatty mouthy people irritating though, and there do seem to be more fat mouthy contestants on Strictly than thin mouthy ones although I'm with Craig in disliking Judge Rinders drama llamaness as well

Tameka was also cursed with a new dancer but is it the earliest the eastender candidate has been voted off?

It's not about grading people according to skin tone, it's about recognising who they are. Louis Smith has a white mother. Do you think he ignores that part of his heritage, as if having a black father wipes that out?

You try to show you're oh so indifferent, but the ignorance shines through. This idea that a bit of black renders a person black originates in slave trade America. An offensive notion of a single drop of black blood being a contaminant. No longer pure white.

I really don't care what colour someone is. I just reject your notion that having a white parent means someone is seen as "less black" and therefore you are able to justify why Louis Smith won despite wanting to condemn all strictly voters as racist.
You are the one argueing for blackness being a negative thing for voters.
I discriminate against mouthiness.

The Eastenders dancer has indeed been first boot in the past - Phil Daniels, Gillian Taylforth and Jessie Wallace were first, second and fourth boots in series six's infamous Bonfire of Albert Square. I reckon the "Eastenders vote" is highly overrated - I've hardly ever seen one who got further than their dance ability warranted.

I haven't condemned all Strictly voters as racist.

I very clearly said I believe Louis won due to a combination of his performance in gymnastics at the Olympics and a decent dance ability.

I also said that his win can't be taken as evidence that Strictly voters aren't influenced even indirectly by ethnic background.

When someone wantonly twists your words you know you're onto something.

Louis Smith is as white as he is black.

As is Barack Obama, the first black president, and Halle Berry, the first black female oscar winner I believe.

Anyway, this was bumped by a newbie one time only poster. Expect to see it in a paper soon.

Yes of course I know the One Drop thing. Anyone with any sense of sensitivity knows it.

Marley would be looking down on this thread and asking "What? Is it really being applied to this?" To a nice bloke who was awful at dancing and a woman who was naff despite a BBC bedrock normally offered?

It's right to ask but evidence doesn't stack up.

FatherJemima

Yes, apart from that! I was being unashamedly partisan and choosing to overlook that bit because I loved her so much.

It was interesting though. Perhaps they aren't quite so much of a happy family as we are always told.

It's the case for most BBC shows that have a voting element to it. The Voice is the same.