I've recently been watching a bit of Celebrity Big Brother and closely following the fall out surrounding Jade, Danielle and Jo's alledged racist bullying of Shilpa. In case you missed it, here are a couple of the more offensive comments made by Jade,
16/01/07 – A big row. Shilpa says she only ordered Oxo cubes. Jade: “It’s not the only fucking thing you ordered, you liar… You’re not some princess in fucking Neverland…. Go back to the slums and find out what real life is about, lady…. You fucking fake”
17/01/07 – Jade refers to “Shilpa Poppadom”
What has puzzled me is the way that these statements have been construed as racist. Don't get me wrong, Jade presented as a nasty bully and I found the way she and the others treated Shilpa very uncomfortable to watch, but I'm just not convinced that her attacks were racist.
Chakrabati defines racism as the following,
'Racism is, first a set of beliefs or a way of thinking within which groups identified on the basis of real or imagined biological characteristics (skin colour, for example) are thought necessarily to possess other characteristics that are viewed in a negative light'
While Jade's statements may have contained a racial element, it is difficult to argue that they were racist if you agree with the above definition. Bullying has always gone on in the Big Brother house (remember Chabaz), and I don't see what makes this series any more sinister than the others. Do you agree, or have I missed the point completely?
14 comments:
i went to a particularly interesting public lecture on Tuesday at LSE, on slavery and race in the US. It mainly looked at some of the history of slavery, and how this has affected concepts of and our understanding of 'race' and racism[ he spoke mainly of white and black in the context of slavery in the US]
Interestingly enough, the professor spoke about how is is pretty much proven that there is not really much of a genetic basis to explain differences in race, but [in his opinion] race is now considered a anthropological/cultural construct.
Anyway, as to whether Jade is racist or just a bully, i think that i would partly agree with you, that she is not necessarily a racist in terms of ms chakrabati, and she just doesn't like Shilpa. Nevertheless, I think her attitude goes beyond bullying by reinforcing the dangerous social stereotypes and derogatory use of language which do prevail within the groups and individuals who are racist by definition.
maketh sense?
big brother sucks anyway and i resent wasting my thought time on it.
surely this is an example of institutional racism?
I was talking to someone at work about this, and she told me a story of a woman whose daughter brought home her black boyfriend. this women didn't consider herself a racist, but she didn't know what to do or say. her daughter bringing home a black man was uncomfortable for her. she admitted she had to completely rethink her attitudes towards other races.
now jade may not go around being outright racist. but she does display this 'uncomfort' around other races in the house. and she displays these 'uncomforts' with odd racial stereotypes.
Jade can't cope with people different to her and it displayed itself in odd ways.
but aren't we all like that? I will admit, I would have to rethink attitudes towards a gay man if my best mate turned gay. Or if indeed my daughter fell in love with a black man, pikie...whatever I would have to think about it. because we have certain ideas, expectations in our heads. and until we encounter these differences and understand them, these deep seeded 'predjuices' remain in us.
that make sense?
(I aint no racist by the way)
The hope is that when people encounter difference they don't hate, they love and understand, and look beyond themselves; realising we are all but of the same creation.
But unfortunately I have a culture, and an upbringing which constantly needs ironing out.
Good stuff.
I asked my youth group on Sunday whether they thought Jade was racist- although opinion was split, the majority thought she was. For my part, I think she displayed 'secondary racism'. I don't think that her dislike for Shilpa was racially motivated, from the little I've seen of CBB, and from what I've read, it seems that she doesn't like her because of a personality clash, jealousy, and the general group mentality that BB seems to foster.
That said, the way that Jade vented that dislike certainly was racist. It tried to push Shilpa in to negative racist stereotypes- all Indians live in slums, Ripping it out of her name, etc.
So, while I don't know her and so wouldn't like to make any sort of bold statement, I reckon that while Jade certainly made racist remarks, that doesn't necessarily make her a racist. Also, the behaviour of the other girls has been largely overlooked. They are in many ways just as culpable as the more vocal Jade in this.
Becky, yeah, I like that whole thing about race being a false construct. It isn't true to say that just because you are of a similar colour to someone that you are therefore genetically closer to them than people of another skin colour. It's pretty mind blowing when you think about it.
Wow, three long comments within one day, who said blogging was dead?
Bex, I've read a few articles that take the same perspective as the professor, it seems to parallel the distinction made between gender and sex by other academics. I can see your point about being careful in relation to the connotations of your language (in words like nigger and paki etc.) but I'm not sure Jade was guilty of that.
Scriv, I'm not sure institutional racism is the correct term. I agree with your points about racism being endemic but I'm not sure this is what jade was displaying. Jade wasn't uncomfortable around Jermaine and her clashes with shilpa were more the result of a class and personality clash than a general Indian stereotype, in fact I don't think Jade was using negative stereotypes at all.
Tim, I don't think Jade was saying that all Indians live in slums, it was more a comment about Shilpa not being in touch with the 'working class' of India, and I'm not sure how making fun of Shilpa's name can be seen as racist.
I think the whole debacle reflects more the way the British are deeply uncomfortable about race, than Jade's racism. Her comments seem harmless when switched to those of a different race (Ewen Haggis, or Jon rarebit). There just seems to be comedy value (which can be used to bully in the right situation) in associating people with characteristics of their culture.
Jon you've obviously seen more big brother than the rest of us!
Sadly, that is probably true.
I think that big brother is brilliant in shining a big light on the aspects of society that we would least like to admit exist, and the parts of ourselves we dont want to admit to.
Whether Jade was racist or not, the fact is she and her little group of friends became horrible bullies in the house. Jade herself has said it was disgusting behaviour.
And in as much as we like to watch stuff and tut and say how shocking it is, that side exists in all of us.
I think Jade felt very insecure and so looked for people she felt she had the most in common with, and picked on the person that was different.and I'm sure we've all been in that position,felt a bit insecure, maybe even made snidey comments, maybe not been as friendly as we could.
So the newspapers demonising Jade is both hypocritical and also bullying. we should go easy on her.cos for someone brought up by a drug addict lesbian and a violent criminal, she's pretty sorted.
Great point.
Jon, I still think that Jades comments were racist- even if she is not. Her comments displayed stereotyping along the lines of race. And I'm not sure that Jade was saying the stuff about the slums because she thought Shilpa was out of touch with them. I'm not sure if she is aware of Shilpa's background. But as Scriv has said, it seems you have watched way more than me.
Jodes, I don't think that BB does shine a very effecive light. The producers of the show create a false atmosphere, heighten tension, disorientate contestants etc. While the contestants are all aware they are playing a game, one which will improve (hopefully) their celebrity when they get out. I don't think it does anything special- it's just th audience is bigger than a documentaries.
But I agree with you about Jade. I quite like her, she is pretty sorted considering. I've seen her about where I live, and it got me thinking about the context she comes from. There is a lot of racism where I live (the BNP have several council seats), and a fairly low number of non white people. Jade coming from that background makes it much easier to slip in to stereotyping and unconcious racist remarks.
I have not watched much of Big Brother, although I did get pulled into watching Jade's eviction. However this topic has been hotly debated in the place where I am working at the moment. Although I do not think that Jade was being maliciously racist, she highlighted differences between herself and Shilpa and showed an ignorance of who Shilpa is and where she comes from. I think that is where prejudice and discrimination stem from: from being ignorant and therefore threatened by differences. If the difference is the colour of somebody's skin or an accent or a disability, then this is what is highlighted.
Secondly, my friends and colleagues who are of Asian descent have been incensed by these comments. This says that Jade (and Daniellse and Jo's) comments have been very hurtful. Whether or not they are intentionally racist at the end of the day does not matter because they have hurt people and therefore should be abhored.
Jon, I am so glad you posted this -I've been too scared to say it!
Jade's behaviour was appalling (by the way I don't watch BB and only heard and saw clips) and it was hideous bullying by the three girls, but I wasn't convinced it was racist either. As Jodie (I think) said it was a clash of personality and type.
I agree with Jon S that we all have deep-seated prejudices that we are only barely aware of. I wouldn't like to delve too deeply into mine!
It's interesting though that Jade gets all this hate plus what I assume is an all-expenses-paid trip to india!
And the front cover of several magazines. I saw one editor interviewed saying her readers had said they didn't want Jade in the mag any more and behind her was the cover of the latest issue with, yes, Jade on it.
Just been reading an interview with Trevor Philips in the Guardian. He makes an interesting point that I think is worth looking at.
Even though we may disagree on whether Jade was being racist, the media certainly painted her as such. Philips was saying that when he saw Jade get voted out, he felt proud to be British because it showed that ordinary British people are opposed to bullying for no reason.
I think there are a few interesting points here:
1. The majority of celebrity big brother watchers do seem opposed to bullying (possibly racist).
2. If (as it is possible) Jade was not being racist, does this demonstrate the power of the media to decide on issues of morality. Will the public at large accept the decision of newspapers or news programmes without reflecting for themselves on the issue.
Got to go, sorry if it's a bit jumbled
look at jodies blog
hey i realise i am coming to this late....
i found the whole debate in the media after cbb really fascinating.
it was almost farcical how the tabloids lynched jade for displaying the attitudes they themselves print daily.
Jade showed up the ugly side of english society and it was vital that she was seen as being a racist so that people could distincuish between her and themselves.
Becky (boctor) made a point that struck me, she said that there is an underlying feeling (amongst many if not all people) that when they are arguing with someone, who is percieved as foreign, that when it comes down to it they will have confidence that they are right because it is difficult for them to believe that the other person is better than them, even if they are aware that the person may be better
qualified/more intelligent etc.
a good example might be the 'indian doctor', he's smart but he's not english.
The fact that jade doesn't think she is a racist underlines the problem. Her attitudes towards "foreign people" are normal and therefore they couldn't possibly be racist.
I hear Jade's attitudes repeated every day in work, these people don't hate black people, but they do feel that they "belong" more than the other.
sorry that is so long....
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