The V. Confronting 1st Ep Of SBS’ ‘First Contact’ Sure Had Australia Rattled

 

Last night, the first episode of the highly-anticipated season of SBS show ‘First Contact’ went to air. 

Reactions were, as you’d expect, plentiful. 

If you haven’t heard of the show, ‘First Contact’ places a group of six non-Indigenous people, all with varied and strong opinions on Aboriginal people and culture, Indigenous relations in Australia, and racism in general. 

While the first season of the popular featured your average Aussie, this season features six well-known personalities – former Australian idol judge Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson, singer Natalie Imbruglia, comedian Tom Ballard, former One Nation politician David Oldfield, actor Nicki Wendt, and former Miss Universe Renae Ayris. 

Oldfield managed to dominate most of the internet’s reactions, due to him acting like a complete prick (hang on) being a rude jerk (hold up, sorry) being a disrespectful fuckwit (look at that, there’s really no other way to say it!) to Aboriginal elder Timmy ‘Djawa’ Burarrwanga, while in Bawaka in East Arnhem Land.

Oldfield refuses to take part in catching fish for dinner (shocker), and so Timmy asks if the politician respects his culture the way he respects his. 

Unhappy with Oldfield’s answer to this, he tells him, “You know this country is so racist”.

The conversation ends up a fiery argument, in which Oldfield offers to leave Timmy’s land. 

Reaction were exactly as you’d expect ’em to be:

Oldfield refuses to contribute to getting tonight’s dinner … Who’s on ‘handouts’ now? Ha. Brilliant. There is a God. #FirstContact

— Sophie Verass (@sophieverass) November 29, 2016

The irony of David’s skin being “sensitive” #FirstContact

— Tom Ballard (@TomCBallard) November 29, 2016

Am enjoying David Oldfield mansplaining to two women why Aboriginal culture is sexist #firstcontact

— Jacqueline Maley (@JacquelineMaley) November 29, 2016

David there’s no necessity for your existence in our land either so kindly remove yourself #FirstContact

— Sarah Catania (@SarahCatania4) November 29, 2016

i cant believe oldman went on the show, went to someones elses country and then just refused to participate in anything? #firstcontact

— Nayuka Gorrie (@NayukaGorrie) November 29, 2016

oldfuck’s white fragility couldn’t even handle ochre #firstcontact

— Nayuka Gorrie (@NayukaGorrie) November 29, 2016

Casting David Oldfield in this program and sending him out to meet good people like Tim is disrespectful. #FirstContact

— John Clark (@JohnnyClark83) November 29, 2016

But as interesting as ‘First Contact‘ may be, many brought up that Aboriginal trauma being brought up and televised *purely* to teach some white people how not to be racist is grim and demeaning, and is also a prime example of white privilege in action:

Poverty porn using trauma of our people as entertainment for white people #FirstContact

— Amy McQuire (@amymcquire) November 29, 2016

Interesting there’s more Twitter outrage over David Oldfield than the actual poverty in which Aboriginal people live. #FirstContact

— Sarah Harris ?? (@SarahHarris) November 29, 2016

So nice that so many people care about white people learning things. I wish they cared as much about black people’s trauma #FirstContact

— Celeste Liddle (@Utopiana) November 29, 2016

@Utopiana So many comments like ‘this was so enlightening!’ and ‘food for thought!’ from white ppl who can afford academic detachment.

— David Lo Pun (@helpmeskeletor) November 29, 2016

Nope can’t watch the famous white people have their misconceptions broken down by Indigenous trauma as a form of entertainment #FirstContact

— Celeste Liddle (@Utopiana) November 29, 2016

Too true. 

But ultimately, this is the tweet that really hits the nail on the head. Why does contact solve racism?

Do you need contact to have respect or should we just have respect for other people as a default setting?
#FirstResponse #FirstContact

— dontboilthesauce (@dbtsauce) November 29, 2016

The next ep airs tonight, and it seems as though Oldfield is involved in yet another argument where he implies to people belonging to the world’s oldest culture that he is better and more cultured than them. 

Can’t wait.