The #LogiesSoWhite campaign has started some interesting and necessary discussions, and has also spurred on some horrendously bad conservative takes.
“More diversity on TV would be better.” – #LogiesSoWhite campaigners.
“NO! THERE’S ENOUGH DIVERSITY. TWO NON-WHITE PEOPLE IS ENOUGH!” / “BUT THEY DON’T DESERVE TO WIN THE GOLD LOGIE. WHOEVER WINS HAS TO WIN ON MERIT.” / “DIVERSITY IS OVERRATED. I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF HEARING ABOUT IT!” – Their opponents (white people who can’t see their privilege, but don’t want it to change).
“WE ACTUALLY LIVE IN A POST-RACIAL SOCIETY, I DON’T EVEN SEE COLOUR.” – A dickhead with extremely limited understanding of the current state of race relations.
Australia‘s race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane delivered a speech in Brisbane last night, and decided to chuck in some much-needed commentary on the casual racism that’s being heartily thrown about, masquerading as ‘critique’ of Waleed Aly potentially winning the Gold Logie.
“When inroads have been made in cultural diversity on TV, it doesn’t take much to reveal how threatened or uncomfortable it can make some people feel.This is the only way we can meaningfully interpret the current controversy concerning Waleed Aly.”
Conversation about #LogiesTooWhite began after hosts of ‘The Today Show‘ joked that they were ‘too white’ to be up for the Gold Logie – because two of the six people nominated were non-white.
“It is all of a pattern with the casual racism that can pass for banter on Australian commercial TV,” said Soutphommasane, adding that the criticism of Aly had been deeply personal, but didn’t actually make any sense.
“Many of us have good reason for thinking that the state of our race relations and community harmony is under some challenge.It is also no exaggeration to say our recent public debates are punctuated by controversies about race and so-called political correctness.
It is a challenging time for our race relations and community harmony. It is challenging not only because the ugly faces of racism and bigotry are increasingly on display in public, but also because public discussions about race remain fraught with sensitivities.Sometimes you get the impression that calling out racism can be regarded as a worse moral offence than the perpetration of racism itself.”
SPEAK THAT TRUTH.
Source: Guardian.
Photo: Supplied.
