EASTENDERS – Where are the ethnic minorities?

Thought I'd share this:
I wrote this article for my other business website blog ethnicshowcase.com/blog
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EASTENDERS – Where are the ethnic minorities?

Why do main stream shows on British TV like Eastenders disproportionately represent the Blacks and Asians who exist in this world?

I mean, where in the East end of London, in reality, can you find a street that does not have more than a single minority family in it?

If you know of it – please tell me where it is, I’d love to go there and see it for myself.

At present, Eastenders have 1 elderly black couple in it who run a local mini mart store.
A black single mum, with 2 teenager daughters.
And the only token young black male on the screens is an uneducated street cleaner!
Who also, might I add, used to have a criminal brother who was always up to no good and pushing some dodgy deal through.

There are no Asians, Indians or any one from Europe cast on our screens.

My question is... Why is that?

This show is supposed to be up to date, current and dealing with topical issues... Yet grazes over minorities as if they don't exist.

You do have to wonder about what message this is sending out to the British public?
And also, how we're seen abroad.

And I wonder... Is this a deliberate message on the part of TV Company’s behind these shows?
Or one that is unfortunately there and exists simply through today’s circumstances and politics?

I’m particularly worried about the people whom, shall we say, are not that well educated or don't possess any real knowledge of the 'real world'. How will they ever know that not all black people are uneducated; Have jobs other than cleaning streets and don’t spend every day plotting ways to rob or steal from others?

Where are all the successful Blacks, Asians and Indian business owners?
Where are their family members?
Where is a taste of other cultures?

And I don’t mean merely throwing another Indian family into a corner shop, cue Coronation Street. I mean real families, with generations, quirks, ambitions, love, rivalry, history and all those exciting and real elements that exist in Ethnic families and cultures right across Britain.

I mean if this show is supposed to be representing the East end of London, in 2007 and not in London 1907, surely our TV’s should be showing us something very different?

It just depresses me sometimes to watch it and see no diversity – no realness, no truth .I mean at the very least, throw us in a West Indian shop on the square and lets see Ian Beale throw his toys out of his pram about his chip prices falling because of the Beef Pattie sales. How about instead of fish and chips for a change why not let’s see Peggy Mitchell going off to buy some curry goat with rice and peas for the Mitchell clan. And the token dreadlock Rasta, whom would invariably have to run the shop, would have to have some awful dalliance with Pat Butcher at some point… Wouldn’t he?

Ok, so my mind is running off track a little here. But you catch my gist I’m sure.

There are so many talented ethnic actors in London who would jump at the chance to be on top shows like this.

There are also so many talented black and ethnic minority writers who could help scope out and develop convincing storylines for ethnic families to be added to these soaps.
Yet they don’t ever seem to be used.

Why is that?

Is casting and using ethnic families really that difficult?
Is it because we now live in such a politically correct world that script writers are scared to portray ethnic families in certain ways, for fear of a backlash?

We need to find a middle ground on this instead of just doing nothing and ignoring it.

There are ethnic actors who want to work.
There are ethnic writers who want to work.

Wouldn’t it be great to just sit down and make it happen?

It’s time.

Remi Oduyemi
Founder of EthnicShowcase.com
Online portal for UK ethnic talent

http://www.ethnicshowcase.com/blog
http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/ - Official BBC website for Eastenders