Black People in the media

GONE TOO FAR follows two estranged teenage brothers over the course of a single day as they meet for the first time, and struggle to accept each other for who they are. Yemi can't wait for his big brother to join him on the estate in Peckham - but when Ikudayisi arrives from Nigeria wearing socks and sandals Yemi questions both his judgement and his African heritage. A day on the estate filled with danger and excitement teaches both of them the values of family and self respect. Written by Rob Watson



Black People in Media;
Black men have become some kind of documentary subject where there's something always wrong with them


(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3577112.stm)

 

 

 

Paul Lowe, black men's group organiser;

Films .

1. Television ads now show many Blacks and eschew stereotypes. However, hidden patterns of differentiation and distance emerge on close analysis. Not surprisingly, for instance, Blacks do not touch Whites in the ads, but (unlike Whites) they rarely even touch each other, conveying a subtle message of Black skin as taboo. A hierarchy of racial preference is embedded within the casting of commercials. Consider these figures from a large prime time sample:
2. Of the 105 commercials for autos or trucks that showed only one race, the percentage all-White: 100%.

• Of the 74 commercials for perfumes that showed only one race, the percentage all-White: 98%.
• Of the 47 commercials for jewelry or cosmetics that showed only one race, the percentage all-White: 100%.

1. Over 70% of Black characters in the most highly rated TV entertainment shows have professional or management positions. However well-intentioned, this utopian reversal imposes a formal distance between Black and White actors, hobbling the audience's sympathetic imagination. Blacks' supervisory roles isolate their characters from close peer relationships. Among these actors, 92% of interactions with Whites are restricted to job-related tasks.

1. Network news tends to "ghettoize" Blacks. Increasingly, African Americans appear mostly in crime, sports and entertainment stories. Rarely are Blacks shown making an important contribution to the serious business of the nation. Sampling network news shows:
2. Number of soundbites on foreign affairs uttered by Whites: 99; by Blacks: 1.

• Number of soundbites on economics uttered by Whites: 86; by Blacks: 1.
• Number of soundbites on electoral politics uttered by Whites: 79; by Blacks: 0.
• Number of soundbites on sports and entertainment uttered by Whites: 35; by Blacks: 11.
• Number of soundbites on crime uttered by Whites: 149; by Blacks: 24.