'TV soaps have White Australia policy' (1 Viewer)

[chicky_pie]

TV PRODUCERS have been accused of operating a "White Australia" policy when it comes to casting actors for top-rated soap operas.

Neighbours and Home and Away have been branded racist for consistently failing to feature families from ethnic minorities.

Now academics and politicians fear that international viewers could get the "wrong impression" about Australia.

University of Queensland Aboriginal studies lecturer Sam Watson said the dramas were operating an "exclusive white family club" that didn't reflect Australia's true demographic.

"The producers and directors of these shows are very sadly harking back to the White Australia policy of the '40s and '50s," he said. "Instead of embracing the rich diversities of our country, they are shunning it."


In contrast, British soaps such as EastEnders and Coronation Street, and New Zealand's Shortland Street have been successfully casting actors from ethnic minorities for years.

It's a huge concern for actors' union the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, which will discuss the problems at a conference in Sydney next month.

The union's national director of actors' equity, Simon Whipp, said he had been campaigning on the issue for 20 years and still little improvement had been made.

"Our members are missing out on roles for no other reason than the fact that they are not white," he said.

The White Australia policy began in 1901 to restrict non-white immigration to the country.

While it was scrapped in 1973, viewers of Neighbours and Home and Away might be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

In Neighbours, white Ramsay Street residents Susan and Karl Kennedy regularly laugh over the fence with their equally white neighbours Steve and Miranda Parker - even though the soap is set in the culturally diverse city of Melbourne.

In Home and Away, the residents of Summer Bay, just north of multi-cultural Sydney, are also white Australians, with the exception of Jai Fernandez - an Asian character who lost his parents in the Boxing Day tsunami.

The discrimination has not gone unnoticed in Britain either, where Neighbours was recently dubbed "too white" by black and Asian viewers.

Aboriginal MP Marion Scrymgour, who is Arts Minister for the Northern Territory, said people in indigenous communities needed greater representation on television.

"It's important that young Aboriginal people are able to see there are opportunities for interesting and rewarding employment," she said.

we need more hot mixed people, like think wentworth miller? dribbles

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

Sarah Palin
Parah Salin

 

[bigboyjames01]

OMG. woh gives a fuck, and who watches such rubbish anyway?

 

[chicky_pie]

OMG. woh gives a fuck, and who watches such rubbish anyway?

It's not just those 2 soap shows, even Rove as well. He's not funny and he never has a Asian guest appearance or something something, I seriously never watch his show but I know it has its own white Australia policy. :rofl:

 

[Scissors]

i wanna see a lebo on home and away.

 

[bigboyjames01]

how the fuck can people even notice this. do you guys inspect what race people are on shows? for gods sake just watch the damn thing. fucking piss me off. political correctness gone mad.

i dont watch home and away or neighbors, heck i hardly watch TV these days because my parents watch curry tv 25/8. however, when i do watch it i dont even pick up stuff like this. for fucks sake, who cares.

 

[boris]

if they put a lebo on home and away they will just be that weeks serial rapist lol

 

[Scissors]

if they put a lebo on home and away they will just be that weeks serial rapist lol

OMGSHHH!! u is such a sterotipeing idiot.

not all lebozz are rapers u idiot!!


my cuzn is a dctorz!

 

[chicky_pie]

how the fuck can people even notice this. do you guys inspect what race people are on shows? for gods sake just watch the damn thing. fucking piss me off. political correctness gone mad.

i dont watch home and away or neighbors, heck i hardly watch TV these days because my parents watch curry tv 25/8. however, when i do watch it i dont even pick up stuff like this. for fucks sake, who cares.

I think there's a Asian on H&A, ironically the character's parents died in the boxing day tsunami.

 

[JaredR]

An Aboriginal family in Home and Away, lol.

 

[chicky_pie]

An Aboriginal family in Home and Away, lol.

That would be a great episode, Aboriginal family the son is a alcoholic, the daughter is 14 years old and pregnant, and the husband is cheating his wife with a bogan

 

[Just.waiting]

"Aboriginal MP Marion Scrymgour, who is Arts Minister for the Northern Territory, said people in indigenous communities needed greater representation on television."

Abbos are around 1-2% of the population.

There aren't even 50 main characters on those shows.

Therefore, abbos are accurately represented.

People whinging about this shit are the ones making race an issue. The producers of the show can do whatever they want, its fiction ffs.

But wouldn't asian or middle eastern people make up a higher percentage of the population, yet they aren't represented either

 

[55HS]

The cosby show was racist because nearly everyone on that show was black.

 

[same person]

has anyone else realised how incredibly racist this has become?

 

[same person]

glad im not the only one then...

 

[scarybunny]

There's a shit show on fox about people in Bankstown who ram-raid convenience stores.

It's got loads of lebs and asians in it.

 

[incentivation]

It's because Summer Bay doesn't have any housing commission.. simple.

Either way, surely an 'Aboriginal Studies' lecturer has better things to focus upon. Perhaps the standard of living of Aboriginal People in Australia should take priority..

 

[Wooz]

It's not just those 2 soap shows, even Rove as well. He's not funny and he never has a Asian guest appearance or something something, I seriously never watch his show but I know it has its own white Australia policy. :rofl:

Have has Akmal on once in a while!

 

[Will Shakespear]

all jokes aside though, it's true fta commercial tv in australia = anglo only zone

 

[Silver Persian]

nah asians and middle easterns aren't allowed outside Sydney. Really, most people in little coastal towns really are anglo.

Neighbours is in Melbourne?