(no subject)

[beccaelizabeth]

This is more a note to self than a useful post -
been reading up on Supernatural meta again, and a bit earlier reading about Firefly and Buffy and Angel, and therefore about Skanky Race Issues. Which they have. All over the place. I mean, there's only so many dead black dudes you can see before it makes a pattern, you know? And given the general pervasiveness of dead black dudes in some corners of culture the pattern is pre-formed, so that number is, sadly, one. Having lots of live black dudes can make a whole different pattern, but oh look, didn't manage that until Firefly. And even then...

ANYway, that's a sidetrack

cause in the comments there was a lot of the usual racism bingo, the 'well all the characters die', 'well there's a lot of white monsters', 'well I just don't see it that way and I'm sure the writers don't either'.
I should look up the racism bingo card. It's handy.

One that came up and made me make a post is "Well in the UK we just don't have those issues."
And, yeah, um, kinda? Maybe? Historical and cultural specificity being what it is, the different histories of immigration and all on both sides, seems like we don't have *those* issues. But, I'm pretty sure we have issues. Like, lots.

My data points on this one are slim, and not sorted so very much by US/UK. Which they should be, for this. But for UK in particular?

One - perceptions by black immigrants (that I'm related to) of racism directed at them.
Two - remembering a comedy sketch where they were talking about how any black guy on TV would be cause for crowding around and celebration and stuff.
Three - vaguely remembered history of UK TV, where specialist Black and Asian strands were created so there would in fact by TV with/by people of color.
Four - the Doctor Who mess with Martha and the maid costume.
and
Five... though I vaguely feel it should be 7... um, the bit in About Time that I just read last night where they had a season where there was a black character in every episode, as policy. Which was well and good, right up until the thing where one was an evil rapper. Greatest Show in the Galaxy, which I haven't watched recently enough to remember that bit.

So I'm wondering, is it that we in the UK we don't have issues... or that we white people in the UK don't notice those issues? Cause there's kind of a huge difference. And all the sociology data I have about difference in achievement in education and differences in criminal convictions and differences in mental health care, that all says there Huge Great Race Issues right in the numbers, so it don't seem likely it just happens to not be there in the media.

I mean I'd still look to class and gender as more likely the big explainers, but race is right up there with them.


There's a bunch of different stereotypes. Probably getting real specific. I not knowing, I not looking up yet. I know to count the evil/insane/dead proportions (specially when it's up around 100% then there's a biiiiiig problem) but anything more subtle than that would require, like, thinking.

Random black dudes get to be captains and stuff. Is pretty cool. But is it really we has no problems? I not knowing. Would have to go look.

Comments

[lizw.livejournal.com]

I'm certainly conscious that I have issues, in terms of prejudices that I'm only just starting to examine and small ways in which my brain lets me down (e.g. being bad at putting any names to faces, but worse when the faces are black). And I'm fairly confident it's not just me, given that the BNP still manage to survive and get votes, however small a minority they are.

[beccaelizabeth]

yes, exactly. votes for bad politics can't add up to country of no prejudice.

and, um, yes also to the thing where my brain thinks "distinguishing features - black!" and stops there. It's embarrassing.
Mind, I can also fail to recognise my mother in the street, but, still.