It saddens me that the BBC only seem to commission dramas about black people that are either hugely patronising or play on stereotypes. Shoot The Messenger falls into the latter category. I saw this last week and was hopeful and interested to watch a virtually all-black cast. The programme was so heavily publicised that it seemed a sin to ignore it. It started off well, showing Joe, a school teacher who is accused of assault by a young black pupil and subsequently loses his career, but after a ridiculous spell in a mental institution (anyone who has had any dealings with mental illness of any shape or form, will recognise this depiction as puerile and ignorant) he turns against all black people. On his release he then travels through a rich series of vignettes involving bad black people who only seem to reinforce his negative ideas about black culture.
As a young black woman, I suppose if I say that I'm annoyed by the stereotyping and negativity, I probably just don't like to hear the truth. If I say that the depiction of black women as females with non-existent self-esteem is offensive, then again, supporters of this film would argue that the truth hurts. I don't care if our 'laundry' is aired - if it takes this to encourage people to talk the problems with drugs, prison and mental illness which are currently occurring in the black community, then i'm all for it. But please, who are the producers of this fodder kidding? The only reason this programme was made was to increase ratings. The BBC have no moral responsibility to the black community - most of its employees don't know any black people apart from the happy go lucky staff who dish out their lunch at the canteen and the friendly but reserved IT guy who comes to mend their computer.
The point is, there are many gifted, talented black writers out there who have vision and the ability to create a good script seamed together with a solid message that would be understood by all races, who will never get a commission from the BBC simply because they're unwilling to resort to this level. It saddens me to read that so many black people are supporting this film. It seems as if we really are starved of seeing our own images in celluloid.
As a young black woman, I suppose if I say that I'm annoyed by the stereotyping and negativity, I probably just don't like to hear the truth. If I say that the depiction of black women as females with non-existent self-esteem is offensive, then again, supporters of this film would argue that the truth hurts. I don't care if our 'laundry' is aired - if it takes this to encourage people to talk the problems with drugs, prison and mental illness which are currently occurring in the black community, then i'm all for it. But please, who are the producers of this fodder kidding? The only reason this programme was made was to increase ratings. The BBC have no moral responsibility to the black community - most of its employees don't know any black people apart from the happy go lucky staff who dish out their lunch at the canteen and the friendly but reserved IT guy who comes to mend their computer.
The point is, there are many gifted, talented black writers out there who have vision and the ability to create a good script seamed together with a solid message that would be understood by all races, who will never get a commission from the BBC simply because they're unwilling to resort to this level. It saddens me to read that so many black people are supporting this film. It seems as if we really are starved of seeing our own images in celluloid.