TOPICS OF DISCUSSION

Over the last few months, we have enjoyed having a range of discussions. From various topics like blackfishing to representation of race and gender in the media, we have certainly had a lot to talk about. We thought it would be great to to share some of it with you.

In one of our sessions before the Christmas holidays, we watched the Sainsbury’s 2020 Christmas advert and discussed the criticism they received for including a black family. Despite the main focus of the advert being on the Christmas food and joy of Christmas, many had focused on the race of the family in the video. We continued by discussing our views on the diversity being shown in the video and linked it to other sessions when we talked about the importance of representation in the media, and we thought about why some people were upset about the advert. Some members brought up the idea that the video may not be showing enough diversity as it still centred around a typical English Christmas meal containing turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes etc.

During this term, we have really enjoyed looking at how the media influences our perception as well as how different people are presented in the media. One of the sub-topics we discussed was blackfishing. "Blackfishing" is not as commonly known, though its roots stem from the term catfish. The term catfish is used to describe when someone pretends to be someone they are not, typically online. Likewise, the term "blackfishing" refers to when "someone who uses things like hairstyling and makeup to create and enhance certain features to make it appear as if they have black heritage or are racially ambiguous. " After discussing this definition, we then went on to discuss celebrities in the media who we have seen demonstrating this attitude, such as many mainstream celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Rita Ora and Jesy Nelson. We specifically focused on Jesy Nelson, former band member of Little Mix. We discussed how in her recent music video “her skin is darkened in a way that makes her appear non-white” , which The Guardian reported. Some of us expressed ideas such as the idea that blackfishing is wrong due to the fact that people try to appear a particular race or ethnicity whilst not having to actually deal with the marginalisation and discrimination that comes with being from a minority ethnic group. This is applies to influencer, Oli London, who rose to fame after doing multiple surgeries to attempt to look like a member of a popular Korean boy band. He is a white male who identifies as Korean, though not from Korean lineage. We discussed how cultural appreciation can be shown without a need to change physical appearance or characteristics as this can be offensive to a particular group of people.

However, we are aware that a wide range of people consider themselves to be British and that is something we as a society should be proud of. Being British does not have to be linked to the place in which you grew up, being British means so many different things to so many different people. Discussing what it meant to each of us to be British was an enlightening experience, as it was able to open my eyes to the difference in views of what being British can be. Evidenly, being British covers such a wide range of heritages and families. We also talked about the different traditions surrounding Christmas and how even though most of us consider ourselves to be British, we will eat a vastly different range of meals on Christmas day. We agreed that British Identity has no single definition, and that every family might have their own version in what it means to be British.

When talking about representation of race in the media, we talked about a number of things, including TV, Movies and adverts. We discussed why representation in the media is important, and concluded that without the correct representation, especially in today's world, not seeing a visual representation of yourself in the shows you watch or the movies you see can have a devastating effect. This can often be taken for granted, as many people like to point out that the predominant race of the UK is white, therefore it is not a problem that the media utilise casts that are predominantly white. However, nearly 14% of Britian's population is an ethnic minority, which is nearly 1 in every 7. Even if this is the case, not having the correct representation in the media can lead to harmful stereotypes in real life, and low self confidence in ethnic minorities. We discussed how in Horror shows for example, the utilisation of Black, specifically AfricanAmerican characters, has led to a stereotype where Black people always die first. Not only this, but in Disney films, it has been a recurring trend, that people of colour are turned into animals, like Tiana in the Princess and the Frog. At first glance, this is not too problematic, however the problem is that racism and prejudice is so internalised, that this can lead to the dehumanisation of Black characters and people. Ultimately, we agreed that the media should represent everybody, as this has a signifciant impact on development when you are a child and we should endeavour as a society to take this topic more seriously.

This discussion mainly stemmed from a GMB interview with Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, in which one of the presenters, Kate Garroway, stumbled over the pronunciation of her name, and asked her to pronounce it herself. However, instead of obliging, Dr Shola asked Kate Garroway to say it phonetically. The question [Beth] first posed to our group, was whether the pronounciation of names really mattered. The overwhelming majority agreed that it did, as names represent who you are, and in many cultures, names have very significant meanings. There were many views shared, however most people felt like it was basic courtesy to pronounce someone's name correctly. Not with the correct intonations, but in a way that it was clear an effort had been made. Many people shared their experiences, in which because of their more 'unusual' surnames, people often made fun of it, without even thinking about it. Everyone agreed that such a thing, although seemingly harmless, can often hurt the person in question, but because everyone else pays no attention to it, they often go along with it. We carried this discussion over two weeks, and in the second meeting, we discussed name blindness. The question [Daniella] posed was: should all CVs be done with name blindness? Unusually, the meeting was sort of split. Some suggested that this shouldn't be done, as your name represents your identity and where you come from, However others pointed out that someone with a 'white' sounding name in the UK, is more likely to get an interview than somebody with a 'nonwhite' sounding name. Furthermore, this was prevalent not just in England, but also in other European countries such as France. 'Never Have I Ever' actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan has also spoken about the topic of her name. Many Hollywood stars, performing artists, etc 'anglicise' their name in order for it to be easier to pronounce and more memorable. However, is this as a result of the culture we have created as a society?

-Contributions made by Katy Hulme (5AMH), Beth Akinkoye (5RAW), Daniella Freeman (5RAW)