I call it ignorance

I have not watched any of the stuff that has been unfolding on Channel 4 that has resulted in complaints by over 30,000 people.

Apparently it is racism!?

Actually come to think of it, I have not watched television for a while, (apart from the odd football game at the local) - so can the TV licence people stop dropping their letters at my house..."me no own no TV man, no TV here." Actually the licence fee is going up by 3% to something in the region of £150, what's the matter with these chaps, have they not heard of Joost?!!!

I digress a little; I will make that a subject for another time.

I hear Jermain Jackson is on the show. Has anyone asked him whether the Jackson 5 will have a re-union? On second thought that is not a good idea, just ask him about the hey days when they made all those classics. (Have you heard the groups rendition of Ain't no sunshine...? What a tune)

So RACISM!! They cry heh!!! Anyone who has experienced racism knows how it feels and that when it is directed towards you it is full of hate and vile. I still think that there is a tendency to be biased to ones own race and this may be one of those instances. I am not insinuating that that this is so in this particular situation, considering that I have not watched the show itself, but from a general stand point we are all biased to our own, whether family, friends like minded folks or people of our own skin colour.

We all know that the society in Britain is not as rosey as is normally assumed. I was very shocked to find how divided it is actually and how 1940's it is. I currently reside in Coventry and I have an experiment for you.

Try hailing a cab in the city at one o'clock in the morning. I couldn't believe it when it happened to me. I had to hail about 5 different cabs before one actually stopped. But before jumping on a high horse and criticizing the local cab drivers I have to say that this guys have had it rough with the rogue elements (criminals and non paying passengers) of society. I then realised that I could not conclude who was racist. Was it the cab driver who was protecting his interests and his means of earning? Or was it the people who mistreat and take advantage of them? My cocnlsuion is that it is just ignorance and bad experience. Ignorance insofar as non of the drivers knew me personally and did not bother to know me. They profiled me from a far and decided that I was not worth stopping for.

In organizations they champion diversity as a celebration of difference. So Jade and her ganf need to be taken on some sort of education program. They need to learn to appreciate difference in cultures and communities.... and that whether you are Nigerian chopping [sic] some GARI with fingers; or Kenyans eating UGALIi; Ghanaians and other West African eating FUFU; Ethiopians with INJERA; or the Asian community with Roti/Phulka all in all, this is the way the food goes down the best. Anyone who has travelled the world will know that this is how people do it, but for those who haven't travelled will be IGNORANT. In my experience I cannot envision eating Ugali or Gari with a fork and knife....!!!!!

A number of politicians have made a point to come out and condemn the behaviour and criticize Channel 4. The labour party chief whip, Tony Blair, David Cameron amongst them. To me I can't help but wonder whether this has anything to do with the fact that their respective political partys' have Asians as donors. The fact that Channel 4 has not apologised (yet) to me signals a cautionary flag. The whole idea of jumping on a wave of populist opinion, regardless of whether it is misplaced or misconstrued, seems wrong. Come on how can you trust politicians to do the right thing? Politics is driven by self interest and so I have to ask, what is in it for them? We know what DC will get, we know what Gordon will get, but what is the TB going to get?

Surely, the telecommunication company that is the main sponsor of the show is going to benefit from the publicity after all there is no such thing as......that's right no such thing as bad publicity. I can't help but recall Kate Moss and her drug scandal which ended up with her earning more money than before. Even Virgin mobile gave her a contract. By the way do we know that Big Brother is launchng in India? Will I be surprised when they get record viewership numbers?

I can't help but feel that someone somewhere is laughing probably all the way to the bank, call me cynical.. Why don't you?