Sir Lenny Henry on UK festivals.

volver

The horrible racist Alf Garnett was satire.

Of course. But not suitable to be on national TV.

We'll have to disagree on that GagaJo. Why would it be unsuitable for national TV? He was such a ridiculous figure that people could see how extreme and laughable he was. Anybody who didn't was already a lost cause, I think.

Anyway, that's my view, you might think differently, of course.

volver

Sorry in advance if this comes over as a sermon...

The comment that Sir Lenny made was entirely true. I still haven't read the interview, but I believe it was made in the context of how Caribbean people are still not represented in some parts of society today.

So fatuous comments about shipping people in just come across as minimising the issue and laughing at what he says.

Anyway, the TV program which led to the interview is on the BBC next week, we can all watch it.

No, it doesn't sound like a sermon (to me, at least).

I don't think that commenting about the number of people of colour at an event (or who attend a type of event) is racist. It is an observation. I don't think it would be any more racist if a white person had said it.

It is many years since I was at a festival, so am not in a position to comment on whether it's true or not, but music, particularly for young people, can be tribal, with people in different subcultural (as well as cultural) groups identifying with particular bands, and adopting particular clothing and so on as signifiers of that identification. It wouldn't be surprising if cultural group had a bearing on which 'tribe' people belonged to.

Finding out if this is the case, and attempting to balance the lineup of bands at the likes of Glastonbury could be a way of mitigating this, or it could be that everyone concerned is happy with the provision as it stands, and that there are equivalent outlets for those who aren't keen on the ones who play Glastonbury. The point is that unless someone asks the questions the organisers will never know. It's not enough to assume that people aren't interested in something (whether it's hill walking, opera or festivals) based simply on the take-up.

missingmarietta & GagaJo - my experience exactly with the dolls!
A factory local to us made dolls and did make black dolls. Dressing them was 'homework' often done by our aunts & nans, so I saw those dolls. I'd agree that they weren't nice looking dolls at all.
However, in the interests of completeness, I thought all dolls of any colour (I had a vaguely brown one as well as the usual pink) were all spooky; and I never played with them, just said 'thank you' politely when given them.

And for those interested, the fabulous Lady Nade is playig Glasonbury!

I am 73 and used to see black dolls [admittedly in the minority] in the 50's in the local toy shops and really, really wanted one. [I never got one though!] So I think what she said was her own experience but wrong

I had a medium sized black doll and same-sized white doll, dressed in identical clothes my Mum knitted for them. I called them my twins. That would be early 1950s

I also remember Mum buying and dressing a black doll for my friend who was in hospital after an accident.

Mine was lovely ?

I was a child so I probably wouldn't have discerned if the black dolls where awful or not good looking. I know I wanted one and the argument against was that I didn't play with my 'white' doll much but was always with my teddy. And the family wasn't that well off.

Well the doll I wasn't keen on had one eye that opened and one that was always closed so it annoyed me too much!

I was in Bristol in the 50's and know black dolls existed because I saw them in the local toy shop. [I also liked my golliwog too and just associated him with Robertson jam [and their badges], not realising then of course what message golliwogs were giving out.

I'm glad that there were some lovely black dolls back then as well!

MissingMarietta ; your post has just made me remember an incident with a good friend who had two mixed race children that were beautiful.
You posted "I also liked my golliwog too and just associated him with Robertson jam and their badges, not realizing then of course what message golliwogs were giving out.

As you pointed out you missed the message. I would say that perhaps the toy in the past was certainly old-fashioned however it was a symbol to some people as reference to people of colour. Getting to my point a youngish man made reference to my friends children as having golliwog hair and they looked like they had just jumped off the Robertson jam jar. Certainly a very distasteful and venomous comment particularly when addressing it about children. Luckily for the young man he managed to get away from several people who overheard this comment and were far from amused.
This was several years ago now and for people like that to have those kind of views as far as I am concerned is unbelievable.