Riz Ahmed says British directors, producers and writers aren’t hiring non-white British actors.
That’s why so many have to try their luck in America.
[contentcards url=”https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/mar/02/riz-ahmed-warns-lack-of-diversity-on-tv-will-drive-young-to-isis”]
Plenty of white British actors feel they have to base themselves in the States too.
But this is never referred to as a problem.
Migration Watch
Samuel Jackson recently said American producers and directors prefer hiring non-white Brits as they’re cheaper than their American counterparts and often classically trained.
[contentcards url=”https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/mar/13/samuel-l-jackson-british-actors-racial-history”]
Taking our jobs!
I don’t work in the entertainment industry and I certainly wouldn’t want to get into an argument with Mr Jackson.
However I’m happy to highlight the similarity between his comments and the arguments I hear used in the UK against eastern Europeans and their employers.
They’re coming over here, undercutting the locals, and taking our jobs.
To hear such comments from such an iconic figure is worrying.
But there must be some truth to what Mr Jackson says.
Globalisation
He’s not a politician. He must have spoken out for a reason.
We know who Samuel Jackson is thanks to Globalisation and US Cultural dominance — I do not begrudge him his success.
I can see how any actor would want to go to the US for their big break.
But equally I don’t see why Jackson shouldn’t identify reasons African American actors are missing out on rôles.
Especially rôles that would help them develop and become bankable box office names as well as Oscar winners and cultural icons — like him.
Football
Let’s have a look another world — Football.
There are many theories as to Why England Lose.
The excellent Simon Kuper of the FT wrote a book about it called – Why England Lose.
[contentcards url=”https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/aug/09/why-england-lose-simon-kuper”]
Some say that the influx of foreign players to the English Premier League since the 90’s stops most English Players from getting the top level experience that the national team so desperately needs.
As for football managers — I assume the last English manager to win the English League was still Howard Wilkinson for Leeds in 1992.
The French
The French have their own problems.
[contentcards url=”https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2011/may/05/laurent-blanc-race-row-french”]
So where do we all stand?
Open Border Vs Closed Shop
Should globalisation allow anyone to go and work anywhere?
Or do open borders mean locals end up losing out because wages stagnate?
Should we be telling people they cannot leave their countries because we fear they will steal our jobs?
Even as we bomb their countries and steal their minerals?
And take the best of them to treat our sick and develop new drugs and machinery?
And their unskilled to be exploited and underpaid.
Solutions
I don’t have one size fits all answers to these questions.
But we need to have meaningful dialogue because all this affects us all.
Whether we are winners or losers from the system – it’s under severe stress and we all have to live with that.
Here’s an article on Why Culture Matters from my friend David Malone.
Deporting Rough Sleepers
Nothing nice about this Homelessness story.
[contentcards url=”http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/homeless-charities-home-office-immigration_uk_58bfd1a9e4b0ed7182683116?utm_hp_ref=uk”]
Community Level
This post talks about what we can do to alleviate homelessness — Don’t Despair, Don’t be Brutalised by Anne Booth.
