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Black Like Beckham
Do we all want to be 'black like Beckham'?
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THINKTV
Channel 4 25th April 19:30
David Beckham is the nation's baddest, blingest, bizness black
man. Journalist Paul McKenzie explores what it is that has made
the England football captain the UK's number one icon - for
both white and black people. The clothes, the tattoos, the music,
the attitude. Sons called Romeo and Brooklyn, an R'n'B diva
wife, dogs called Puffy and Snoop - does Becks represent a broader
movement within urban Britain, where the language, style, attitudes
and music of black culture are entering the mainstream? Do we
all now want to be black like Beckham?
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Heather
23rd April 03
I am rather tired of the term "black culture" as I
do not feel that tacky overdressing and tasteless jewellery
in any way represents the "black experience". And
what is that exactly? I ahve always considered myself to be
a successful woman who is also black. Why would I lump myself
together with a group and immediately become faceless. The point
as I understand it is that we strive to avoid stereotypes. I
wonder then what the point is in having an entire programme
devoted to reinforcing stereotypes.
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Lee Harris
23rd April 03
I am a little disturbed and concerned about a recent article
I read stating that you are planning to air a documentary concerning
the 'blackness' of David Beckham - Black Like Beckham?. The
stated considerations in this documentary are that of the 'bling-bling'
style of David Beckham and its relationship with Black people.
As I have not seen the program I can only reserve judgement,
but be perfectly clear if this documentary does infer this in
general terms - this is 'racial profiling' at its extreme. I
would be extremely careful of how this is projected in your
documentary. If you have not, you may want to include the fact
that David Beckham is NOT a phenomenom with regards to his style
and he also should not be compared to Black people directly
or any color or creed. Rather, if comparisons were to be made
these should be between the fact that he shares an interest
and an akinship (to an extent) in taste of a culture that many
people of varying racial, social, and economic backgrounds also
share and relate to. These people live in countries which spread
from latitude to latitude - countries like the US where white
people are the predominant race, the UK where white people are
the predominant race, Japan where Asians are the predominant
race, France where white people are the predominant race, Australia,
Spain, Italy, so on and so on. In general these countries also
have other musical cultures and accompanying dress styles which
can also serve to portray the individual - and I emphasise the
individual - tastes in music, art, and even life. It concerns
me that this is sensationalism for ratings from an already exhausted
media commodity, when really the story hear is that David Beckham
is into Hip Hop/Urban music and its related culture. If David
Beckham was into Jimi Hendrix with equal enthusiam i.e. wearing
flares, sporting bandanas (oops - he does where all those things
on occasion), who is also was a black man, would that get the
same attention; would you consider him a Black man. Truth or
Dare - Prove me wrong Channel 4!
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Taiwo Ogunnaike
25th April 03
I've just watched the documentary 'Black Like Beckham' and I,
as a Black woman was extremely offended. When thousands of Black
men are getting shot; when they're stopped on the street by
police for looking 'suspicious'; when racial profiling for Black
men is evident, Channel 4 puts on a trivial programme like this.
How can Beckham be a Black man? How can Beckham understand the
pain of racism? Oh, I know, because of his style, fashion and
attitude (sarcasm intended). As a Black woman, I feel that we,
the Black community are under-represented in the media as it
is. Our voices are very silent, then we have this ridiculous
documentary, extoling the 'black' personality of Beckham. It
seems we're only aligned with sport and music.
To me, Beckham has appropriated Black culture, and has taken
everything but the burden of Blackness! Do I, as a Black woman
see this as a flattering indicator of appreciation? No way.
I see it in a long line of history of white appropriation of
Black culture. From Elvis to Eminem, the trend continues.
Why can't Channel 4 put some intelligent programmes concerning
our Blackness instead of this trite?
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Tony Warner
25th April 03
This programme should never have been commissioned. There are
many serious issues about race which need discussion racist
attacks, stop and search, or mental health in the black community
for example. If this programme was supposed to be light hearted
it failed. It reduced "black culture" to a succession
of stereotpyes and then applied them to a white multi-millionaire
thereby reinforcing them while totally ignoring the reality
of being black in this society. When is the last time Beckham
got stopped and serached? When has he ever not got a job because
his "face did not fit"? How many bananas has he had
chucked at him by "fans". The programme was a nonsense.
There are plenty of white guys into r and b, dressing street
and driving flashy cars. There are any number of black footballers
who could have been approached and asked about their experiences
or you could of done a programme on black footballers in history.
We had them as far back as the First World War. Its even more
disgusting when I realise that in the same week Channel 4 devoted
just 15 minutes over three days to the impact of the death of
Stephen Lawrence on his family.
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Bruno
25th April 03
Considering the high standard with which I regard Channel 4's
programming, I thought 'Black Like Beckham' was maybe the biggest
load of rubbish I've ever seen on tv. Either the people talking
on the show (besides the celebrities) were actors or straight
up idiots, because when describing David they were describing
what millions of young british white men are like. The programme
implied that Beckham is special because every other white guy
is either racist, or pro black because they think its cool.
So he likes music by black artists, grew up in an urban environment,
says heavy and bad instead of good, and understands what a black
person says. So I'm just the same and I'm admittedly not the
blackest white man. Its not like it hurts me to say so. I'm
not saying that he isn't an influential 'cultural crossover'
icon, or that he only appeals to white men, but that what was
said on the programme was just embarassing and a total exaggeration
of something that really isn't worth making a show about..
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Michael Spiteri
25th April 03
I am currently watching the programme "Black like Beckham."
I am a 19 your old Male from North London who is of mixed race.
And when I say that I don't mean White and Black, I mean English,
Greek and Maltese. My race has in my opinion nothing to do with
why I am writing this mail but obviously race is a major issue
with this programme currently shown on my television. The point
of this mail is WHAT and WHY have the programme makers made
me cringe so much watching this programme. It seems to me that
because I like Hip-Hop, dress in a style, when it suits me to
dress black, however it is to dress black, so does this make
me black? No does this make David Beckham Black? Umm again No.
I do not mean to take anything away from the culture of other
races but it didnt occur to me that to listen to a genre of
music, dress in a certain style or to speak in a manner makes
me something, no matter what it is, it makes me well.me. So
why does a programme which takes up 30 minutes of cringe worthy
time try to explain and put the message across that doing something,
no matter how insignificant makes someone something they are
not. The wider issue is not aimed directly at the idea of David
Beckham being black, but it seems to many a person that people
that an average white person is trying to be black. In London,
many areas seem to be a black persons area, seen so as many
black people live there, not because Hip-Hop, R&B or Rap
can be heard blasting from speakers. I'm sick of people saying
that if you do something which is typical, or a Stereotype makes
you want to be that. This programme basically makes me think
why would a television company waste time and money explaining
what already is common knowledge to many people, White people
wanting to be something they are not? I've suddenly forgot where
my family came from as the loud Hip-Hop music in the background
and the Blacked out BMW in the drive way distort my vision.
'
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Alison Snagg
25th April 03
I have to say I was disappointed with the constant lampooning
of black people as unintellectual wasters with no other interests
than rap music, fast cars and expensive jewellery. I'd also
like to point out to the producers of this program that neither
Romeo from So Solid, nor a couple of TV presenters are spokespeople
for the entire black community in this country - canvassing
half a dozen black people on a TV programme is all very well,
but I was upset and offended that their views were held to represent
mine.
What I found offensive above all else was the ludicrous suggestion
that the flak Beckham received from a few tabloids was somehow
comparable to the many lynchings of black men throughout history.
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Nick
25th April 03
In a world where racial sterotypes are still being propagated
everyday, it's great to see a show like this being broadcast
on Channel Four. Having the opportunity to watch a show that
in no way hammers home the most basic of stereotypes and avoids
using the most tenuous of links to support its argument, 'he's
black because he's been persecuted by the public', was a really
illuminating experience. I look forward to seeing more and more
of this educated, rational and considerate journalist on the
channel. Thank you Channel 4, thank you. It was well blinging.
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Naomi
25th April 03
I reserved judgement about this programme, but made a point
of watching it. In reality it delivered little. A superficial
stereotype of what Paul McKenzie and producers believes makes
someone Black. Obviously this is the type of programme that
Channel 4 wants to make, and I applaud the programme-makers
for managing to get a prime-time slot, for this cringeworthy
mess of a cough, splutter, 'documentary'! I've long since stopped
feeling embarrassed to be Black when I read of crimes allegedly
committed by Black people, but that programme, and the contributions
by Black 'celebrities', made all those feelings flood back.
Paul McKenzie did his best impression of Darcus Howe, without
a tenth of his intelligence, wit, or gravitas. How has Blackness
become this thing that can be trivialised by the mass media
for ratings? Blackness, or people of African and Carribean descent
are very complex, creative, passionate, intelligent, boasty,
normal, hardworking, lazy, criminal, thieving, murderous. Yes,
all of these things, we're not saints. But we're not one-dimensional
either. If it's so easy to become Black, then maybe by going
to pubs, cooking egg and chips, drinking ridiculous amounts
of alcohol on the weekend and throwing up, then indulging in
lots of casual sex, I can easily lay claim being White.
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