Publisher's Synopsis
Ethnic minorities in the UK make up over 5% of the population yet are hardly represented in the hundreds of hours of terrestrial broadcast television each week. The blatant racism of The Black and White Minstrel Show is over, but more subtle forms of racism are piped into our living rooms in an endless stream of white-dominated programming. 'Comedies' and soaps present non-whites as a sort of joke humanity û stereotypical, simple and amusingly childish. Serious programmes dwell on the negative aspects of ethnicity: race as a problem, cultural clashes and language barriers. Above all û not white equals not normal. - For many years critics of popular television have argued that such imbalance is harmful. The lack of positive non-white TV role models for children to identify with is leading to growing alienation and disaffection. Now, ethnic minorities increasingly define themselves in opposition to white institutions. They are turning towards separate channels û narrowcasting û provided to meet their own TV needs. - - Based on both extensive survey research and interviews with actual viewers, Not a Pretty Picture investigates the whole issue of TV and ethnic minority viewers: their viewing choices, their criticisms, their feelings about the way they are portrayed. The conclusions are damning: for most of BritainÆs ethnic minority communities TV is a white medium, predominantly controlled by whites, portraying white culture denying non-whites a voice. Not a Pretty Picture, however, provides a voice for these views and a valuable insight into the way ethnic minorities see TV.
