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Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Laurence Fox: thanks for the chance to talk about the inequality that is rife in the UK's entertainment industry
theconversation.com: British actor, Laurence Fox, has been all over the media recently, condemning black and working-class actors for being “annoying” in speaking publicly about inequality issues. It all started when he was on a panel in the BBC show, Question Time and joined a discussion about the treatment of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, by the media.
2 comments:
Cecilia S
said...
My initial reaction to Laurence Fox’s opinions was pure shock. But at the same time, I am not shocked because there are many people out there who are privileged yet fail to recognize their position and responsibility to make society a better place. First of all, his point on reverse racism is invalid because reverse racism does not exist. Racism happens on the condition that someone in a position of higher power discriminates someone with less power based on their race. People of color certain do not have power over people of caucasian descent in the world today. Just contextualizing in the UK industry alone, the evidence in the article clearly shows that there aren’t even enough black actors / actors of color to be in positions of power.
Second of all, it’s a shame that Fox is “annoyed” by black actors speaking out against racism in the industry. While sounding like a whiny child, people like Fox are the direct causes of the lack of diversity problem in the entertainment industry. It’s a huge disappointment and terrifying at the same time to see the lack of empathy that humans can have for other humans. Many people seem to have weak moral compasses. However, we cannot lose hope for change. There is hope and I know I will be apart of it.
While it doesn't surprise me that someone would feel attacked when a reporter calls them a white privileged male there was no need for the rudeness that Fox displayed towards the reporter, Meghan Markle, as well as what seems to be any ideas that racism exists and diversity should be strived for. While I do cautiously agree that in some rare cases diversity and inclusion can become too pointed and take away from a work overall but it generally should be seen as a sign of progress towards equal representation. Fox's attitude about working-class actors as well as diversity while abhorrent, comes from a place of ignorance and lack of understanding. For him to be blatantly unsympathetic and dismiss the idea that Meghan Markle was or is ever discriminated against doesn't necessarily show a lack of character but a complete misunderstanding and blindness to events that are documentedly going on. The author's focus on recuperation rather than condemnation of his words and attitude surprised me far more than his comments because we live in a time where the media tends to rip people down and apart for commentary like that rather than thinking about ways to prevent that mindset in others. It's good to see a writer that took advantage of the current climate around Fox and utilized it to make others aware of the lack of evidence to support his claim.
2 comments:
My initial reaction to Laurence Fox’s opinions was pure shock. But at the same time, I am not shocked because there are many people out there who are privileged yet fail to recognize their position and responsibility to make society a better place. First of all, his point on reverse racism is invalid because reverse racism does not exist. Racism happens on the condition that someone in a position of higher power discriminates someone with less power based on their race. People of color certain do not have power over people of caucasian descent in the world today. Just contextualizing in the UK industry alone, the evidence in the article clearly shows that there aren’t even enough black actors / actors of color to be in positions of power.
Second of all, it’s a shame that Fox is “annoyed” by black actors speaking out against racism in the industry. While sounding like a whiny child, people like Fox are the direct causes of the lack of diversity problem in the entertainment industry. It’s a huge disappointment and terrifying at the same time to see the lack of empathy that humans can have for other humans. Many people seem to have weak moral compasses. However, we cannot lose hope for change. There is hope and I know I will be apart of it.
While it doesn't surprise me that someone would feel attacked when a reporter calls them a white privileged male there was no need for the rudeness that Fox displayed towards the reporter, Meghan Markle, as well as what seems to be any ideas that racism exists and diversity should be strived for. While I do cautiously agree that in some rare cases diversity and inclusion can become too pointed and take away from a work overall but it generally should be seen as a sign of progress towards equal representation. Fox's attitude about working-class actors as well as diversity while abhorrent, comes from a place of ignorance and lack of understanding. For him to be blatantly unsympathetic and dismiss the idea that Meghan Markle was or is ever discriminated against doesn't necessarily show a lack of character but a complete misunderstanding and blindness to events that are documentedly going on. The author's focus on recuperation rather than condemnation of his words and attitude surprised me far more than his comments because we live in a time where the media tends to rip people down and apart for commentary like that rather than thinking about ways to prevent that mindset in others. It's good to see a writer that took advantage of the current climate around Fox and utilized it to make others aware of the lack of evidence to support his claim.
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