Racist drivel


I've been subjected to this crap for 20 years of ads and family members watching it and never seen a character with more than a light tan or anything approaching an accent (UK accents don't count).

The lack of ethnic diversity doesn't reflect Australia's coastal towns like it once did. I'm embarrassed we make a television that hasn't evolved at all in my entire life.

I saw this tarnish young people's minds when I was a school student and I'm sure it does the same thing today.

In summer bay if you're not white, skinny and beautiful: you don't exist.

reply

anything approaching an accent
Not having people with accents by definition isn't racist. Race is a set of cosmetic traits that evolved for climate adaptation purposes. Accent is a feature of one's voice (pronunciation of words etc) that indicates where the person learned how to talk. They are separate and unrelated issues.

skinny and beautiful
Also not racist. Being skinny and beautiful is a separate issue from race. Being fat is a result of irresponsible lifestyle choices. Race is genetic. See the difference? And the reason there are hot people on TV is because viewers want to see hot people.

If you want to criticize the lack of racial diversity, that's fine, but don't bring up irrelevant crap like accent or physical attractiveness. A show set in Australia will logically have people with Australian accents, regardless of race; just as a UK show will have people with UK accents and a US show will have people with US accents, regardless of race. Actors are supposed to be physically attractive, regardless of race. Nobody wants to see average looking people kissing or having sex.

reply

So you have no counter to the argument the show lacks racial diversity. This would suggest the casting people believe the audience wants to see beautiful, skinny WHITE people. Are you defending this? What's your opinion?

Foreign accents are an indication of whether someone is 1st, 2nd, 3rd generation Australian and that is why I mentioned them. Real Australian communities are changing and the casting doesn't reflect this.

You are clearly capable of critical thinking. Do you think the casting (and/or superficial themes)could leave young people feeling insecure about their appearance or ethnicity?

I'm happy to hear you critique what I've written again but I'm more interested in how you and others feel about the casting choices.

reply

So you have no counter to the argument the show lacks racial diversity.
No, I don't; if I did I would've said so. My point was that you were going off on a tangent about accents and size and looks when this thread was supposed to be about race.

This would suggest the casting people believe the audience wants to see beautiful, skinny WHITE people. Are you defending this? What's your opinion?
I agree that more racial diversity would be a good idea; however that does not change the fact that beautiful/skinny people is a separate issue from white people. Actors of all races are supposed to be beautiful and skinny.

Foreign accents are an indication of whether someone is 1st, 2nd, 3rd generation Australian and that is why I mentioned them.
Still a separate issue from race. A white person with an accent who moved to Australia last week is still white. A minority without an accent whose family has been in Australia for a couple of centuries is still a minority.

Do you think the casting (and/or superficial themes)could leave young people feeling insecure about their appearance or ethnicity?
It probably could, and again, more racial diversity is a good idea. But again, let's not veer off topic. If you want to discuss fat people or accents, you should start new threads. These are entirely separate issues.

reply

Being fat is a result of irresponsible lifestyle choices.


And being skinny is a sign of good health? Please! I am so sick of body shamers.

The fact of the matter is, this show displays characters who look hot and not much more. I can't believe I used to watch this crap when I was younger. The only decent actors are the older ones (like Ray Meagher as Alf Stewart) but they have all either left or been (like Alf) relegated to the sidelines. Judy Nunn, who played Ailsa (another great actress) once said that the show was all about the younger characters making the older characters look like fools (or something to that effect, I can't remember the actual quote). No doubt that's why she left. This show needs not just more ethnic diversity, but some age and body diversity as well. It's like the only people who are important and have problems worth worrying about are beautiful, slim and under 30. I guess once you turn 30 you may as well crawl under a rock and die.

"You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you." Mr Darcy

reply

And being skinny is a sign of good health?
Actually, yes. Women are biologically programmed to be attracted to muscular men, and men to thin women, because that is an indicator of health and by extension reproductive fitness.

Please! I am so sick of body shamers.
If you don't want to be shamed for doing something, then stop doing it. Shaming exists for a reason-it's how we keep each other in line and enforce standards of conduct.

The fact of the matter is, this show displays characters who look hot and not much more.
As it should. Viewers are sexually attracted to hot people, and therefore those are the ones who are displayed. Viewers are not sexually attracted to fat people, and therefore they do not belong on soaps-just as they don't belong in porn or strip clubs. You don't seem to understand what soaps are for.

The only decent actors are the older ones
Actors aren't hired for their talent, sweetie.

they have all either left or been (like Alf) relegated to the sidelines
As it should be. The viewers are not attracted to them. Women don't want to have sex with Alf; they want to have sex with guys like Martin or Nate.

This show needs body diversity
No it doesn't. Women are sexually attracted to muscular men because not only does this indicate health and reproductive fitness, muscular men also make better providers and protectors. Hence, such a man facilitates her survival. The casting directors are accommodating these preferences accordingly. That's their job. Does Playgirl have fat people? Of course not-so why would soaps? You have a very poor understanding of how female sexuality works.

It's like the only people who are important and have problems worth worrying about are beautiful, slim and under 30.
It's not a matter of having problems worth worrying about. The primary responsibility of any soap employee is to cater to female sexuality. I don't hear you complaining that men's shows should have less attractive actresses, so why should women's shows have less attractive actors? Why are only men entitled to enjoy sex? You are sexist.

I guess once you turn 30 you may as well crawl under a rock and die.
Old people can stay on, as long as they still look good.

reply

And being skinny is a sign of good health?

No, being fit typically is. Sadly, many people mistake skinny for automatically fit or having a high degree of fitness. It is typically true of those who eat a lot and have a low body fat as typically burning the excess calories in has to be done by balancing it with energy expenditure(calories out) through activities like sports, running, jogging, dancing and so on which can lead to more fitness.

Alternatively, one could be skinny by starving oneself which does not increase one's fitness significantly. Although, if I were a betting man placing a bet on a race and one person was 6"2 and 180 lbs and the other 6"2 and 350 lbs, my money is on the 180lb person.

The fact of the matter is, this show displays characters who look hot and not much more. I can't believe I used to watch this crap when I was younger.

I believe this suggests that you are evidence that beauty sells; hence the casting choice. The cast has not changed, as you admitted, though rather your reaction to the cast. You used to relate with young and hot and now relate with older and wiser characters. The fact, you can mention some of the older and wiser characters by name -- suggests age diversity isn't entirely lacking. Of course, as a population skews, traditionally more children are produced per parents resulting in an increase in population of the youngest generations and a smaller population in the older generations; especially with natural and unnatural causes of death affecting the older generation. There will usually always be more youth -- except --recently with fertility rates being as low as 1.4 per 2 adults or a population not replenishing itself.

Though, having more young people to old people, is actually reflective of society. In addition, I'd hope people in their 50s to 80s wouldn't have as many worries as you put it in your next comment than those in their 18s to 29s. Hopefully, they would be stable, well off, happy and with a lot of family to bring them love and fulfillment.

It's like the only people who are important and have problems worth worrying about are beautiful, slim and under 30. I guess once you turn 30 you may as well crawl under a rock and die.

Decrease fertility and increased chances of complications during pregnancy typically makes a woman less attractive in general -- but with modern medical science -- 30 years old is hardly the cut off point. I think recently, Janet Jackson announced she was having a child a 50 or so and same with Nicole Kidman at 48 or 49. It seems unbelievable to me.

Honestly, most men with erectile dysfunction probably are not highly sought after or considered prizes by women either.

reply

"... Being fat is a result of irresponsible lifestyle choices...."


Never assume that being overweight or obese is the result of irresponsible lifestyle choices. While poor diet and inactivity do tend to result in weight gain, they are not the only causes. An illness may be responsible. For example, a sluggish thyroid gland causes one's metabolism to slow down, and a slow metabolism interferes with the way a body digests and distributes what it consumes... resulting in weight gain. Additionally, certain prescription medications can cause weight gain and bloating... such as prednisone, antidepressants, pain meds and beta blockers, to name a few.

reply

Yes, a few people here and there may have a legitimate medical condition and thus be fat through no fault of their own. However, an exception here and there does not negate the rule. Most people are fat by choice.

reply

There have been actors of other ethnicities on the show, for instance Jai and Elijah, there was a doctor named Charlotte I think. Tai Hara who plays Andy is of Maori decent, Leah's family is Greek.

reply

Cool

reply

was Elijah green card wife Grace and her son Thabo as well

and Frank back when show first started

sure more just those are the ones that pop to mind that have not already been said

reply

Fck you.


I only want white people on my tv, so go watch african channels and kill yourself.


-IMDB Official Mod-

reply

I'll be sure to in that order

reply

Wow, a topic title that describes its content.

reply

Hehe

reply

I thought so. Honestly, rants about "I've never seen a non-white face on the show" just show up the ignorance of the poster.Sure, it's not an area that the show excels in but hyperbole and throwing the R word around just make you sound silly.

reply

"never seen a character with more than a light tan or anything approaching an accent"
A bit of an exaggeration... Off the top of my head: Tammin Sursok, Ada Nicodemou, Jay Laga'aia, Pia Miller, Jordan Rodrigues and Tai Hara.
Do Kiwi accents count then?

reply

Plenty of Italian and Greek accents, going right back to the show's first year.

reply

I agree...the population of Summer Bay looks too perfect (mind u their acting is terrible. .like a typical soap opera).

reply

the population of Summer Bay looks too perfect
They're supposed to look perfect because that is what we're sexually attracted to.

mind u their acting is terrible
They're not hired for their talent, sweetie.

reply

I think you'll find that a lot of people don't find skinny people attractive. Fit people, yes, but skinny... oh heck no. Don't get me wrong, I love women to be curvy, however that's not to say I wouldn't date a petite fit woman either!

_________________________________
Steven Seagal Fan Club President

reply

OP go away home and away is the best thing on tv I live in uk

reply

In summer bay if you're not white, skinny and beautiful: you don't exist.


I totally agree. We need people of other races on the show. They have only had very few characters and they weren't in it for very long. I remember the character Elijah from a few years back.

It's not the only things either, they need to introduce a permanent gay character too. All these things are important.

reply

We need people of other races on the show.
Having people of other races is a good idea, provided that they are physically attractive.

It's not the only things either, they need to introduce a permanent gay character too.
They do not need to do anything regarding sexual behavior. They don't have prostitution or BDSM on the show, so what makes homosexuality so special?

reply

They do not need to do anything regarding sexual behavior


I didn't mention anything about sexual behaviour. Showing two men or two women holding hands or something, or that the audience just knows they are in a relationship is fine. Everyone is equal and and therefore nobody should be left out. And if they want to cover a prostitution storyline, they should go for it. These things happen in the real world and Summer Bay is part of the real world, or so we are meant to believe through television.

reply