Friday 17 July 2009

Harman: Strictly Come Dancing guilty of 'racism'

From The Metro:

Equality Minister Harriet Harman today hit out at the axing of performer Alesha Dixon from Strictly Come Dancing, saying she was a victim of "race discrimination". Ms Harman urged the BBC to bring the 30-year-old, whose father was Jamaican, back to the hit celebrity talent show.

Dixon will be replaced on the judging panel by white British choreographer Arlene Phillips, who judged the competition in 2007 and 2008, when the show returns in the autumn.

During Commons questions on upcoming business, Ms Harman, who is also Commons Leader, told MPs: "I think it's absolutely shocking that Alesha Dixon is not going to be a judge on Strictly Come Dancing. And as equality minister, I am suspicious that there is race discrimination there. So I'd like to take the opportunity of asking the BBC - it is not too late, we want Alesha Dixon in the next edition of Strictly Come Dancing."


I shit ye not.

11 comments:

Paul (from HPC) said...

Ggaaaaah. That woman makes my cack hang!

It reminds me of that Alan Partridge scene where he's jokingly asking for a second TV series with the BBC controller's mate but then suddenly goes all serious and says "Go on give me a new series, you shit". And everyone goes quiet and stares at their shoes.

I should think other MPs thought she was having a laugh until she mentioned the word 'racism'.

The worst thing is that this belittles genuine claims of racism. The BBC has had the CRE all over its recruitment and internal policy literally for decades and is consequently painfully politcially correct.

Harman is a moron.

Lola said...

Harman's bonkers. Nothing else to add really. Totally and utterly bonkers.

Pavlov's Cat said...

Yet only 2 days ago, she was supporting Arlene Philips, Strictly Come Dancing's Arlene Phillips is a victim of ageism, says Harriet Harman

another example of the Law of Unintended Consequences perhaps.
As Alex Salmond is finding out, neatly put by Mr Puddlecoat

Quite how this vile woman is able to hold so many contradictory opinions in her head at one time is beyond me, it would drive me insane.
And there perhaps is the answer.

Anonymous said...

Is it becoz I is black?

Mark Wadsworth said...

Pavlov's Cat, re your linked article - I just transposed "66 year white woman is victim of age-ism" and replaced it with "30 year old mixed race woman is victim of racism". It's interesting to see who has the upper hand in Victimhood Poker these days.

Lester Taylor said...

Harriet Harman......nothing a good piece of 4x2 across the back of the head wont sort out!!!

Pavlov's Cat said...

Got me good there Mark , I really must calm these knee-jerk reactions of mine, or perhaps go into politics.

Unfortunately it was too believable where 'The Harperson' is concerned and I didn't do any due diligence. (So politics it is then).

Suitably red faced now.

roym said...

judging from the foaming at the mouth responses, it seems some of your readers don't get irony.

the producers of that show are a bunch of morons though. why do they keep tinkering with it? what is the point of replacing someone with vast amounts of experience and success in the industry witha bit of totty. leave that to itv! interesting that none of the males were up for being replaced. its pretty poor that there doesnt seem to be a place for older women in the TV industry. I can't think of any past ann robinson!

Tim Almond said...

Ageism isn't discrimination, FFS. If ageism exists then either you are a beneficiary of it when you're young, or a beneficiary of it when you're old. Either way it evens out.

When I hear Selina Scott complaining about it, I just consider it a bloody cheek. She was a quite good newsreader and not particularly good interviewer who basically got a lot of very well paid work because she was young and pretty.

Now that she's old and a bit wrinkly, she's playing the victim card.

banned said...

"we want Alesha Dixon in the next edition " We want... " ? Who is " we " Hairyrat ?

woman on a raft said...

Wiki says:

Phillips was born in 1943 and grew up in the city of Manchester, England. She is Jewish. Phillips lost her mother at the age of 15. Her father died a few years later suffering from Alzheimer's.

So Philips lost her parents when she was barely out of her teens, having had some years dealing with a terminal illness in one and coping with dementia in the other, is of an ethnic minority origin (since by Harman's standards Jews no longer count as British) and is from up t'north.

Surely she's perfectly qualifed to judge on Strictly Come Dancing?

Apart from being a very experienced choreographer and knowing a bit more than Dixon does about, you know, dancing.