A number of bloggers have expressed disappointment that the new Dr. Who isn’t black. Although I was impressed by the credentials of the bookies’ favourite Patterson Joseph, I rather liked the thought of a moody David Harewood (co-incidentally also in ‘Ruby in the Smoke’ with Matt Smith). And whilst taking the point of James Graham that the producers were casting an actor rather than a face colour, surely it can’t be discounted from the process. After all, when Barack Obama was elected as US President, his colour was a factor, no matter how much people tried to say that it wasn’t. Not that I’m trying to say that the casting of the next Doctor is as important to the free world as the election of the 44th President of the United States of America, you understand.
However in the past 24 hours, a far greater racism claim has overtaken the BBC. Until just over a year ago, I was unaware of the latest programme from the Ragdoll stable, until my young niece introduced me to the delights of the slightly pervy looking Iggle Piggle and his OCD afflicted friend Makka Pakka who live In the Night Garden. I find it nervously disconcerting in the same way that my niece found the Dick Whittington panto at the weekend and the result is the same - we both run out screaming! bUt it seems to go down well with the toddler audience, which means magabucks in spin-off merchandising.
Only that’s where the BBC has run into trouble. The character of Upsy Daisy, a happy girl, who for some reason is followed around by her bed, is unquestionably black or mixed race. She has brown skin and colourful dreadlocks. And apparently many black toddlers have been delighted to see such a character on screen and wanted a doll which bore more than a passing resemblance to them, rather than the blonde haired, blue eyed dolls we usually see. Yet when their parents went to buy them an Upsy Daisy doll, they found that she was a little paler than that seen on the screen. You can see the differences below.
The two colours of Upsy Daisy
BBC producers have denied that the doll was made a little whiter to help sales, but have now agreed to produce the next run of dolls in the on-screen hue.
This issue was first raised over a year ago, but it has taken this long for the BBC to act. Why? Either it mattered, or it didn’t. Why is the only part of the doll that is not identical to the on-screen character its skin colouring?
Back at Dr, Who, there are suggestions that the Doctor’s next assistant will be Lily Allen. Please, no.
1 response so far ↓
1 Biscit // Jan 6, 2009 at 14:41
While there is still bigotry in the world there is undoubtably a shift in the general attitude to diversity (for want of a better phrase).
Several years back Patterson Joseph would have been the suggestion of a right on minority, with many objecting to a black doctor; now he’s the bookies favourite.
And last year The Sun was sticking up for Russel T Davies against homophobic opinions in the US. It may be in the style of the infamous Grange Hill line “He may be a puff, but he’s our puff” but it’s still progress.
I can beleive the hue of the doll was a mess-up, and not a deliberate attempt. And were it from a programme aimed at anything older than todlers I could imagine the kids kicking off that it was a poor imitation of one of their fave characters.
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