Explanation Required From Daily Mail Fans On Answerbank

[sp1814]

Can any of your explain why having a black character and a more prominent female character is going to 'ruin' Bob The Builder???

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3191619/Can-revamped-Bob-Builder-tick-PC-box-Yes-returns-prominent-black-character-glamourous-makeover-business-partner-Wendy.html

This is the strange thing...it certainly isn't unusual for building crews to have black electricians, plumbers or carpenters...so why are Daily Mail readers so upset?

Have we got to a point where the portrayal of any black person or woman on TV is now considered 'PC'???

(Hat tip to TheMediaBlog for this).

[sp1814]

Tilly2

Without looking, how many modern black country stars could you name?

Conversely, I bet you could name a handful of white ra...

Hang on - this has detoured quite badly.

[sp1814]

youngmafbog

But why single out the BBC?

If you watch the news on all channels you will see a mix of white and ethnic reporters. Same as with drama, sport and entertainment programming.

Couldn't it be argued that your position is exactly the same as Lenny Henry's - just a mirror image?

[Togo]

Well I never knew that Lenny Henry was in Bob The Builder. I thought he was in a Premier Inn somewhere and couldn't get out.

[Togo]

Looking in a mirror maybe. Spiegel I'm Spiegel.

[youngmafbog]

I single out the BBC because they are the biggest culprits although I do concede others are not far behind.

[PankySmooch]

Channel four racing have their token presenters, Rishi Persad, Clare Balding and the repulsive Gok Wan

[sp1814]

Togo

(Sidebar)

You know those Premier Inn adverts?

The rooms that you see Lenny Henry were sets, and they were built about a third bigger than normal Premier Inn rooms, because Lenny was so big (at the time), he would make the rooms look comparatively small...

[-Talbot-]

What a bizarre thread...The new Bob doesn't look old enough to have an apprentice.

I have never seen 1 blackman or 1 Asian on a building site in 25 years.
Seen 3 women give it a go to be plumbers and electricians, all 3 threw the towel in eventually.

[sp1814]

-Talbot-

In fairness, I have, although in the three times we've had work done on our current house, it's mostly been Eastern Europeans.

[PankySmooch]

Talbot, they are usually on the gate doing security checks

[-Talbot-]

Obviously not on any sites that I have worked on.

[Svejk]

Are you suggesting, Talbot, that they're not clamouring for more diversity in hard, dirty jobs? ;-)
Haven't you come across those Indian concrete gangs on your travels, then, tablet?

[sp1814]

Svejk

Perhaps in the same way that the BBC is pushing diversity on us, building site managers are...racist?

Kidding.

That would be nonsense.

[ummmm]

My OH works in construction and the firm still employs mainly Irish/Irish decent. No women, no ethnic minorities....as foreign as they get is a gang from up north.

[jourdain2]

Don't know if I add to this debate, but a girl I taught (and she keeps in touch with me) is a first-class plasterer, works with a building firm and does general building - but she is the only female in her firm. I'm glad I know her, she's my first choice for practical problems!