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12-06-2019, 07:01 PM
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Comic Relief to cut back on celebrity appeals after Stacey Dooley row

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48607113

Comic Relief is to send fewer celebrities abroad after criticism that stars like Stacey Dooley were going to Africa as "white saviours".

The charity's co-founder, screenwriter Richard Curtis, told MPs TV appeals "will be heading in the direction of not using" celebrities abroad.

He said they would be "very careful to give voices to people" who live there.

MP David Lammy, who had criticised the Dooley film, praised the plan to move away from "tired, harmful stereotypes".

Earlier this year, Comic Relief and Dooley - a documentary-maker and Strictly Come Dancing winner - were criticised after she travelled to Uganda to make an appeal film about the charity's work in the country.

In 2017, Ed Sheeran's video from Liberia for Comic Relief was handed a "Rusty Radiator" award, given to the "most offensive and stereotypical fundraising video of the year".

Curtis told the House of Commons International Development Committee that this year's Comic Relief had included two films featuring UK celebrities in Africa - Dooley and the group of stars who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

He said Comic Relief had not acted "robustly" to the criticism over the Dooley film because it was focused on raising money at the time.
I'm absolutely delighted .....

I'm sick of the whole bliddy celebrity culture but especially sick of bliddy celebrity do-gooders achieving no-bliddy-good on expenses-paid jaunts to save Africa .....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42268637

Sheeran, for example, was accused of playing the "white saviour" - swooping into people's lives and making grand gestures, but, some think, making it all about themselves, with little understanding of the wider situation.

Too much of his particular video was focused on Sheeran's experience, much like the people who go to volunteer in countries around the world, and spend their time uploading selfies to social media.

Such videos detract from what should be the focus - the experience of the person who they are meant to be helping.

They lack the wider context to ensure people understand what is going on and play into a narrative which fails to reflect a diverse continent.
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12-06-2019, 07:12 PM
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Re: Comic Relief to cut back on celebrity appeals after Stacey Dooley row

More about keeping `personalities` in work or in the limelight. Ed Sheeran was given a "Rusty Radiator" award for the most offensive and stereotypical fundraising video of the year in 2017.
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12-06-2019, 10:01 PM
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Re: Comic Relief to cut back on celebrity appeals after Stacey Dooley row

Africa is beyond help.

The whole continent, especially Sub-Saharan Africa and all that in it is should be left alone and let evolution do its work.
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12-06-2019, 10:16 PM
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Re: Comic Relief to cut back on celebrity appeals after Stacey Dooley row

Originally Posted by The Artful Todger ->
Africa is beyond help.

The whole continent, especially Sub-Saharan Africa and all that in it is should be left alone and let evolution do its work.
Isn't it like that purely because it has not been left alone? So yes we should walk away like the rest of the world had nothing to do with it....
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13-06-2019, 08:29 AM
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Re: Comic Relief to cut back on celebrity appeals after Stacey Dooley row

To be fair, though, how many films about fundraising for Africa (or wherever) would actually get watched, if celebrities didn't feature in them?

You can see the point of view of the charities.... high profile people do get the publicity for the charity.

It's difficult, isn't it?
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13-06-2019, 08:51 AM
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Re: Comic Relief to cut back on celebrity appeals after Stacey Dooley row

I do agree but wonder if Lenny Henry would be classed as a black saviour? The fact that these 'celebs' are being judged by their colour sounds like racism to me.
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13-06-2019, 08:54 AM
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Re: Comic Relief to cut back on celebrity appeals after Stacey Dooley row

Originally Posted by AnnieS ->
Isn't it like that purely because it has not been left alone? So yes we should walk away like the rest of the world had nothing to do with it....
No. Colonisation attempted to bring European civilisation to "cultures" incompatible with European civilisation. The population of sub-Saharan Africa have evolved to tribal relationships with all THAT entails.

What has taken place in post colonial Africa has demonstrated that pouring money into a money pit with the expectation that it will change anything is a false hope.

Even physical infrastructure that was gifted to the artificially designated states after self rule was returned has been allowed to rust and rot.

We've tried. And have continued to try. Do-gooders have whined on about what we have a duty to do. Well maybe we had a duty to try and we have tried.

It failed.
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13-06-2019, 08:57 AM
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Re: Comic Relief to cut back on celebrity appeals after Stacey Dooley row

Originally Posted by Longdogs ->
I do agree but wonder if Lenny Henry would be classed as a black saviour? The fact that these 'celebs' are being judged by their colour sounds like racism to me.
The "colour" of skin is no more than an external indication of the generic predisposition of the person who wears it.
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13-06-2019, 08:58 AM
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Re: Comic Relief to cut back on celebrity appeals after Stacey Dooley row

Perhaps we should scrap the whole thing? That would suit me.
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13-06-2019, 09:24 AM
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Re: Comic Relief to cut back on celebrity appeals after Stacey Dooley row

Originally Posted by Longdogs ->
Perhaps we should scrap the whole thing? That would suit me.
..... and me .....
 
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