the strengths of this series has been their concentration on the stories of changing
family relationships,’. This gives the audiences the chance to morally judge and give
the feeling of exclusive intimate access into the characters lives. Audiences are
given the chance to relate to characters similar to themselves and learn about other
aspects of society.
In comparison to the real life demographic of East end London, ‘The actual ethnic
minority population in East London boroughs is around 37 per cent.’(Sunday mirror
publication online). Previous EastEnders actor Trevor Morgan (2002) said, ‘I think
the representation, in terms of the fact that 90 per cent of the cast are white, means
that it is not representative of the East End.’. The show doesn’t have any
resemblance at all to the real demographic of the location and therefore is currently
reflecting the East end of London of 40 years ago. Current producer Diederick
Santer is hoping to add more ethnic minority characters, as prior to 2007,
‘EastEnders was heavily criticised by the (CRE), for
not representing the East End's real "ethnic make-up". (Wikipedia online) Trevor
Phillips, CRE chair, had said: " The industry has a key part to play in this
(representation of ethnic minority communities)...and can go a long way towards
helping to build an integrated society.’
EastEnders currently has (2009) only one Asian family and two Black families and
the rest are of Caucasian race. There is not a single Chinese/Japanese character
within the soap. Within the 23 year history of the soap there has only been four Asian
families and four black families (BBC EastEnders online). The unsuccessful Asian
‘Ferreira’ family (2003) were the first family on the square since the ‘kapoors’
departure (1998). There was a significant gap in which EastEnders didn’t have an
Asian family within the soap, which lacked complete realism and representation of
the East end. The soap tried to portray a more ‘modern’ Asian family through the
‘Ferreira’s’ but gave the impression that the family won’t be successful or accepted
by other ‘white’ characters if they weren’t sufficiently anglicised which proved to be a
failure as they were later on axed and ‘dismissed as unrealistic by the Asian
community in the UK’ (Wikipedia online). The ‘Masood’ family are the current (2009)
Asians family in Walford whom are a Muslim Pakistani family, with three children,
Syed, Tamwar, and Shabnam. The ‘Masood’ family were introduced as the owners
of local post office which later on ended up going bankrupt, the family and are now in
joint food business with the long running ‘Beale’ family called ‘Masala Queen’.
(Buckingham 1987:90) ‘EastEnders does seek to provide ‘positive images’, of co-
operation between different ethnic groups...’. The soap has been now hailed for the
more realistic representation and staying away from the corner shop stereotype,
Representations of Blacks on the show have/are including: ‘Gus Smith’ who was a
dustbin man, ‘Anthony Trueman’ the doctor, ‘Chelsea Fox’ (hair salon receptionist),
‘Libby Fox’ (smart ‘oxford’ standard student) Hobson said, ‘while other series are
often accused of not including enough ethnic characters, EastEnders has integrated
good and bad characters, as representation of many cultures, creeds and colour.’
(2003:124)The show has tried to represent Black characters from different paths of
life. The first ever all black episode was aired in February 2009, ‘...the show which
included references to civil rights leader Martin Luther King and racism showed an
increase of over 1million viewers’ (Daily Mail website). The episode focused on the
Fox and Trueman families, no white characters were featured at all ‘in the soaps 23
year history’. The episode did touch upon about riots and racism which viewers felt
uncomfortable to view, which ‘received 239 complaints’ (Yahoo TV website) to the
BBC.
‘Minorities...do not all have the same concerns or the same kinds of cultural identity,
but they are treated as if they did.’ (Bignell 2008:230) To this date many ‘white’
people will not know the difference between an Indian or Bangladeshi, or Chinese
from Japanese etc. EastEnders may have Black/Asians characters, but their religion
and culture is rarely touched upon, ‘Perhaps because audiences have been
conditioned into accepting the view that we are one nation and one culture...western
one. We therefore find it difficult to understand cultures alien to our own.’ (Goodwin
and Whannel 1990:136). Majority if not all, strong storylines are given to ‘white’
characters. ‘Shabnam Masood’ recently quit the show due to this very fact which
reveals the shows lack of understanding or ignorance of other cultures (wikipedia).
‘While the ethnicity of the white characters remains unproblematic, that of the black
characters is rarely emphasised. This is largely because each of the ethnic minorities
represented in the programme is personified by a few individuals.’
(Buckingham1987:103).
For people who don’t have social contact with different ethnic groups, how will they
know that all Black people are not uneducated and all Asians don’t own a corner
shop? Where can we get a taste of their culture and appreciate their beliefs? How
about real families, with generations, ambitions, love, rivalry, history and all those
real elements that exist in Ethnic families and cultures right across Britain. On the
other hand one can argue to say it is very difficult to try and represent the entire
ethnic minority through a few characters. Buckingham says, (1987:101) ‘at any one
point in the narrative, there are bound to be systematic imbalances in the
representation of particular social groups, although this in not to say that these will
always remain’. To this day ‘British television still finds it difficult to present a realistic
and sympathetic image of other cultures and other races.’ (Goodwin and Whannel
1990:136).On a recent episode (March 2009) a conversation between Jane and
Masood about Peggy Mitchells past ‘go-go’ dancing, Jane expected Masood to be
completely against it, but Masood corrected her by say: ‘I’m a Muslim not a prude.’
These topics are lightly touched upon but that’s as far as it would go.
Even though there is an increase of digital channels which can cater to different
ethnic audiences, one may say there is less pressure for soaps likes EastEnders to
represent to the wider audience. However there will always be an urge for positive
representation as it ‘will help to virtuously transform those realities – which include
racism and mass black unemployment – by influencing the white audience to see
blacks as positively while enhancing black self-esteem.’ (Goodwin and Whannel
1990:148). ‘All viewers pay for programmes, (TV licences that pay for BBC shows)
so they are entitled to be represented... people from ethnic minority groups are keen
to see representation of people like themselves.’ (Bignell 2008:233), such shows will
effect more second and third generations whom are born and bought up in UK and
would want to watch EastEnders and be able to see a realistic representation of
someone like themselves to educate ‘white’ viewers about their culture/religion.
Many young ethnic minorities grow up feeling misunderstood due to the continuous
repetition of the same old stereotype.
In conclusion to this essay, analysis of EastEnders has taken place through studying
current and past characters and the revelation of EastEnders representing London
currently of 40years back. We should take into account and think about is how can
EastEnders try to include and represent the entire ethnic minorities/race through a
few characters? ethnic minorities come from different countries and cultures but
they’re still human, not everyone’s the same, everyone has their own individual traits.
Perhaps, introducing more ethnic minority characters into EastEnders and giving
them more stronger storylines will help conquer the lack of representation of the real
ethnography of London it currently struggles to have. Through this essay we come to
understand that British television (especially soaps) still find it difficult to represent
England as a multicultural society. With the hundreds of complaints received from
the recent all-Black episode, it has proven many audiences still struggle to accept or
even understand other cultures and ethnic groups. If this was an all white episode,
which has been many, it wouldn’t be controversial at all. The audiences are still
being shocked due to the lack of such episodes on our screens, with more episodes
featuring ethnic minorities; audience will be more accepting and not feel alienated.
Bibliography
Bignell Jonathan. (2008) An introduction to television. 2nd Edition. London: Routledge
Buckingham, David. (1987) Public secrets : EastEnders and its audience. London: BFI Books.
Goodwin, Andrew and Whannel, Garry(1990) Understanding Television. London: Routledge
Gray, Herman. (1995) Watching Race: television and the struggle for ‘blackness’. London: University of Minnesota Press.
Hobson, Dorothy, 1942- Soap opera. Cambridge: Polity, 2003.
(By Paul Revoir and Donna McConnell. Accessed 13th March 2009)
(Accessed 13th March 2009)
Accessed 5th march 2009
(Accessed 16th March 2009)
(Accessed 16th March 2009)
