Lenny Henry Comic Relief will stop sending white celebrities to Africa

[Crimson Dynamo]

Lenny Henry Comic Relief will stop sending white celebrities to Africa after Stacey Dooley backlash

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Lenny Henry has confirmed that his Comic Relief charity will no longer send
white celebrities to Africa after it was accused of perpetuating the ‘white
saviour’ stereotype. The charity has come under fire previously with Stacey
Dooley at the centre of controversy last year when she posted a photo of
herself carrying a Black child from Uganda with the caption ‘obsessed’. In
2017, Ed Sheeran’s campaign video was branded ‘poverty porn’ after he was
filmed paying for a young boy’s housing in Liberia. Comic Relief videos are
typically filmed on the ground in disadvantaged African countries with
celebrities, who are often white, usually seen meeting local children to Lenny
said: ‘A lot has changed over Comic Relief’s 35 years, and so the way we
raise money and talk about the issues we are here to tackle, and the people
we are here to support, must change as well.


Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/28/sir-lenny-henry-proud-comic-relief-stop-sending-white-celebrities-africa-13492965/?ito=cbshare

[utopianman]

self defeating nonsense. will they still send black comedians?

[Amy Jade]

This is quite sad

[utopianman]

This is quite sad

A lot of people now consider lenny henry a racist, I agree.

[Marsh.]

The Stacey Dooley comment is completely inappropriate but stopping sending white celebs is just ridiculous.

Edit - Just read the complete article. Sounds fine to me.

[arista]

As if it will get them more money


Not From Me.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Lets just scrap the whole sorry affair and concentrate on this country. As a country we have more than done our bit for that continent

[Amy Jade]

The Stacey Dooley comment is completely inappropriate but stopping sending white celebs is just ridiculous.

I dont think her comment was bad, possibly a tad insensitive because she was there to raise awareness but it wasn't near as bad as people made it seem.

[Ammi]

self defeating nonsense. will they still send black comedians?

...no I don’t believe the charity will, actually...it’s being slanted a bit as ‘white celebrities’ by the media from what I can see...but it’s more about a story being told by local people...and I totally agree with that, with what Lenny Henry is saying...

Sir Lenny continued: ‘Investing in local talent across Africa to tell stories from their communities is great and a much-needed step forward but as always there is more that can be done. The energy and passion for change and new perspectives is there in bucket loads.’ African people don’t want us to tell their stories for them, what they need is more agency, a platform and partnership.’

[Zizu]

I dont think her comment was bad, possibly a tad insensitive because she was there to raise awareness but it wasn't near as bad as people made it seem.



Yes ... she’s always come across as a very caring person in her documentaries


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Marsh.]

I dont think her comment was bad, possibly a tad insensitive because she was there to raise awareness but it wasn't near as bad as people made it seem.

I don't think she did it on purpose but it was grossly inappropriate.

[Ammi]

...I just don’t think that any celebrities should be travelling to these countries and making a huge carbon footprint in doing so...when the charity should be supporting local filmmakers to film the stories their own way...

[utopianman]

If such comments as his were made about any other group of people, the person would be labelled a racist, would lose their jobs and may even go to jail.
He is a disgrace and he not only proves himself to be a racist, but also to show he doesnt relaly care if this loses all those starving children millions from the unwanted whote people. He also doesnt go on to say whethere black celebrities should be allowed to visit. david lammy condemned white saviours and thats where this idiocy steam rolled. someone should have stood up to that idiot right at the start before this tragedy snowballs. Reverse racism does exist and racist, bigotry, xenophobia exists in every countries of the world between people of all colours and ethnicities and cultures and a lot of it is not the over simplistic white on black racism either.

[utopianman]

...I just don’t think that any celebrities should be travelling to these countries and making a huge carbon footprint in doing so...when the charity should be supporting local filmmakers to film the stories their own way...

even if millions fewer watch and millions less is raised? thats a sacrifice worth making?

[Marsh.]

If such comments as his were made about any other group of people, the person would be labelled a racist, would lose their jobs and may even go to jail.
He is a disgrace and he not only proves himself to be a racist, but also to show he doesnt relaly care if this loses all those starving children millions from the unwanted whote people. He also doesnt go on to say whethere black celebrities should be allowed to visit. david lammy condemned white saviours and thats where this idiocy steam rolled. someone should have stood up to that idiot right at the start before this tragedy snowballs. Reverse racism does exist and racist, bigotry, xenophobia exists in every countries of the world between people of all colours and ethnicities and cultures and a lot of it is not the over simplistic white on black racism either.

All this does is illustrate you don't understand what you're talking about.

It's not racist to point out a "white saviour" trope, which is racist itself.

Saying "but, but black people can be racist" makes no difference.

[utopianman]

All this does is illustrate you don't understand what you're talking about.

It's not racist to point out a "white saviour" trope, which is racist itself.

Saying "but, but black people can be racist" makes no difference.

banning white saviours from raising charity money for starving children is stupid self defeating and racist, its you who havent got a clue marsh.:nono:

[Ammi]

...it’s not concerning race at all to support local film makers, rather than U.K. celebrities...it absolutely makes sense...what connection to a life in Africa would a U.K. living celebrity have, rather than local people...

[Ammi]

even if millions fewer watch and millions less is raised? thats a sacrifice worth making?

...I’m not really sure why anyone would choose not to donate because a U.K. celebrity didn’t make a journey to Africa to be filmed...

[Ammi]

...the celebrities will still be telling us to donate anyway, they’ll still be providing the comedy which is a huge part of their fundraising...and the local film makers in the African countries will be playing their part as well and filming authentic local stories... which makes total sense...win/win for all of those who donate...

[Ammi]

...no one is being banned from Comic Relief, though...no one is being excluded in any way...the talent is being used where it’s best and most logically applied ...the celebrities will still be involved but without unnecessary travelling because there are great local film makers who can film the stories out there...and supporting local talents makes the most logical sense to help communities as well...it doesn’t benefit an African community to have a celebrity filming...it does benefit, though...to have a local film maker be involved...

[Denver]

I think the problem is it always became about getting the biggest celebs possible to do the short videos which kind of took away from the importance of them

[Marsh.]

I think the problem is it always became about getting the biggest celebs possible to do the short videos which kind of took away from the importance of them

Yeah, it became misery porn where half of the video was taken up with filming the celeb sobbing and it becoming more about their pity than the people and causes that it was about.

[utopianman]

...no one is being banned from Comic Relief, though...no one is being excluded in any way...the talent is being used where it’s best and most logically applied ...the celebrities will still be involved but without unnecessary travelling because there are great local film makers who can film the stories out there...and supporting local talents makes the most logical sense to help communities as well...it doesn’t benefit an African community to have a celebrity filming...it does benefit, though...to have a local film maker be involved...

white celebrities are banned from going to africa to make films, youre wrong

[utopianman]

Yeah, it became misery porn where half of the video was taken up with filming the celeb sobbing and it becoming more about their pity than the people and causes that it was about.

Yes but that has nothing to do with the colour of a persons skin:nono:

[Ammi]

I think the problem is it always became about getting the biggest celebs possible to do the short videos which kind of took away from the importance of them

...yeah, that was always the criticism anyway and it’s something that I’ve never been entirely comfortable with tbh...this way the celebrities can focus on the comedy/entertainment etc and which creates many donations...

[utopianman]

...yeah, that was always the criticism anyway and it’s something that I’ve never been entirely comfortable with tbh...this way the celebrities can focus on the comedy/entertainment etc and which creates many donations...

all celebrities or just white ones?

[Ammi]

white celebrities are banned from going to africa to make films, youre wrong

...no they’re not banned...no one is banning any celebrities by the charity using local film makers to film the stories that they feel should be shown and that they would like represented...

[Ammi]

all celebrities or just white ones?

....hmmm, not sure what you mean.../...what you’re asking...

[Denver]

I can remember an instance where Lenny went himself and was very emotionally overwhelmed but didn't do anything on camera and helped off camera then years later Ed Sheeran is buying a boy a house for the cameras

[Marsh.]

white celebrities are banned from going to africa to make films, youre wrong

No they're not.

1 charity aka Comic Relief are allowing the people the charity is for to make the films with local people.

[Ammi]

...this is what Richard Curtis said last year...

Speaking to MPs last year, Comic Relief co-founder Richard Curtis said the charity was moving away from celebrity-led fundraising films.
He said it would be "very careful to give voices to people" who live in Africa.




...if a local film maker from an African country came here to film ‘local stories’...what they felt were local stories and representative../...not having any personal insight at all etc...?...we wouldn’t think that was a great plan either and much more the thing for it to be a local film maker to the area etc to make the film and decide on the stories etc...it just makes sense, how could it not...

[Amy Jade]

I don't think she did it on purpose but it was grossly inappropriate.

Bad enough to stop all white white celebrities from helping in the future though?

I don't personally believe so, seems like a misstep to me.

[Amy Jade]

Also like it or not celebrities do bring mass attention. I remember a few years ago (if iirc) One Direction went and it was literally all over social media.

They kinda need that sort of coverage for maximum reach.

[Marsh.]

Bad enough to stop all white white celebrities from helping in the future though?

Who said white people are banned from helping? They're moving away from celebrity films.

[Amy Jade]

Who said white people are banned from helping? They're moving away from celebrity films.

It's in the title and the article that white celebrities will not be involved :shrug:

[Marsh.]

It's in the title and the article that white celebrities will not be involved :shrug:

Comic Relief will no longer be sending white celebrities to Africa to make the films.

That's not stopping white celebrities from helping and being involved with the charity.

[Amy Jade]

Comic Relief will no longer be sending white celebrities to Africa to make the films.

That's not stopping white celebrities from helping and being involved with the charity.

As I explained earlier sending them across to show us can be pretty powerful though. If they are stepping away from that all together then that is up to them but just white celebrities?

[Marsh.]

As I explained earlier sending them across to show us can be pretty powerful though. If they are stepping away from that all together then that is up to them but just white celebrities?

From Richard Curtis' comments it's celebrities full stop. Or at least celebrities with no actual connection to the people/the places the movies are about.

I think the movies can be very effective even without celebrities. Granted, I haven't watched too much of Comic Relief for many years. I dip in and out.

[Ammi]

...it isn’t ‘white celebrities’ it’s all celebrities that the charity is moving away from for only the local community filming ...it’s a story that’s carried in virtually every media and ‘white‘ isn’t the title mainly ...because it isn’t the decision that’s been made...I’m not sure why this media article had it in their headline...

[Oliver_W]

Flipping killjoys, what's going to be achieved by that? Probably not more money.

[Marsh.]

Flipping killjoys, what's going to be achieved by that? Probably not more money.

Killjoys?

What joys came from Ant and Dec sobbing in the middle of Africa?

[Withano]

‘Donate money from your average salary now’ says multi millionaire cuddling a hungry child. Get out.

[Oliver_W]

Killjoys?

What joys came from Ant and Dec sobbing in the middle of Africa?

Ant and Dec being in Africa is pretty joyful tbh, the lack of joy is when they return.