[Red Moon]

YOU'RE RACIST SHILPA

BIG Brother bullying victim Shilpa Shetty was last night accused of being a racist.

The BB winner was blasted for starring in a comedy sketch that echoes the style of the Black And White Minstrel Show, axed in Britain in the 1978 amid a storm of protest.

She is seen laughing and joking as a TV presenter cavorts around with a blacked-up face and an Afro wig.

It will stun millions of fans who backed her in the Celebrity Big Brother house as Shilpa, 31, suffered racist bullying from Jade Goody, 25.

Model Danielle Lloyd, 23, and former S Club 7 singer Jo O’Meara, 27, were slammed for joining in with Jade’s jibes.

Black social commentator Jaye Williamson fumed: “Maybe Shetty is the racist – mocking Africans on her TV show? The outrage should be that people dare to cry racism on Shilpa’s behalf when she had the audacity to take part in a show that mocked Africans.

“Why should we as black people sympathise with Shilpa Shetty’s plight, when she hails from a country where 160million people are regarded as Untouchables, or Dalits, due to no other factor than the darkness of their skin.”

The columnist for www.blackbritain.co.uk said it was disgraceful to see Shilpa and a TV presenter laughing at an Indian actor “blacked up” and wearing a fuzzy wig.

The Black And White Minstrel Show, which featured white singers and dancers “blacked up”, ran in Britain from 1958 to 1978.

Campaigners petitioned for it to be taken off the air, claiming it was deeply offensive.

Eroll Walters, director of the Black Londoner’s Forum, said: “It’s crude, and it’s crass. We are not against satire or humour but these ideas are completely out of date. It is offensive, and black people will be outraged. It is taking the mickey out of black people and it’s very insulting.”

The offensive clip is on an Indian TV show called Extra Shetty. Shilpa was appearing on the etc music channel alongside goofy hosts Abid and Suresh Menon.

Celebrity Big Brother fan David Harrison, 29, from Bristol, an IT consultant, said last night: “I backed her to the hilt because she seemed to represent everything that stood up to racism and outdated ideas.

“But to see her laughing in this tasteless sketch undermines all that. She should hang her head in shame.”

One industry insider said: “It’s fair to say she wouldn’t be such a household name if it was not for the race row in the BB House.

“So for her to be seen larking around on this show while a presenter is dressed up like this is in pretty poor taste.”

A spokesman for Asian network Zee TV, which runs etc music, was not available for comment last night.

Shilpa’s publicist Max Clifford, 63, scoffed at the outrage and said: “The Daily Star must be desperate to print this kind of rubbish.”

And it emerged yesterday Shilpa had her work visa for the UK renewed with help from Labour MP Keith Vaz.

It means she can cash in on TV and newspaper deals. Her visa expired just after the Channel 4 reality show ended two weeks ago.

Mr Vaz, 50, wrote a covering letter for the permit application. Shilpa’s agent Farhath Hussain claimed the intervention did not speed up the process.

Source: The Dairly Star

[abs]

i would have to see it first to judge for myself...

[zachary]

Sorry, but what is so racist about painting your skin 'black' and wearing a fuzzy wig?

It's only racist when you take the mick out of someone for their race and that's not really taking the piss is it?

I guess, I'll have to watch a clip the judge for myself.

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by abs
i would have to see it first to judge for myself...

I would have to agree, that without seeing it you can't really evaluate the evidence and work out if its racism or just a newspaper trying to sell a few papers.

Max Clifford is reported as saying “The Daily Star must be desperate to print this kind go rubbish.”

There is a commentary on the story people might be interested in reading:

http://www.anorak.co.uk/features.php?features_id=171275&feature=Blackening %20Shilpa's%20Name

You will have to cut and paste the link into the address bar - there seems to be a problem with his type of link and code that displays them

[zachary]

Omg, that report is ****

''We do not hear the joke, we have no idea of what is being said or done. We just see Shilpa smiling. And for the Star this is enough. ''

after reading the report, I can't see what the big fuss is.

I think someone just wants to tarnish Shilpa's name.

[ttw]

Originally posted by zacharybinx
Sorry, but what is so racist about painting your skin 'black' and wearing a fuzzy wig?

It's only racist when you take the mick out of someone for their race and that's not really taking the p**s is it?

I guess, I'll have to watch a clip the judge for myself.

Painting your skin black, and wearing a fuzzy wig is not taking the piss??

Neway...

I would not say Shilpa is racist until I could see the clip for myself also.

[zachary]

Painting your skin black, and wearing a fuzzy wig is not taking the p**s??

No, it's not... Dave Chapelle paints his skin white and wears a blonde wig and takes the piss out of white people ...yet no one says that it's racist.

I think the word racist is used too slackly these days.

[ttw]

Originally posted by zacharybinx

No, it's not... Dave Chapelle paints his skin white and wears a blonde wig and takes the p**s out of white people ...yet no one says that it's racist.

I think the word racist is used too slackly these days.

Exactly, it's still taking the piss.

You said it wasn't taking the piss.

[Mrluvaluva]

[S2]

I don't think Shilpa was laughing at the guy who "blacked" himself, rather more it was the antics that the guy was getting upto. His behaviour was being laughed at, not his skin colour

[Crystal-Rose]

what a load of rubbish!! im sure the papers could find something actually useful to write about rather than that!

[Chrizzle]

Thats rubbish.

Even if she is, im bored of it now anyway.

[Mrluvaluva]

who's deleted my other post?

[expat]

Shamed Britain grasping desperately at straws once more. (sigh)

[andybigbro]

i dont think Shilpa would have been racist

[Mrluvaluva]

[S2]

The reason she was laughing was because of the act the guy was carrying out, not because of his colour. If he did the same act with his own natural colour, im sure she'd still be laughing

[easypeasy]

Dave Chappelle show also featured a japanese family who thought they were black and called each other "ni##er". I think Dave challenges racism rather than condones it.
it would be unfair to comment on something i have not seen.

[bonnie43uk]

was this on a british network channel??

I'm sure this is all being blown out of all proportion! ..there is NO WAY Shilpa would ever do anything racist after all that sh*t she just went through!!

I did'nt see any other paper run this story. .. remember, this is from The Daily Star.. so it can be taken with a pinch of salt in my book.

[expat]

this type of petty picking reflects the society at large.

[James]

I'm sure I read about this story weeks ago on the forums. Why are they bringing it up again now?

[expat]

Britain's administration at it's best

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by James
I'm sure I read about this story weeks ago on the forums. Why are they bringing it up again now?

I guess that is where they found it and they thought it would sell a few papers this morning.

The also seem to like stories about Danielle Lloyd maybe they are trying discredit Shilpa a bit so they can have more pictures Danielle in her underwear on the inside pages with out being accused supporting a bully.

[Sticks]

But this is part of the Great British Tradition of putting people on pedestals, so they are all the more handy for throwing rocks at.

BTW blacking up IS racist, that was why the Black and Whit Minstral show was axed. The idea of an actor blacking up is wrong, because it denies the part to actors of colour and mocks them by stero type.

Shilpa Shetty should be ashamed of her self for participating in this travesty.

[The_Hitman]

Originally posted by Sticks

Shilpa Shetty should be ashamed of her self for participating in this travesty.

Ah yes, the 'laughing at the controversial joke' thing. That and the holocaust really make me despair at the depths man can sink to.

....oh...no...wait......thats just the holocaust.

Get real Sticksy baby, Shilpas job when she appears on these cheesy light entertainment shows is to smile and laugh along at the jokes whether they are funny or not.

The lack of cynicism in her nature that we all KNOW OF, probably explains why the controversial connotations in the 'skit' flew right over her head.

Verdict: Atrocious journalism.