OK so here’s a quick draft of something I want to hand out at the feminist society
It only took 20 minutes so it’s kinda rough, so if people want to add anything please do so! “Gypsy” and “Traveller” are used somewhat interchangeably, but I’ll fix that soon.
Reasons why you shouldn’t watch ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’
1. Gypsies, Romanichal and Travellers have faced a long and somewhat unrealised history of oppression, prejudice and abuse. This type of abuse ranges from legislation that denies Gypsies housing rights and their right to maintain their traditional lifestyle to the Holocaust, where an estimated 220,000 to 1,500,000 Gypsies were killed. This abuse is not confined to history. The 2010 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey revealed that:
“Respondents were asked how suitable or unsuitable different kinds of people would be for the job of primary school teacher. 47% considered Gypsy/Travellers unsuitable. Are attitudes changing? No. At 47%, the proportion that believes that a Gypsy/Traveller would be unsuitable as a primary school teacher is much the same as the 48% who held that view in 2006. Meanwhile the proportion who say they would be unhappy if a close relative entered into a long-term relationship with a Gypsy/Traveller is unchanged at 37%”[1]
2. My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding follows a harmful continuum of stereotyping Gypsies. Much of this is related to women. Outsiders (usually referred to by Travellers/Gypsies as “Gorgio” or “Gadje”, though this varies) have a tendency to sexualise the Gypsy female (see: Okely, 1975). This has been a popular trope in literature since the nineteenth century (see: The Hunchback of Notre Dame). Whilst some Gypsy women dress like those on the programme, Channel 4 chooses to present this as the ‘typical’ Gypsy woman. In many areas clothing between Gypsies/outsiders has little to no difference. Despite claiming the programme attempts to improve relations and understanding, in reality it does little but regurgitate slightly modified stereotypes that have been part of our dominant white culture for centuries.
3. This will be many people’s first experience with Gypsy culture. Last year it was Channel 4’s most watched programme. It has in turn released a lot of vitriol towards practices such as “grabbing”. Whilst some practices such as these may be in accordance with some Gypsies, the transmission of this programme does much to universalise it: Traveller and Gypsy culture is in turn denied as a complicated, multifarious and constantly changing culture and peoples, with many distinct clans and tenets.
4. Gypsies and Travellers have complained about the way they are represented in the programme. We are denying them a voice and continuing a long, harmful tradition in concern to not just Gypsies but all ethnic minorities by doing so.
5. Channel 4 claims its programme is an access to a “secret world”, but this is entirely false. There is a range of media out there made by Travellers themselves. Most of Traveller culture has a rich oral heritage. There are songs, books, oral histories and films. Channel 4 is presenting only what we want to see, to reaffirm stereotypes that our society has had against Gypsies for years.
6. By misrepresenting Gypsy and Traveller culture and peoples, Channel 4 is in fact doing much to harm ‘Gorgio’ and Traveller relations.
7. Channel 4 will continue producing such racially deterministic programming as long as people watch it. Take a stand and say no. Genuine exploration of Gypsy and Traveller culture is a rewarding experience.
8. Here is a quick list of resources, both historical and contemporary, concerning Gypsy culture and history
a. http://www.travellerstimes.org.uk/website/Home.htm
c. http://www.atchingtan.com/about-us
d. http://www.atchingtan.com/interviews/topics/education
e. http://www.atchingtan.com/interviews/topics/racism
f. http://www.peckhamsettlement.org.uk/index.html
g. http://www.ealingtravellers.com/CDF57/Projects/Projects.aspx
h. http://www.nationalgypsytravellerfederation.org/
i. http://www.diverseherts.org.uk/community.php?CID=80&Title=Travellers
