First Contact

[bluecat*dancing]

Did anyone watch "First Contact" on SBS last night and/or the reaction on NITV? It's a three part series in which a group of people who have had no contact with Indigenous people spend time in various Aboriginal communities over a period of 28 days. I was shaking my head at the rudeness and ignorance of some of the participants.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-19/sbs-program-first-contact-sparks-social-media-frenzy/5901890

[womblewa]

I cringed periodically throughout the show as I hope that the white women chosen are NOT viewed by the indigenous people taking part as stereotypical of female white Australia.  Only Alice (the one with the glasses) bore any resemblance to anyone I know personally.  The others were not people I would hang around with in any sphere if it could be avoided - they make me ashamed and embarassed, and they would whatever their colour simply because of their behaviour (bogan/ignorant) springs to mind. 

Then again, perhaps there is an unspoken comment there from the producers about stereotyping, except this time perhaps they have chosen white stereotypes as seen from an Aborginal point of view.  Who knows? 

Such is my degree of irritation with the female white group I wont break out all stops to see the other two episodes.  The white men seem to be much less obnoxious (in this white woman's eyes anyway). 

[azureline**]

I am interested enough in seeing the whole program, not sure it's a balanced view though.

[kilroy_is_here]

Don't bother watching these types of programmes , give me a camera and time and could cement every possible stereotype for any nationality or race, they are filmed to invoke a response in this case to portray whites as racist , I wonder how well it would go down if I went around filming all the drunk aboriginals in parks and then said that was a fair representation of aboriginal australia, which we know it is not , this is nothing more than racist tv

[boris1gary]

never liked ray martin,  I like him even less now. 

https://newmatilda.com/2014/11/18/first-look-first-contact-sbss-new-indigenous-miniseries

But while SBS’s First Contact series, which will air tonight, should be applauded for its good intentions, the biggest takeaway from the show will be just how complex Australian racism is, and how hard it is to articulate it to a white audience, especially those who already hold negative views on Indigenous Australia.

Some non-Indigenous people spend decades in Aboriginal communities, and come away with their ignorant views engrained.

Coming face to face with black poverty does not mean you leave with an enlightened perspective.

Tony Abbott spent time up in Cape York and still makes ignorant claims about Australia having nothing but bush before 1788.

The fact the host of the program doesn’t understand the cultural obligations, the spiritual ties to land, the history of displacement and dispossession and the importance of revitalising your culture, languages and ceremonies as a step towards healing your people, undermines the goodwill this program could have on wider Australia.

Especially when he doesn’t even think racism exists.

Martin also tells Grant “I don’t think we’re racist… I honestly don’t think we’re racist in white Australia”.

[gleee58]

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@kilroy_is_here wrote:
Don't bother watching these types of programmes , give me a camera and time and could cement every possible stereotype for any nationality or race, they are filmed to invoke a response in this case to portray whites as racist , I wonder how well it would go down if I went around filming all the drunk aboriginals in parks and then said that was a fair representation of aboriginal australia, which we know it is not , this is nothing more than racist tv

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It pays to watch these shows before casting your judgement.

We've been portraying aboriginals as drunks in parks since TV began. For years the only time we saw aboriginal people on TV was to decry them for their drunken behaviour.

[gleee58]

---

@boris1gary wrote:

never liked ray martin,  I like him even less now. 

https://newmatilda.com/2014/11/18/first-look-first-contact-sbss-new-indigenous-miniseries

But while SBS’s First Contact series, which will air tonight, should be applauded for its good intentions, the biggest takeaway from the show will be just how complex Australian racism is, and how hard it is to articulate it to a white audience, especially those who already hold negative views on Indigenous Australia.

Some non-Indigenous people spend decades in Aboriginal communities, and come away with their ignorant views engrained.

Coming face to face with black poverty does not mean you leave with an enlightened perspective.

Tony Abbott spent time up in Cape York and still makes ignorant claims about Australia having nothing but bush before 1788.

The fact the host of the program doesn’t understand the cultural obligations, the spiritual ties to land, the history of displacement and dispossession and the importance of revitalising your culture, languages and ceremonies as a step towards healing your people, undermines the goodwill this program could have on wider Australia.

Especially when he doesn’t even think racism exists.

Martin also tells Grant “I don’t think we’re racist… I honestly don’t think we’re racist in white Australia”.

---

I haven't seen the Ray Martin bit yet as I came in late.  

Anyone who thinks there is no racism to aboriginal people in Australia has probably never been shopping with an obviously aboriginal person.  That can be an eye opening experience. 

[azureline**]

No one has to do much to portray some of those participants as racist........................... they speak for themselves.

[bushies.girl]

Plenty on Aboriginals are capable of being racist as well, it's not one sided ..... 

[colic2bullsgirlore]

Ray Martin Keh???

I could not think of anyone better to be involved in a project like this

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/talkingheads/txt/s2977692.htm

PETER THOMPSON: When you were researching your family tree, you discovered an Indigenous link, Aboriginal blood.

RAY MARTIN: My sister was doing it and she came across a Kamilaroi woman in northern New South Wales, and my mother was the least racist, most tolerant person I ever came across, and I said to her, "Mum, how come you didn't tell us that we had this Aboriginal ancestry - and lots of Irish and English?

PETER THOMPSON: Did she know?

RAY MARTIN: Yes, she said she did know. But she said it just wasn't important, it didn't seem relevant. We're talking about a great, great grandmother. But I was delighted when I found out about it. It was just one of those things. I'm as proud of that as I am of my Irish heritage.

who watches NITV regularly??

http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2014/11/living-black-nov-10.html

In First Contact Ray Martin takes a group of six non-Indigenous Australians with strong opinions about Indigenous people and immerses them into Aboriginal Australia for the first time.

The six – Jasmine, Bo-dene, Trent, Alice, Sandy and Marcus – are tested and confronted while the series profiles Aboriginal Australia – ‘its beauty, culture, history and tradition, its problems and its hope.’

Produced by Blackfella Films (Redfern Now, Mabo) this will air simultaneously on SBS ONE and NITV over three consecutive nights.

SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said: “SBS is incredibly proud of First Contact. It is the sort of series you simply wouldn’t see made by any other Australian television network and goes to the heart of our Charter in exploring the diversity of our nation and delving deeper into the issues that shape who we are.”

[colic2bullsgirlore]

https://www.facebook.com/livingblacksbs

Like to hear what the "other side" thought about it???? try the link above

blackfelllas can use computers as well