British media regulator, Ofcom, has received over 24,000 complaints about the BGT performance by the dance crew Diversity.
This is the highest number of complaints a TV programme has received so far this year. The four-minute performance represented the monumental events which took place this year including coronavirus and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. The routine featured kneeling and the raised fist gesture of unity, as well as the lead dancer and choreographer, Ashley Banjo, with a knee on his neck. This was a portrayal of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in America last May.
The performance has been criticised by some for being ‘too political and violent’ and ‘unsuitable for children’. One of these critics is political commentator Calvin Robinson, who appeared on Good Morning Britain last week to debate this topic, clashing with Piers Morgan. Morgan snapped back saying he has seen “more violence on Eastenders”, and argued the performance depicted an important and real event which wasn’t news to children.
After assessing the complaints, Ofcom released a statement where they concluded the programme had not raised any issues to warrant investigation. They also echoed ITV’s response in that the performance was an artistic expression of topical issues which have affected society in 2020. Banjo responded to the backlash on Twitter saying: “For the Thousands of messages of hate and ignorance – Thank you. You highlight exactly what needs to change.”
In my opinion, I think Diversity did a wonderful job bringing such an important topic to the stage. Dance is a form of self-expression and sometimes that means diving into serious social and political issues such as the BLM movement. Moreover, I disagree with it being inappropriate for children. The BLM movement needs to be taught in schools to include children in the conversation.
Social media account Chelmsford for black lives is doing a great job in providing free resource packs for teachers to use. Their aim is to celebrate black lives while also creating fun and accessible content that is easy to learn. For example, the pack offers printable colouring sheets.
Overall, I think this performance highlights that society is still not fully comfortable with social issues making an appearance in entertainment. However, shining a light on such topics can lead to healthy conversations within families and help make a change.