The daily race baiting at the BBC we are supposed to accept that normal has now gotten so out of hand that it just needs to be proclaimed.
This week, the Corporation chose to mock the inspirational success of the England Lionesses because of the skin color of the team’s incredible female soccer players.
Rather than celebrate the record-breaking win against Norway, during his ultra-awake coverage of the Ladies Euro 2022 the following night, gray-faced presenter Eilidh Barbour soberly stated: “It was a historic eight-goal victory for England last night as the Lionesses secured their place in the quarter-finals – but all the starting 11 players and the five substitutes who came on the pitch were on the field.” all white. And that points to a lack of diversity in the women’s game in England.’
In their wisdom, the Beeb then took time away from the analysis of the tournament that sports fans have come to expect, to broadcast a special survey from star host Alex Scott, complete with somber orchestral music.
But her first question to Debra Nelson of Football Beyond Borders set the tone for the report.
She asked, “It’s so disturbing to me to see you speak about this current England team and say how, as a young black woman, this team doesn’t appeal to or inspire you.”
This week the Corporation chose to mock the inspirational success of the England Lionesses because of the skin color of the team’s incredible female football players
England’s Beth Mead and Alessia Russo celebrate a historic victory over Norway at the European Championships
Ellen White scores for England in the demolition of Norway by the Lionesses earlier this week
Using the usual vigilant terminology we’ve come to expect from the anti-racist brigade, which sees race in every aspect of life, Nelson replied, “You have to feel like you can see yourself to make sure they play a part. fashion model. If someone doesn’t have the same life experiences of yours, doesn’t have the same background as you… how can they be your role model?’
What a depressing way to look at the world.
It’s also complete nonsense, of course, as many of the greatest sports role models in history for all ethnicities have been athletes like Muhammed Ali, Jackie Robinson, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, Simone Biles… I mean the list is endless .
The absurdity of the BBC’s desperate desire to turn the Lionesses into a race debate was exposed when the discussion returned to presenters at the stadium, including ex-England black player Anita Asante.
She said, “Visibility is important. I’ve been fortunate to have played with my role models – Rachel Yankey, Mary Phillip to name a few – (and) played under a black manager from England.”
She was referring to Hope Powell, who played on the team from 1983 to 1998, earning 66 caps and scoring 35 goals, then doing it from 1998 to 2013.
So the racial makeup of the current team is an anomaly, not widespread.
To comment on it and make it a feature of the coverage feels to me like yet another attempt to fuel racial divisions in this country.
Of course, any manager should pick the best players for the team on any given day, regardless of their skin color or ethnicity.
Rightly so, no one nags when many Team GB athletic relay teams, for example, are made up of all black participants, and they shouldn’t.
Is the BBC suggesting that national sports teams should now have ethnic quotas?
Or do they have evidence of systemic racism within women’s football? If so, they should investigate and provide evidence before broadcasting.
More likely, this was just another attempt to portray England as institutionally racist, when the Sewell report conclusively concluded that this is not the case.
No wonder the BBC’s annual report this week found that just 51 percent of British adults now believe the broadcaster is effective at providing unbiased news and current affairs, according to an Ipsos Mori survey of over-16s, down from five percent year on year.
In real terms, that means the equivalent of three million Britons losing faith in public service broadcasting, even though we are forced to pay £159 to watch television.
Instead of celebrating the record-breaking win against Norway, during the ultra-awake coverage of the Women’s Euro 2022 the following night, there was a sober statement from ashen presenter Eilidh Barbour (pictured)
The irony of the situation, of course, is that just as the BBC taunted the ‘all white’ Lionesses, a recently released official Rich List showed that their own First XI was also exclusively white. Leftie virtue signaller-in-chief Gary Lineker (pictured) topped the list with a sickening salary of at least £1.35million
The irony of the situation, of course, is that just as the BBC taunted the ‘all white’ Lionesses, a recently released official Rich List showed that their own First XI was also exclusively white.
Leftie virtue signaller-in-chief Gary Lineker topped the list with a sickening salary of at least £1.35million for reading the autocue for a few hours a month on Match of the Day.
The other top ten earners were Zoe Ball (£980,000), Alan Shearer (£450,000), Steve Wright (£450,000), Steven Nolan (£415,000), Fiona Bruce (£410,000), Huw Edwards (£410,000), Vanessa Feltz ( £400,000), Scott Mills (£400,000), Greg James (£390,000) and Ken Bruce (£385,000).
Where are the BBC reports of the lack of diversity among its own disgusting high earners? Nowhere, of course.
Because the Beeb is an organization that likes to sneer at others while remaining as white, liberal, and middle class as you can get.
I mean, just today on BBC2’s lunchtime show Politics Live, the host Alex Forsyth called my GB News colleague Inaya Folarin Iman, a guest on the show, Kemi three times.
Presumably, as a young black woman, she confused Inaya with Tory leadership contender Kemi Badernoch.
But as Inaya tweeted this afternoon: ‘I was called ‘Kemi’ three times today by the BBC Politics Live presenter. There was clearly no ill intent, but it really shouldn’t happen at all, let alone multiple times.”
So maybe the BBC should stop looking for racism in every other organization, company, sports team, TV show, historical artwork, film and politician in the country for a moment to focus on getting its own house in order.
Unlike them, I will unabashedly applaud the Lionesses for being at the top of their game and brilliant role models for England.