Kia Gangadeen

With reference to any group you have studied or researching, discuss how their identity has been mediated

In this essay I will reference a range of media platforms in order to explore the ways in which Gypsies have been mediated. A light has been directed at the gypsy community over the past two years when Channel 4 aired a programme Big Fat Gypsy Weddings in 2012. This gave us, the audience an insight into primarily the lives of the young brides to be. Personally, I watched the programme regularly and I would have to admit that the programme was more for my entertainment rather than my to learn about the community. All of these weddings seemed to have one thing in common, to look like a fairytale. The girls dresses were so big that they sometimes found it difficult getting out of their door and some bits of the dress had to be carried separately and resembled back onto the dress. Girls young as five years old wore revealing, provocative attire to the church ceremony. This was shocking to me and many others took to Twitter and Facebook to share their opinions. They way Channel 4 chose to film this community was in a documentary style so we can assume the Gypsies that took part were not told what to say or exaggerate what they do. This representation of Gypsy women has effect on both society and the Gypsy community. Gypsies are seen as outcasts of our society because they do things differently that we see as shameful and unseemly. They way they have been mediated will effect all Gypsy women as portrayed Channel 4 have aloud people to believe theyre all the same and dont have their own identity but instead copy each other. This gives the audience the power to judge these individuals and the Gypsy suffers the backlash of all complaints and harsh views. Therefore, they are becoming even more isolated from our world. I have watched many programmes about the Gypsy and Traveller communities produced by a range of television companies and these individuals are represented differently in the programmes that are not represented by Chanel 4. It then began to worry me that Channel 4 were painting the Gypsy community in a bad light, distorting the Gypsy way of life. I came across an article written by The Guardian about Ofcom investigating possible racial stereotyping in My Big Fat Gypsy

Kia Gangadeen

Wedding. The media regulator has taken action and decided to examine a complaint implanted by lawyers representing the Irish Traveller Movement of Britain, as they believe they have been unjustly and unfairly portrayed and handled by Channel 4. Howe & Co, a solicitor firm based in Ealing pointed out examples that unfair and negative images including sexual assault of females as a cultural normality, highly sexualized behavior and showing children as wildly behaved, uncontrollable, foul-mouthed, uneducated, violent and a dangerous. This representation also describes another programme aired by Channel 4, Gypsy Blood. This documentary examines the violent culture that some gypsy and traveller fathers pass on to their sons. Footage of a boy young as 18 months was practicing fighting with his father and older brothers. One father said, You can tell that they do it because they want to impress their father and not give their household a bad name. This proves that they boys see it as a duty rather than a choice as their afraid theyre fathers will look at them as a failure and disgrace. Channel 4 chief executive, David Abraham, was forced to apologise publicly for its Bigger. Fatter. Gypsier ad campaign for the second series of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings. It was convicted as offensive and immoral by MPs on the Commons culture, media and sport select committee. The ad characterized children in a sexualized ways and reinforced negative stereotypes and prejudice against the Traveller and Gypsy communities. The poster features images of a young boy looking aggressively in the camera lens and teenage girls wearing low-cut tops. The Advertising Stardards Autority ruled out that these stereotypes were likely to cause a serious offence to some members of the Gypsy and Traveller communities. In conclusion, the Gypsy and Traveller communities have been mediated in a negative way and their way of life on screen has been distorted and exaggerated for our entertainment. Doing this, the Gypsy and Traveller communities have are portrayed as uneducated, violent and vulgar and opinions from the viewers has undeniably made it clear that this group of people are accepted into our society.