Why So Few Black And Asian People At Glastonbury?

[naomi24]

Lenny Henry, that stalwart champion of 'diversity', says he is “always surprised” by the lack of black and brown people at Glastonbury, as he called for better representation of ethnic minorities in all facets of British society.

Are they prevented from buying tickets - or is it that they just don't fancy living for several days in a tent in a muddy field?

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/jun/14/lenny-henry-always-surprised-lack-of-black-asians-glastonbury

[goodgoalie]

Both have got new partners

[MargoTester]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9963633/Lenny-Henry-shows-slimmed-frame-cosies-girlfriend-Lisa-Makin.html
Both Mr Henry's partners have been white - just saying

[sandra4444]

16.23 I doubt any comedian from the 70s would make you laugh now, and they would all be embarrassing.

Its much the same watching old TV comedy, some of the very early Last Of The Summer Wine that have been on over the last few weeks are awful.

Lenny Henry is no different to anyone else when it comes to making a living.

[sp1814]

I went to Glastonbury (only once) in 2019 with mates and it wasn't the there were no black people there - just very few. Part of this may be because the big acts act Glastonbury (like Download) have traditionally leant towards rock. You're not going to get that many black people because generally that music attracts a largely white crowd.

...compared to Download. Especially Download at Finsbury Park, which featured 'the big three' - Cardi, Nicki and Megan.

Glastonbury has been changing with R&B and rap acts (Janet Jackson, Lizzo, and Janelle Monae were on in the year that I went), but the biggest barrier to black people attending isn't the acts - it's the cost. You can spend an easy £1,000 (tickets, camping equipment, food/drink, transport). What Sir Lenny would also not have seen is very many working class people there either.

[sp1814]

Earlier someone said "When he guest edited Today@R4. No white people made the team."

To clarify - the show featured a presenting team made up exclusively of people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

I guess the reason for this is that the show was tackling the subject of race and a decision was made to gather a group of the journalists who are part of that story.

Same way that Women's Hour has never been presented by a man.

A great response from Luke McGee from The Daily Telegraph:

Didn't hear Lenny Henry. Fortunately I have a system for this:

1) Twitter search
2) are morons criticising it?

I can see it was a triumph

[sp1814]

naomi24

You've posited:

Are they prevented from buying tickets - or is it that they just don't fancy living for several days in a tent in a muddy field?

You've come up with a binary question (ticket availability, camping).

I think Sir Lenny is right to ask the question in the same way that you have but maybe he thinks the answer may be a bit more complex?

[sandyRoe]

I believe in the early days of Woman's Hour it was presented by men.

[sp1814]

sandyRoe

Really?

I can't find anything in Wikipedia.

[sandyRoe]

Alan Ivimey was chosen as the first host for fear a woman presenter might be 'resented' by her listeners.

[sp1814]

sandyRoe

With apologies for sidetracking this thread…when was that???

[sp1814]

Ah…just reread you post properly.

So this was at the start of Women’s Hour! In the 1940s?

Did he actually present?

[sandyRoe]

1946. That was slightly before my time.

[andres]

Maybe it's a cultural thing. Some Asian females still don't have the freedom to do whatever they want.

[Khandro]

At a risk on being accused of being both a bigot & a racist (which I'm not, btw) & on a parallel theme; why when the Office for National Statistics find that 96% of couples living in the UK are of the same ethnicity, do so many adverts portray mixed race couples? invariably a black man with a white partner, never, so it seems the reverse.

What is the reason for this?

[Atheist]

Khandro; do you have stats about the relative number of black/white male/female couples on UK adverts? Why would you be bothered about such a thing?

[10ClarionSt]

Racism is a non-event in this country and is just an invention by people who are trying to create their own victimhood.

[sp1814]

khandro

Apologies to the OP for this diversion - only answering khandro's question.

My theory - advertisers have recognised that ethnic minorities have been under-represented front of camera and are actively trying to address this by bringing diversity to their campaigns.

You may also notice the increased number of same sex couples in major advertising campaigns too.

My guess is that advertisers are in an arms race to attract the 18 - 35 year age group and if they put out ads that only featured white heterosexual couples, it would look odd to this demographic.

You do see white couples but you will also see many different 'types' of couples (and singles and the elderly and the disabled etc).

[sp1814]

10CalrionSt

Phew!

Thanks for letting us know. I'd not heard this. Genuinely overjoyed that racism is a 'non event'.

Sexism too?

I do hope so.

[Atheist]

Advertising agencies do not push political or PC agendas, they push sales figures. People who think that ads are politically driven are deluded; they are driven by bottom lines.

[10ClarionSt]

You obviously believe in the fiction of it. Look all around you and show us where the racism is. What? Sport? The name-calling and banter that coloured people don't know how to handle so they call it racism? Showbusiness? Politics? The professions? Where is the racism?
One well known coloured professional footballer who is nearing the end of his playing career has jumped on the band wagon and is trying to invent a new career for himself by highlighting the so-called racism that is suppose be prevalent in this country. But it's only prevalent in his, others, heads.