Televised award shows are often protracted, self-congratulatory, carefully planned snoozefests (especially the Annual Snooze Fest Awards, I don’t know why they keep holding those).
It is understandable that these shows are so meticulously arranged because they are usually broadcast live.
Conversely, this is also one of the main reasons to tune in. Besides the glitz and the glamour, and the opportunity to snark at stunning actresses wearing very expensive custom gowns while you are on your couch in your least-stained pyjamas, there is also the chance that you might have the thrill of witnessing something go wrong.
Very occasionally, but more importantly, you hold out hope for a rare moment of poignancy, or a moment that actually means something, during the acceptance speeches.
A display of this nature occurred during the Logies telecast when The Project co-host Carrie Bickmore was awarded the Gold Logie and used her speech to raise awareness about brain cancer, a disease that killed her husband Greg in 2010.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
She encouraged people to wear beanies the next day and post photos of themselves to help raise awareness of the disease. It was a poignant and emotional speech, and as such slightly overshadowed another notable address earlier in the night from actress Miranda Tapsell.
The Indigenous actress (previously best known for her role in the 2012 Australian film The Sapphires) won two awards for her performance in the TV programme Love Child, and used her time on stage to raise an important issue, pleading for Australia to “put more beautiful people of colour on TV, and connect viewers in ways that transcend race and unite us."
She also added: "That's the real team Australia.”
Watch Miranda's Logies acceptance speech:
Miranda’s speech drew heartfelt applause and standing ovations from most of the members of the audience. Then, the very next segment featured blokey bearded knockabout white actor Shane Jacobson interviewing the white blokey mateship knockabout tradie presenter of The Block, Scott Cam.
There is nothing wrong with this (or them) in and of itself, but it very clearly validated Miranda’s point, immediately after she had made it.
The television landscape, commercial networks in particular, do not come close to reflecting the cultural diversity that Australia is lucky enough to embody. The 2011 Census demonstrated that over a quarter of Australia’s population was born overseas. On top of this, the Census recorded that a fifth of Australians have at least one parent who was born overseas.
When you add into this the Indigenous population, the glaring whiteness that stares back at you from any given show on one of the major networks becomes almost blinding.
Of course, Miranda Tapsell is not the first person to speak up about this, and unfortunately she probably won’t be the last. But speaking out is important, as is listening and taking action.
Exclusion from representation is a big battle to be faced in the war against insidious racism. When big networks only screen shows that focus on white voices, white faces, and white stories, they are complicit in the perpetuation of this problem.
I want my Aboriginal niece, cousins and their children to be able to turn on the television and see their lives reflected. I am not only asking because it is the right thing and the fair thing.
I am not only asking because I want people I love to have the representation they deserve. I also want it to happen because the alternative is so unoriginal and boring, and I selfishly don’t want to be bored. I don’t want to see any more shows about a middle-class white family only interacting with other middle-class white people.
I want to see exciting, fresh ideas and new faces and perspectives appearing on mainstream TV, and I want Miranda’s ‘real Team Australia’ to become a reality (show).
Rebecca Shaw is a Brisbane-based writer and host of the fortnightly comedy podcast Bring a Plate.
