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Is Australia's mainstream TV too white?

Why are soap operas on commercial television dominated by Anglo-Australian actors? PJ Madam looks at whether Aussie mainstream TV offers a true portrayal of a multicultural society.

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3 min read

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Source: SBS


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'Home and Away' and other soap operas are being accused of failing to represent the 'real' Australia, which critics say is a lot more diverse.

The show only has two non-Anglo characters, Leah and Elijah. Just last week, Samoan-Kiwi Jay Laga'aia who plays Elijah, tweeted that his contract wasn't renewed because the show already had one ethnic: Leah.

He was supporting calls made by Lebanese actor Firass Dirani for networks to get rid of a so called 'white Australia' policy on the small screen.

'Home and Away' isn't alone. Some of the highest rating soap operas include: 'Packed to the Rafters', 'Winners and Losers' and 'Neighbours'.

Rick Kalowski from the Australian Writers' Foundation was the man behind "At home with Julia".

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He says when soapies bring in big ratings, producers and writers stick to the winning formula.

"I don't see a huge amount of effort being made by writers to particularly promote ethnic diversity in their scripts. I think we're all guilty," he told SBS.

Apart from charters guiding the ABC and SBS, there are no regulations on ethnic diversity on commercial TV.

There's only a code of practice which states: "In scripting, casting and selecting on-air talent management and producers should be concerned to reflect Australia's complex and culturally diverse society."

Actor's agent Joyce Yuen has been representing multicultural actors for 18 years. She says when there is diversity, it's a stereotype.

"What comes up again and again are gang leaders, in the drug trade or otherwise restaurant owners and we of course we know Asians in nearly all walks of life in this society so why don't we represent them as such?", Ms Yuen says.

Actor Mehal Krayem is now finishing a PHD on this very issue.

"There are already a lot of negative perceptions about the Muslim community out there and these things just solidify what people already think," he told SBS.

"And just because the producers are not experiencing this kind of discrimination and this reinforcement of stereotypes does not mean it's not real for other people".

But here's the catch-22: culturally diverse shows often tow a 'politically correct' line, Mr Kalowski says.

"The shows that do reflect the ethnic diversity very often fall into that category of 'bocolli shows', that is shows that are good for you but not particularly entertaining".

Fremantle and Seven declined to comment.


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