Independent study
“Finally a programme that represents Asians properly.”[1]
How accurately are Asians represented in ‘Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee?’
Since the mass isolation of Asians in inner city urban areas in the 1970s, they have come a long way, both on and off-screen. Asians as a social group now comprise ‘3.5% of the population’[2], however they are still often disproportionately under-represented on-screen with Asians and other ethnic minorities often playing the roles of ‘token’[3] characters and rarely those of protagonists. Nevertheless, newspapers such as the Guardian now produce a list called “The most powerful Asians in the media” suggesting that changes are indeed occuring, with Meera Syal being at number two. Syal has been a figurehead in creating the now well-established British Asian genre by, for example, scripting the coming of age film Anita and Me (Metin Huseyin, 2002) and producing and starring in Goodness Gracious Me (BBC, 1998). The latter was hugely successful in appealing to a multicultural audience, evident from its transfer from BBC2, mainly catering for niche needs, to BBC1, clearly targetting a mass, mainstream audience. Although such success, economically and in terms of raising awareness has ensured the rise of the ‘brown pound,’[4] it has more often than not been based on clichéd stereotypes and light-hearted humour as if ‘laughing was the best medicine,’[5] which is epitomised from shows such as Mind Your Language (ITV, 1977) and more contemporary comedies such as The Kumars at no.42 (BBC, 2001). However, Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee, (BBC, 2005) an adaptation of Meera Syal’s novel, in many respects offers a refreshing, cliché free and post modern twist on what it is really like growing up as a second generation British Asian. Perhaps this is an accurate representation of Asians in 21st century British society, as opposed to the farce of the Ferreiras on ‘Eastenders’ (2003).
Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee in many respects is a post modern follow-up to films such as Bhaji on the Beach (Gurinder Chadha, 1993) which marked the creation of a British Asian genre. As opposed to the feature length, theatrically released Bhaji on the Beach and Anita and Me (Metin Huseyin, 2002), Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee is a three part television drama series which reflects a world with more depth and sophistication compared to films which must compress a Todorovian narrative in a shorter running time. ‘Interest in British Asian culture has reached critical mass’[6] and this is reflected in the nature of the drama as a flagship programme, commissioned via BBC at 9pm. Thus proving that the British Asian genre is now firmly ingrained in mainstream British media, however this is not justifation of accurate representation or even that the rise of the ‘brown pound’ is being fully acknowledged and ‘targeted properly by British Advertising.’[7]
Meera Syal is a key protagonist in Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee which is an adaptation of her best selling novel. Whilst it lightheartedly deals with the culture clash between Indian values and liberal British society, it was never intended by Syal to be targeted at the niche Asian audience but on the contrary, a mainstream audience with a ranging socio-econonmic profile. However it can be argued that it caters for a more female audience by dealing with typical feminine issues such as friendship, marriage and betrayal. Nevertheless, Syal states that through the adaptation of her novel she was attempting to get away from the assumption that ‘anything featuring us Asians has to be issues based, which is why the focus is very much on universal emotional experiences.’[8] However, ultimately it is an all-Asian cast being shown on BBC1, a ‘Reithian kind of public service’[9] with a remit to inform, educate and entertain and thus has an obligation to ‘treat controversial subjects with due accuracy and impartiality.’[10] Significantly, the BBC has been under recent scruity for ‘still showing its hideously white face’[11] for a supposed instituiton which should be promoting a multicultural Britain and therefore has an even greater obligation to ensure Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee was received with a preferred reading.
Previous shows such as Goodness Gracious Me and Kumars at no.42 also starred Meera Syal, however were riddled with ‘racial clowns’[12] ‘making fixed oppositions between Self and Other untenable.’[13] Whilst these shows were highly successful, it was stereotypically through lighthearted humour and outdated representaions of Asians. On the other hand, Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee is a stark contrast which deals with universal issues ‘regardless of race.’[14] The three female protagonists are questionning their identities, just like all women, and on their emotional journeys they are susceptible to the ‘male gaze’[15] proving they are not an alien section of British society. For instance the audience positioning at times is clearly from a male perspective. Not only do we sexually objectify Sunita with her new stylish hair-do and revealing clothes as a viewer, but on-screen males identify with her by whistling at her in the street. Furthermore, they show no anxiety as Sunita holds an umbrella; an overt phallic object to substitute for her castration which at first is subconsciously threatening for a male audience. They experience objectification and are therefore no different from other women. In this perspective, the ‘male gaze’ can be seen as positive psychoanalysis by giving an accurate representation of British Asians, which is why it appeals to a mainstream audience as a flagship programme. Yet on the other hand, the protagonists only appear to be equally integrated into western society if they conform to ‘white cultural supremacy’[16] and overtly show less affiliation with their traditional roots; thus accounting for its ‘universal’ appeal. The British media therefore carries the ‘historical traces of imperialism, colonialism and a deeply ingrained sense of white superiority.’[17]
Furthermore, Chila exemplifies a stereotypical representation of Asians and more so of a woman. She is a sweet fantasist who has dreamt about nothing but happy family life and is what she expects when she gets married to her prince charming. There are continious medium shots of Chila in the kitchen cooking and cleaning and even once is shown wearing a white suit connoting innocence and purity as if this ‘madonna’ representation was holy to her. Whilst the drama is absent from overt racial clowns, Chila is the only protagonist who has an Indian accent despite growing up in Britain like Sunita and Tania. Thus proving that the drama, and genre itself, still relies on cliché humour to satisfy the dominant white audiences who are more than familiar with this non-threatening representation of a modern day ‘racial clown.’ The British Asian genre has therefore not been ‘subject to the constant process of change and adaptation’[18] since while the economic and social position of Asians has changed, the few gate keeping producers have preferred to represent ‘spectacle and exotica (that is, the saris, steelbands and samosas).’[19] Increasingly, consumers of the British Asian genre are ‘going to see the same ten movies.’[20]
Furthermore, the use of diction in the dialogue of Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee labels Chila as an implicit racial clown. She is the only woman who uses patois such as ‘innit’[21] which is the infamous London/Southall tag, hence conforming to a stereotypical representation of Asians whose language and style is noticeably different and often inferior to that of ‘white’ hegemonic culture. Yet, by episode three, the emotional journey of Chila has proved to be a life-changing experience for her. The media language of a particular scene subverts general assumptions of a woman and more specifically of Asian women. As her voiceover says, " I learnt more in those three months than I did at ten years of school." The voiceover is accompanied with Chila on a stool with a torch fixing the fuse. Women are not typically associated with DIY and is definitely not typical of Chila who has only ever dreamt of happy family life. Moreover, we see Chila from a low angle inclining the audience to extol her as a reformed well-rounded person by rejecting patriachal values and comes across in a more feminist light. Throughout this scene we see many subversions of the characters where we may have assumed their personalities at the outset of the drama series. We are able to empathise with them and therefore this scene can be seen as part of the pluralist model, satisfying us with many representations of the characters therefore painting a realistic picture of British Asian life as rejecting some of the rigid cultural values which exist in Indian culture today.
The rejection of patriarchal values is perhaps an accurate representation of British Asians as the notion of a ‘new man’[22] has infiltrated Indian culture as much as any other. Deepak expresses his deep paternal instincts as he kidnaps his own baby from Chila, whilst Akaash looks after the children so Sunita can go out with her friends. In this perspective Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee is a portrayal of the ‘Third Space of Enunciation'[23] whereby second generation Asians both ‘reaffirm and challenge parental traditions’[24] by immersing themselves into western culture. This cultural hybridity and fusion of two cultures is celebrated in this text thus demonstrating the current historical phase of post-colonialism and more significantly reflects the zeitgeist in that Asians are increasingly entering the public sphere as they assimilate and leave their social and economically marginalised days of the 1970s behind.
However, cultural hybridity is perhaps an over-idealistic notion as Asians continue to be the victim of lazy stereotyping since their mass immigration in the 1970s. Mind Your Language (ITV,1977) is a prime example which claimed to be a light-hearted take on multiculturalism, but in fact tapped into real social, political and economical anxieties, which were fuelled by the rise of the National Front. ‘This led to the setting up of Southall Youth Movement (SYM), whose members broke with what they saw as their parents’ pacifism and reluctance to cause trouble.’[25] Such a social revolution of attitudes amongst Asian youth of the 1970s has indeed resulted in more awareness of Asian culture with the emergence of various figureheads such as Meera Syal, Gurinder Chadha, Talvin Singh and many more. ‘The emergence and vibrancy of new forms of social, cultural and political strategies enshrines a transnational focus and open attitude towards difference and diversity’[26] hence mainstream British culture is no longer synonymous with ‘white’.
Yet such stereotypes did not stop there. Whilst Goodness Gracious Me successfully attempts making the white viewer ‘The Other;’ it is reminiscent of humour at their own expense as if only through humour do they get on-screen representation. Immediately after the 7/7 bombings there was a ‘600% increase in racist attack.’[27] Every Muslim, and person who might be 'seen as Muslim', must now fear that the latest alleged plot will lead to another rise in racism.,’[28] yet stereotypical representations continue to be rife in a time when clarity and understanding should be most prominent. The BBC who are a key institution in clarifying these social and cultural misunderstandings, particularly when scapegoats and moral panics are at their peak, have unfortunately shown no real substance in attacking the vast ignorance which exists in our supposed post modern society of today.
The BBC’s tackle with racial diversity formalised with the Cultural Diversity Network (CDN) 2000 is perhaps theoretically attainable, yet is as inneffective off-screen than it is on-screen. As an ethnic minority attempting to immerse yourself into a corporation like the BBC which is dominnated by male Oxbridge-culture means you ‘must act, think and speak the same which is then promoted as diversity.’[29] Furthermore, the doctrine of ‘cultural diversity’ suggests that the ‘differences between cultures are so absolute as to make their coexistence in the same geographical space, in conditions of even relative peace and equality, a practical impossibility.’[30] An example of this in ‘Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee’ is Tania who has little affiliation with her culture to the extent of having rare contact with her family. Yet her boss requires her to make a cultural documentary about her community, not allowing her to work on other projects. Therefore, it is becoming ironically clear that the cultural idenitiy of a Britian Asian is both elusive and ambigious, which is why their representation is so limited to familiar stereotypes. In retalliation some Asians have shown discontent in that it was ‘void of any moral message, had no class or taste and gave the impression that Indian lives are based on immorality, broken relationships, and sex.’[31]
Those discontent Asian audiences, tired of their community being associated merely with humour or no culture at all (as evident from the quote above) are being won over by cable and satellite television such as Zee TV inadvertently expressing deep feeling of under-representation on terrestrial channels. ‘The host culture has proved all too liable to require the migrant to ‘assimilate’ to what it assumes unquestioningly to be superior, even ‘universal,’ norms and values – sanctified by reference to their long and ‘organic’ evolutionary development.’[32] Therefore, it is no surprise that Asians turn to subscription channels in the name of authenticity and tradition. After all, ‘the media must stop seeing themselves as mainstream and others as 'niche' if they want a bigger ethnic minority audience[33]"
However, when discussing the accuracy of any social group being portrayed in the media, it must be remembered that the media is unfortunately not driven by moral concern but profit and economics. Noam Chomsky, a neo-Marxist, sees the relationship between profit-seeking media organisations and governments as one of ‘mutual interest in supporting the status quo and this acts as a form of social control’[34] Whilst the BBC has a purposeful remit, they still ultimately comprise part of the elite Furthermore, this confirms popular opinion of Asian culture as rigid and wary of the ‘other’ via the humour used merely enhancing existing stereotypes to ensure they remain pigeonholed and do not break out of their 'false class consciousness.' Issues portrayed such as friendship and betrayal diverts attention from the fact that they are part of the aspiring 'proletariat.' However, it should not be assumed that Asians are pumped with dominant ideologies unknowingly, since the hypodermic needle model theory, founded by the Frankfurt School in the 1930s, is losing its potency with an increasing media literate, second and third generation Asian audience. Therefore, the representation of Asians in Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee is open to interpretation and does not necessarily conform to one stereotype and defy the other. In fact, it is a typical post modern text which rejects rigid representations associated with Asians and portrays characters with a comfortable, dual post modern idenitity; which has been absent from previous texts such as Anita and Me presenting either those that fully conform or vigorously reject.
In the 21st century, Asian culture contributes fashion, food and entertainment to Britain; promoting a strong sense of unity and multiculturism as opposed to the days of the National Front. With better education and jobs ‘many are moving to the suburbs, country towns and villages, a reversal of the 1980s trends.’[35] Thus proving full integration in a successful melting pot society, despite the increase in fundamentalism and the sensationalist media coverage it recieves. Significantly, it should not be assumed ‘that if there is an Asian story it is meant to represent Asians on a whole. Surely not all white people are like the Millers from EastEnders.’[36] It is impossible for only a few voices to reflect that of two million Asians and have only a few gatekeepers who pretend to represent all Asians. Not even documentaries can reflect reality after the process of mediation and so a drama series should not bear such a burden to do so. Yet if the public pay for a license, there is no reason why they should not expect reasonable representation of their community. After all, the media is a fourth estate from a pluralist perspective and so should fulfil its’ obligation to society. However, the future of public service broadcasters itself is uncertain as the BBC ‘controls only a handful of the channels and regularly commands only a fraction of the audience’[37] with increasing digital developments. Therefore, perhaps the BBC is unable to cater for the needs of the Asian demographic because satellite and cable channels have filled the market leaving no demand for the production of programmes that have a primary target audience for Asians. Hence the ‘Uses and Gratifications’ theory is not applicable here.
To conclude, Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee challenges many dominant ideologies and expectations that every text in the media including Asians must be issue based. The adaptation of Meera Syal’s novel indeed uses humour echoing that of shows such as Goodness Gracious Me and Kumars at no.42, but it is not so excessively used as they are clearly tried and tested formulas. Instead, the characters debunk myths and poke fun at Indian traditions which is entertaining both for Asian and non-Asian audiences. However, it does fail to highlight that there must be ‘productive negotiations between the historically dominant and subordinate’[38] to achieve genuine assimilation. Whilst no representation of any ethnic/social group in the media can be expected to be ‘accurate,’ Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee is perhaps the closest thing to it, promoting multiculturalism and celebrating cultural hybridity.
Word Count: 2935
Works cited
Moving Image Texts
“Mind Your Language” dir. Stuart Allen (1977)
“Bhaji on the Beach” dir Gurinder Chadha (1993)
“Goodness Gracious Me” starring Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir and Meera Syal (1998)
“Anita and Me” dir. Metin Huseyin (2002)
“Bend it like Beckham” dir Gurinder Chadha (2002)
“Kumars at no.42” starring Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal(2002)
“Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee” starring Meera Syal, Laila Rouass and Ayesha Dharkar (2005)
Newspapers/Magazines
“The Guardian” - “Minorities up 40%, census reveals”, Thursday September 4 2003
“The Guardian” – “BBC still showing ‘hideously white’ face,” Monday May 13, 2002
Websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/hahaheehee/episode3_yourreviews.shtml
The BBC homepage dedicated to the production and audience response of ‘Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee.’
http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,,1859506,00.html
Article by Sunny Hundal which discusses the reluctancy of institutions such as the BBC and newspapers like ‘The Evening Standard’ to react to the changing face of the London media audience.
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2006/452/index.html?id=mp4.htm.
Website of the Socialist Party which gives a critical analysis of the effects of terrorism in Britain.
http://parisjolie.com/has-the-new-man-a5.html
Discusses the contemporary notion of the new man, thus entailing the changes in traditional gender roles.
http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/3560
‘Unrealistic’ Ferreira family dismissed by Asian viewers:’ reports the dissatisfaction of Asian audiences towards the BBC.
http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/1467
Critical article of the BBC.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,738309,00.html?
Gives a detailed history of Meera Syal’s background and achievements.
http://www.redhotcurry.com/views/asians1.htm
Discusses that British advertisers are not doing enough to cater for the increasing brown pound.
http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/818
Meera Syal discusses the universal appeal of her new drama.
http://www.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
Statistics on total UK population.
Books
Bhaba, Homi (2004). The Location of Culture. New York: Routledge Classics.
Bhaba, Homi (1986). Black Skin, White Masks. New York: Grove Press
Chomsky, Noam (1999). Profit over People, London: Turnaround
Cottle, Simon (2000) Ethnic Minorities and the Media: Changing Cultural Boundaries. Buckingham: Open University Press
Garnham, N (1994) The Broadcasting Market, Harlow:Addison Wesley Longman
Gillespie, Marie (1995). Television, Ethnicity and Cultural Change. London: Routledge.
HMSO, (1996) Copy of Agreement 25 January 1996 between Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for National Heritage and the BBC, CM 3152. London: HMSO
Hall, Stuart (1973) Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse, Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf
Hall, Stuart (1994) Cultural Identity and Diaspora, Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf
Malik, Sarita (2002) Representing Black Britain. London: Sage Publications.
Maltby, Richard (2000) Culture Identity and the Movies. New York
Mulvey, Laura (1975). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema London.
Hartmann, P (1974) Racism and the Media. London: Sage Publications
South Asian Popular Culture (2005). London: Routledge.
Stokes, Jane and Reading, Anna (1999) The Media in Britain. Hampshire: Macmillan Press.
Monaco, James (1979) The World of Movies, Media, Multimedia: Language, History, Theory. Harbor Electronic Publishing
[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/hahaheehee/episode3_yourreviews.shtml
[2]http://www.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
[3]http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/1135
[4] http://www.redhotcurry.com/views/asians1.htm
[5] ‘Representing Black Britain’, Sarita Malik, 2002 pp. 66
[6] http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,738309,00.html?
[7] http://www.redhotcurry.com/views/asians1.htm
[8]http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/818
[9] ‘The Broadcasting Market,’ N.Garnham (1994) pp 12
[10] HMSO, Copy of Agreement 25 January 1996 between Her Majesty’s Secretary of State (1996) pp 10
[11] ‘The Guardian,’ Monday May 13, 2002
[12] ‘Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse,’ Stuart Hall, 1973 pp 72
[13] ‘Black Skin, White Masks,’ H. Bhaba, 1986 pp 9
[14] http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/hahaheehee/episode3_yourreviews.shtml
[15] ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,’ Laura Mulvey, 1975 pp 1
[16] ‘Black Skin, White Masks,’ H. Bhaba, 1986 pp 10
[17] ‘Racism and the Media’ P. Hartmann 1974 pp 93
[18] ‘Culture Identity and the Movies,’ Richard Maltby, 2000, pp 186
[19] ‘Ethnic Minorities and the Media: Changing Cultural Boundaries,’ Simon Cottle, 2000 pp 34
[20] The World of Movies, Media, Multimedia: Language, History, Theory, James Monaco, 1979 pp 13
[21] ‘Television, Ethnicity and Cultural Change’, Marie Gillespie, 1995 pp 22
[22] http://parisjolie.com/has-the-new-man-a5.html
[23] ‘The Location of Culture,’ Homi Bhabha, 2004 pp 8
[24] ‘Television, Ethnicity and Cultural Change’, Marie Gillespie, 1995 pp 39
[25] Ibid.
[26] ‘South Asian Popular Culture,’ Routledge, 2005 pp168
[27] http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2006/452/index.html?id=mp4.htm.
[28] Ibid.
[29] ‘The Guardian,’ Monday May 13, 2002
[30] The Media in Britain, Jane Stokes and Anna Reading pp 276
[31] http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/hahaheehee/episode3_yourreviews.shtml
[32] ‘Black Skin, White Masks,’ H. Bhaba, 1986 pp 13
[33] http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,,1859506,00.html
[34] Profit over People, Noam Chomsky, 1999 pp 34
[35] The Guardian, Thursday September 4 2003
[36] http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/hahaheehee/episode3_yourreviews.shtml
[37] The Media in Britain, Jane Stokes and Anna Reading pp 68
[38] Cultural Identity and Diaspora, Stuart Hall, 1994 pp 24
How accurately are Asians represented in ‘Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee?’
Since the mass isolation of Asians in inner city urban areas in the 1970s, they have come a long way, both on and off-screen. Asians as a social group now comprise ‘3.5% of the population’[2], however they are still often disproportionately under-represented on-screen with Asians and other ethnic minorities often playing the roles of ‘token’[3] characters and rarely those of protagonists. Nevertheless, newspapers such as the Guardian now produce a list called “The most powerful Asians in the media” suggesting that changes are indeed occuring, with Meera Syal being at number two. Syal has been a figurehead in creating the now well-established British Asian genre by, for example, scripting the coming of age film Anita and Me (Metin Huseyin, 2002) and producing and starring in Goodness Gracious Me (BBC, 1998). The latter was hugely successful in appealing to a multicultural audience, evident from its transfer from BBC2, mainly catering for niche needs, to BBC1, clearly targetting a mass, mainstream audience. Although such success, economically and in terms of raising awareness has ensured the rise of the ‘brown pound,’[4] it has more often than not been based on clichéd stereotypes and light-hearted humour as if ‘laughing was the best medicine,’[5] which is epitomised from shows such as Mind Your Language (ITV, 1977) and more contemporary comedies such as The Kumars at no.42 (BBC, 2001). However, Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee, (BBC, 2005) an adaptation of Meera Syal’s novel, in many respects offers a refreshing, cliché free and post modern twist on what it is really like growing up as a second generation British Asian. Perhaps this is an accurate representation of Asians in 21st century British society, as opposed to the farce of the Ferreiras on ‘Eastenders’ (2003).
Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee in many respects is a post modern follow-up to films such as Bhaji on the Beach (Gurinder Chadha, 1993) which marked the creation of a British Asian genre. As opposed to the feature length, theatrically released Bhaji on the Beach and Anita and Me (Metin Huseyin, 2002), Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee is a three part television drama series which reflects a world with more depth and sophistication compared to films which must compress a Todorovian narrative in a shorter running time. ‘Interest in British Asian culture has reached critical mass’[6] and this is reflected in the nature of the drama as a flagship programme, commissioned via BBC at 9pm. Thus proving that the British Asian genre is now firmly ingrained in mainstream British media, however this is not justifation of accurate representation or even that the rise of the ‘brown pound’ is being fully acknowledged and ‘targeted properly by British Advertising.’[7]
Meera Syal is a key protagonist in Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee which is an adaptation of her best selling novel. Whilst it lightheartedly deals with the culture clash between Indian values and liberal British society, it was never intended by Syal to be targeted at the niche Asian audience but on the contrary, a mainstream audience with a ranging socio-econonmic profile. However it can be argued that it caters for a more female audience by dealing with typical feminine issues such as friendship, marriage and betrayal. Nevertheless, Syal states that through the adaptation of her novel she was attempting to get away from the assumption that ‘anything featuring us Asians has to be issues based, which is why the focus is very much on universal emotional experiences.’[8] However, ultimately it is an all-Asian cast being shown on BBC1, a ‘Reithian kind of public service’[9] with a remit to inform, educate and entertain and thus has an obligation to ‘treat controversial subjects with due accuracy and impartiality.’[10] Significantly, the BBC has been under recent scruity for ‘still showing its hideously white face’[11] for a supposed instituiton which should be promoting a multicultural Britain and therefore has an even greater obligation to ensure Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee was received with a preferred reading.
Previous shows such as Goodness Gracious Me and Kumars at no.42 also starred Meera Syal, however were riddled with ‘racial clowns’[12] ‘making fixed oppositions between Self and Other untenable.’[13] Whilst these shows were highly successful, it was stereotypically through lighthearted humour and outdated representaions of Asians. On the other hand, Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee is a stark contrast which deals with universal issues ‘regardless of race.’[14] The three female protagonists are questionning their identities, just like all women, and on their emotional journeys they are susceptible to the ‘male gaze’[15] proving they are not an alien section of British society. For instance the audience positioning at times is clearly from a male perspective. Not only do we sexually objectify Sunita with her new stylish hair-do and revealing clothes as a viewer, but on-screen males identify with her by whistling at her in the street. Furthermore, they show no anxiety as Sunita holds an umbrella; an overt phallic object to substitute for her castration which at first is subconsciously threatening for a male audience. They experience objectification and are therefore no different from other women. In this perspective, the ‘male gaze’ can be seen as positive psychoanalysis by giving an accurate representation of British Asians, which is why it appeals to a mainstream audience as a flagship programme. Yet on the other hand, the protagonists only appear to be equally integrated into western society if they conform to ‘white cultural supremacy’[16] and overtly show less affiliation with their traditional roots; thus accounting for its ‘universal’ appeal. The British media therefore carries the ‘historical traces of imperialism, colonialism and a deeply ingrained sense of white superiority.’[17]
Furthermore, Chila exemplifies a stereotypical representation of Asians and more so of a woman. She is a sweet fantasist who has dreamt about nothing but happy family life and is what she expects when she gets married to her prince charming. There are continious medium shots of Chila in the kitchen cooking and cleaning and even once is shown wearing a white suit connoting innocence and purity as if this ‘madonna’ representation was holy to her. Whilst the drama is absent from overt racial clowns, Chila is the only protagonist who has an Indian accent despite growing up in Britain like Sunita and Tania. Thus proving that the drama, and genre itself, still relies on cliché humour to satisfy the dominant white audiences who are more than familiar with this non-threatening representation of a modern day ‘racial clown.’ The British Asian genre has therefore not been ‘subject to the constant process of change and adaptation’[18] since while the economic and social position of Asians has changed, the few gate keeping producers have preferred to represent ‘spectacle and exotica (that is, the saris, steelbands and samosas).’[19] Increasingly, consumers of the British Asian genre are ‘going to see the same ten movies.’[20]
Furthermore, the use of diction in the dialogue of Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee labels Chila as an implicit racial clown. She is the only woman who uses patois such as ‘innit’[21] which is the infamous London/Southall tag, hence conforming to a stereotypical representation of Asians whose language and style is noticeably different and often inferior to that of ‘white’ hegemonic culture. Yet, by episode three, the emotional journey of Chila has proved to be a life-changing experience for her. The media language of a particular scene subverts general assumptions of a woman and more specifically of Asian women. As her voiceover says, " I learnt more in those three months than I did at ten years of school." The voiceover is accompanied with Chila on a stool with a torch fixing the fuse. Women are not typically associated with DIY and is definitely not typical of Chila who has only ever dreamt of happy family life. Moreover, we see Chila from a low angle inclining the audience to extol her as a reformed well-rounded person by rejecting patriachal values and comes across in a more feminist light. Throughout this scene we see many subversions of the characters where we may have assumed their personalities at the outset of the drama series. We are able to empathise with them and therefore this scene can be seen as part of the pluralist model, satisfying us with many representations of the characters therefore painting a realistic picture of British Asian life as rejecting some of the rigid cultural values which exist in Indian culture today.
The rejection of patriarchal values is perhaps an accurate representation of British Asians as the notion of a ‘new man’[22] has infiltrated Indian culture as much as any other. Deepak expresses his deep paternal instincts as he kidnaps his own baby from Chila, whilst Akaash looks after the children so Sunita can go out with her friends. In this perspective Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee is a portrayal of the ‘Third Space of Enunciation'[23] whereby second generation Asians both ‘reaffirm and challenge parental traditions’[24] by immersing themselves into western culture. This cultural hybridity and fusion of two cultures is celebrated in this text thus demonstrating the current historical phase of post-colonialism and more significantly reflects the zeitgeist in that Asians are increasingly entering the public sphere as they assimilate and leave their social and economically marginalised days of the 1970s behind.
However, cultural hybridity is perhaps an over-idealistic notion as Asians continue to be the victim of lazy stereotyping since their mass immigration in the 1970s. Mind Your Language (ITV,1977) is a prime example which claimed to be a light-hearted take on multiculturalism, but in fact tapped into real social, political and economical anxieties, which were fuelled by the rise of the National Front. ‘This led to the setting up of Southall Youth Movement (SYM), whose members broke with what they saw as their parents’ pacifism and reluctance to cause trouble.’[25] Such a social revolution of attitudes amongst Asian youth of the 1970s has indeed resulted in more awareness of Asian culture with the emergence of various figureheads such as Meera Syal, Gurinder Chadha, Talvin Singh and many more. ‘The emergence and vibrancy of new forms of social, cultural and political strategies enshrines a transnational focus and open attitude towards difference and diversity’[26] hence mainstream British culture is no longer synonymous with ‘white’.
Yet such stereotypes did not stop there. Whilst Goodness Gracious Me successfully attempts making the white viewer ‘The Other;’ it is reminiscent of humour at their own expense as if only through humour do they get on-screen representation. Immediately after the 7/7 bombings there was a ‘600% increase in racist attack.’[27] Every Muslim, and person who might be 'seen as Muslim', must now fear that the latest alleged plot will lead to another rise in racism.,’[28] yet stereotypical representations continue to be rife in a time when clarity and understanding should be most prominent. The BBC who are a key institution in clarifying these social and cultural misunderstandings, particularly when scapegoats and moral panics are at their peak, have unfortunately shown no real substance in attacking the vast ignorance which exists in our supposed post modern society of today.
The BBC’s tackle with racial diversity formalised with the Cultural Diversity Network (CDN) 2000 is perhaps theoretically attainable, yet is as inneffective off-screen than it is on-screen. As an ethnic minority attempting to immerse yourself into a corporation like the BBC which is dominnated by male Oxbridge-culture means you ‘must act, think and speak the same which is then promoted as diversity.’[29] Furthermore, the doctrine of ‘cultural diversity’ suggests that the ‘differences between cultures are so absolute as to make their coexistence in the same geographical space, in conditions of even relative peace and equality, a practical impossibility.’[30] An example of this in ‘Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee’ is Tania who has little affiliation with her culture to the extent of having rare contact with her family. Yet her boss requires her to make a cultural documentary about her community, not allowing her to work on other projects. Therefore, it is becoming ironically clear that the cultural idenitiy of a Britian Asian is both elusive and ambigious, which is why their representation is so limited to familiar stereotypes. In retalliation some Asians have shown discontent in that it was ‘void of any moral message, had no class or taste and gave the impression that Indian lives are based on immorality, broken relationships, and sex.’[31]
Those discontent Asian audiences, tired of their community being associated merely with humour or no culture at all (as evident from the quote above) are being won over by cable and satellite television such as Zee TV inadvertently expressing deep feeling of under-representation on terrestrial channels. ‘The host culture has proved all too liable to require the migrant to ‘assimilate’ to what it assumes unquestioningly to be superior, even ‘universal,’ norms and values – sanctified by reference to their long and ‘organic’ evolutionary development.’[32] Therefore, it is no surprise that Asians turn to subscription channels in the name of authenticity and tradition. After all, ‘the media must stop seeing themselves as mainstream and others as 'niche' if they want a bigger ethnic minority audience[33]"
However, when discussing the accuracy of any social group being portrayed in the media, it must be remembered that the media is unfortunately not driven by moral concern but profit and economics. Noam Chomsky, a neo-Marxist, sees the relationship between profit-seeking media organisations and governments as one of ‘mutual interest in supporting the status quo and this acts as a form of social control’[34] Whilst the BBC has a purposeful remit, they still ultimately comprise part of the elite Furthermore, this confirms popular opinion of Asian culture as rigid and wary of the ‘other’ via the humour used merely enhancing existing stereotypes to ensure they remain pigeonholed and do not break out of their 'false class consciousness.' Issues portrayed such as friendship and betrayal diverts attention from the fact that they are part of the aspiring 'proletariat.' However, it should not be assumed that Asians are pumped with dominant ideologies unknowingly, since the hypodermic needle model theory, founded by the Frankfurt School in the 1930s, is losing its potency with an increasing media literate, second and third generation Asian audience. Therefore, the representation of Asians in Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee is open to interpretation and does not necessarily conform to one stereotype and defy the other. In fact, it is a typical post modern text which rejects rigid representations associated with Asians and portrays characters with a comfortable, dual post modern idenitity; which has been absent from previous texts such as Anita and Me presenting either those that fully conform or vigorously reject.
In the 21st century, Asian culture contributes fashion, food and entertainment to Britain; promoting a strong sense of unity and multiculturism as opposed to the days of the National Front. With better education and jobs ‘many are moving to the suburbs, country towns and villages, a reversal of the 1980s trends.’[35] Thus proving full integration in a successful melting pot society, despite the increase in fundamentalism and the sensationalist media coverage it recieves. Significantly, it should not be assumed ‘that if there is an Asian story it is meant to represent Asians on a whole. Surely not all white people are like the Millers from EastEnders.’[36] It is impossible for only a few voices to reflect that of two million Asians and have only a few gatekeepers who pretend to represent all Asians. Not even documentaries can reflect reality after the process of mediation and so a drama series should not bear such a burden to do so. Yet if the public pay for a license, there is no reason why they should not expect reasonable representation of their community. After all, the media is a fourth estate from a pluralist perspective and so should fulfil its’ obligation to society. However, the future of public service broadcasters itself is uncertain as the BBC ‘controls only a handful of the channels and regularly commands only a fraction of the audience’[37] with increasing digital developments. Therefore, perhaps the BBC is unable to cater for the needs of the Asian demographic because satellite and cable channels have filled the market leaving no demand for the production of programmes that have a primary target audience for Asians. Hence the ‘Uses and Gratifications’ theory is not applicable here.
To conclude, Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee challenges many dominant ideologies and expectations that every text in the media including Asians must be issue based. The adaptation of Meera Syal’s novel indeed uses humour echoing that of shows such as Goodness Gracious Me and Kumars at no.42, but it is not so excessively used as they are clearly tried and tested formulas. Instead, the characters debunk myths and poke fun at Indian traditions which is entertaining both for Asian and non-Asian audiences. However, it does fail to highlight that there must be ‘productive negotiations between the historically dominant and subordinate’[38] to achieve genuine assimilation. Whilst no representation of any ethnic/social group in the media can be expected to be ‘accurate,’ Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee is perhaps the closest thing to it, promoting multiculturalism and celebrating cultural hybridity.
Word Count: 2935
Works cited
Moving Image Texts
“Mind Your Language” dir. Stuart Allen (1977)
“Bhaji on the Beach” dir Gurinder Chadha (1993)
“Goodness Gracious Me” starring Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir and Meera Syal (1998)
“Anita and Me” dir. Metin Huseyin (2002)
“Bend it like Beckham” dir Gurinder Chadha (2002)
“Kumars at no.42” starring Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal(2002)
“Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee” starring Meera Syal, Laila Rouass and Ayesha Dharkar (2005)
Newspapers/Magazines
“The Guardian” - “Minorities up 40%, census reveals”, Thursday September 4 2003
“The Guardian” – “BBC still showing ‘hideously white’ face,” Monday May 13, 2002
Websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/hahaheehee/episode3_yourreviews.shtml
The BBC homepage dedicated to the production and audience response of ‘Life isn’t all ha ha hee hee.’
http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,,1859506,00.html
Article by Sunny Hundal which discusses the reluctancy of institutions such as the BBC and newspapers like ‘The Evening Standard’ to react to the changing face of the London media audience.
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2006/452/index.html?id=mp4.htm.
Website of the Socialist Party which gives a critical analysis of the effects of terrorism in Britain.
http://parisjolie.com/has-the-new-man-a5.html
Discusses the contemporary notion of the new man, thus entailing the changes in traditional gender roles.
http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/3560
‘Unrealistic’ Ferreira family dismissed by Asian viewers:’ reports the dissatisfaction of Asian audiences towards the BBC.
http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/1467
Critical article of the BBC.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,738309,00.html?
Gives a detailed history of Meera Syal’s background and achievements.
http://www.redhotcurry.com/views/asians1.htm
Discusses that British advertisers are not doing enough to cater for the increasing brown pound.
http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/818
Meera Syal discusses the universal appeal of her new drama.
http://www.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
Statistics on total UK population.
Books
Bhaba, Homi (2004). The Location of Culture. New York: Routledge Classics.
Bhaba, Homi (1986). Black Skin, White Masks. New York: Grove Press
Chomsky, Noam (1999). Profit over People, London: Turnaround
Cottle, Simon (2000) Ethnic Minorities and the Media: Changing Cultural Boundaries. Buckingham: Open University Press
Garnham, N (1994) The Broadcasting Market, Harlow:Addison Wesley Longman
Gillespie, Marie (1995). Television, Ethnicity and Cultural Change. London: Routledge.
HMSO, (1996) Copy of Agreement 25 January 1996 between Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for National Heritage and the BBC, CM 3152. London: HMSO
Hall, Stuart (1973) Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse, Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf
Hall, Stuart (1994) Cultural Identity and Diaspora, Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf
Malik, Sarita (2002) Representing Black Britain. London: Sage Publications.
Maltby, Richard (2000) Culture Identity and the Movies. New York
Mulvey, Laura (1975). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema London.
Hartmann, P (1974) Racism and the Media. London: Sage Publications
South Asian Popular Culture (2005). London: Routledge.
Stokes, Jane and Reading, Anna (1999) The Media in Britain. Hampshire: Macmillan Press.
Monaco, James (1979) The World of Movies, Media, Multimedia: Language, History, Theory. Harbor Electronic Publishing
[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/hahaheehee/episode3_yourreviews.shtml
[2]http://www.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
[3]http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/1135
[4] http://www.redhotcurry.com/views/asians1.htm
[5] ‘Representing Black Britain’, Sarita Malik, 2002 pp. 66
[6] http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,738309,00.html?
[7] http://www.redhotcurry.com/views/asians1.htm
[8]http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/818
[9] ‘The Broadcasting Market,’ N.Garnham (1994) pp 12
[10] HMSO, Copy of Agreement 25 January 1996 between Her Majesty’s Secretary of State (1996) pp 10
[11] ‘The Guardian,’ Monday May 13, 2002
[12] ‘Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse,’ Stuart Hall, 1973 pp 72
[13] ‘Black Skin, White Masks,’ H. Bhaba, 1986 pp 9
[14] http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/hahaheehee/episode3_yourreviews.shtml
[15] ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,’ Laura Mulvey, 1975 pp 1
[16] ‘Black Skin, White Masks,’ H. Bhaba, 1986 pp 10
[17] ‘Racism and the Media’ P. Hartmann 1974 pp 93
[18] ‘Culture Identity and the Movies,’ Richard Maltby, 2000, pp 186
[19] ‘Ethnic Minorities and the Media: Changing Cultural Boundaries,’ Simon Cottle, 2000 pp 34
[20] The World of Movies, Media, Multimedia: Language, History, Theory, James Monaco, 1979 pp 13
[21] ‘Television, Ethnicity and Cultural Change’, Marie Gillespie, 1995 pp 22
[22] http://parisjolie.com/has-the-new-man-a5.html
[23] ‘The Location of Culture,’ Homi Bhabha, 2004 pp 8
[24] ‘Television, Ethnicity and Cultural Change’, Marie Gillespie, 1995 pp 39
[25] Ibid.
[26] ‘South Asian Popular Culture,’ Routledge, 2005 pp168
[27] http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2006/452/index.html?id=mp4.htm.
[28] Ibid.
[29] ‘The Guardian,’ Monday May 13, 2002
[30] The Media in Britain, Jane Stokes and Anna Reading pp 276
[31] http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/hahaheehee/episode3_yourreviews.shtml
[32] ‘Black Skin, White Masks,’ H. Bhaba, 1986 pp 13
[33] http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,,1859506,00.html
[34] Profit over People, Noam Chomsky, 1999 pp 34
[35] The Guardian, Thursday September 4 2003
[36] http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/hahaheehee/episode3_yourreviews.shtml
[37] The Media in Britain, Jane Stokes and Anna Reading pp 68
[38] Cultural Identity and Diaspora, Stuart Hall, 1994 pp 24
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