Reply to: Great British Bake Off

[SimonMac]

Oh? I didn't think the win was controversial at all, she seemed like a worthy winner.

I was just wondering why she was being feted as a "British Muslim role model", and why when other minorities (eg Australians) win competitions they aren't also feted as being role models for their communities, and whether this distinction is media-driven and/or highlighting an "us vs them" mentality.

Because the media hasn't been trying to demonise Australians lately

[NotAllThere]

It's crap like this that strengthens my opinion that the BBC needs to be split.

It's a turgid formulaic program about baking cakes and if it was on channel 4 or dave nobody would give 2 flying fooks about watching it.

The BBC uses the news channel, web site and radio to plug it constantly.

Hislop pointed out last night that there were two plugs for BBC shows on HIGNFY.

I'm quite happy to watch the Great British Bake Off, as I enjoy baking and it gives me some ideas of what to bake. And what not to. It's just light entertainment.

[Martin Scroatman]

Over 'ere son - on me 'ed on me 'ed!

[FatLazyContractor]

It's crap like this that strengthens my opinion that the BBC needs to be split.

It's a turgid formulaic program about baking cakes and if it was on channel 4 or dave nobody would give 2 flying fooks about watching it.

The BBC uses the news channel, web site and radio to plug it constantly.

You sound sore about the fact that your fellow Scot Flora was kicked off the show.

That said, she is a bit fit aint she?

[FatLazyContractor]

I'm rather uncomfortable with the minority stacking in the show. The ethnic make up of the show doesn't match that of Britain as a whole, so it seems very likely to me that some bakers better than her were passed over simply because they were white. Or not being an Eastern European female body builder.

Someone ban this racist please

PS - You are still my fav male mod

[original PM]

I mean since when was baking a spectator sport???

[minestrone]

It's crap like this that strengthens my opinion that the BBC needs to be split.

It's a turgid formulaic program about baking cakes and if it was on channel 4 or dave nobody would give 2 flying fooks about watching it.

The BBC uses the news channel, web site and radio to plug it constantly.

[vetran]

Michelin chefs are also overwhelmingly male, so I don't think this is a relevant comparison.

I would guess that the majority of amateur baking in the home is done by women, so why does the BBC have a 50/50 split by gender on what is an amateur baking competition?

good point

[meridian]

quite a few are french but the vast majority white.

BBC One - The Great British Bake Off, Series 6 - Meet the Bakers

a third are of colour and another is Lithuanian.

Now the point was if independently assessed chef's reflect the countries makeup why does the BBC list differ so?

Michelin chefs are also overwhelmingly male, so I don't think this is a relevant comparison.

I would guess that the majority of amateur baking in the home is done by women, so why does the BBC have a 50/50 split by gender on what is an amateur baking competition?

[vetran]

I imagine Michelin starred chefs probably ARE disproportionately weighted non-white relative to the population, for what it's worth?

quite a few are french but the vast majority white.

BBC One - The Great British Bake Off, Series 6 - Meet the Bakers

a third are of colour and another is Lithuanian.

Now the point was if independently assessed chef's reflect the countries makeup why does the BBC list differ so?

[d000hg]

I imagine Michelin starred chefs probably ARE disproportionately weighted non-white relative to the population, for what it's worth?

[vetran]

All over the news, she's being portrayed as "a great role model for young British Muslims".

While she probably is, why does this even need to be a thing? When the Aussie guy won the Apprentice, was he feted as a great role model for Aussies in Britain?

Is this a media thing? And if it is, doesn't it just create barriers and an us-v-them mentality?

Did the Aussie guy pay his tax? if so a super role model.

If the contestants were chosen purely on merit and she was the best one then good on her.

I do wonder if they are truly representative how many Michelin star etc. winners in the UK are non white.

[Chuck]

Episode 1, I thought the BBC was being very right-on and PC and stacking the programme with what they'd like to think the UK looks like.

In the final episode, she absolutely nailed it. A worthy winner.

[d000hg]

It's very hard to enter into a reasoned discussion here because you WILL be called a racist for suggesting they deliberately stacked non-whites.

At the very least, I'm certain a lot of people in the BBC's ethnic diversity department (think W1A) were absolutely delighted. Whether it was deliberate I've no idea.

[NotAllThere]

I'm rather uncomfortable with the minority stacking in the show. The ethnic make up of the show doesn't match that of Britain as a whole, so it seems very likely to me that some bakers better than her were passed over simply because they were white. Or not being an Eastern European female body builder.