The ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ actor says problematic contents should be accompanied with a warning instead of being censored or pulled out of television.
- Jul 15, 2020
AceShowbiz – Idris Elba has called on TV networks to avoid censoring shows with “racist” content, and instead introduce a rating system to educate viewers on outdated practices. In the wake of Black Lives Matter protests against systematic racism worldwide, sitcoms including “Little Britain“, which see stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams use blackface make-up in some sketches, were recently dropped from on demand services including Netflix.
“Golden Girls“, “The Office“, “Scrubs“, and “30 Rock” are among the shows that have also been impacted.
However, speaking to Radio Times magazine, Idris insisted he’s “very much a believer in freedom of speech,” and called on executives to introduce a ratings system warning viewers that a film or show has outdated, insulting viewpoints.
While not referring to a specific programme, he said, “To mock the truth, you have to know the truth. But to censor racist themes within a show, to pull it… I think viewers should know that people made shows like this.”
“Commissioners and archive-holders pulling things they think are exceptionally tone-deaf at this time – fair enough and good for you,” the star continued. “But I think, moving forward, people should know that freedom of speech is accepted, but the audience should know what they’re getting into.”
“I don’t believe in censorship,” the “In the Long Run” actor added. “I believe that we should be allowed to say what we want to say. Because, after all, we’re story-makers.”
During the chat, Idris also suggested that boosting diversity needs a change in attitude, reflecting, “Money helps… (But) it’s a shift in attitude, in perspective, in tolerance. And you can’t put an amount on that.”
Source: Television - aceshowbiz.com
