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Home and Away- Diversity Free Zone? |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Apr 2011
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Home and Away- Diversity Free Zone?
Why is Home and Away ignoring diversity?
No LGBT characters or non white characters, is there a reason for this? |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Nov 2012
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I think why they current don't have any gay characters could be something to do with the fact that the gay relationship between Charlie and Joey back in 2009 caused a lot of outrage with complaints in both Australia and New Zealand, also the viewing figures dropped big time in Australia and I think H&A have been to scared to try it again.
H&A has never been that big on diversity especially as Australia isn't as diverse as the UK. H&A had a couple of non white sort of permanent characters back in the 90s but I don't know why their isn't anymore. At least H&A don't have a ridiculous amount of diverse characters like CS. I've always wondered why no one smokes! |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Queensland, Australia
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Yes. The reason is no one cares enough to take a critical look at the show and ask for it. Soaps are not taken seriously in Australia. They're light entertainment for teens and young adults. Why do you keep making threads about this?
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#4 |
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Yes. The reason is no one cares enough to take a critical look at the show and ask for it. Soaps are not taken seriously in Australia. They're light entertainment for teens and young adults. Why do you keep making threads about this?
I don't actually watch H & A but soaps are watched by millions of people and representations of society should be reflected in soaps. |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Queensland, Australia
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Why? I think it's important that's why.
I don't actually watch H & A but soaps are watched by millions of people and representations of society should be reflected in soaps. |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Apr 2011
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You want Australian soap operas to have the same values as British soaps. In Australia no one expects soaps to represent Australian society or tackle social issues. Like I said earlier they are entertainment, that is all. No expects them to be any more realistic than the Bold and the Beautiful. Home and Away is set in a small coastal community and small towns are usually not very diverse.
Out of the Aussie Soaps i prefer to watch Neighbours as it resonates more with me. |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Queensland, Australia
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I see your from Queensland so you will of course be correct on the diversity of small costal communities in NSW or Queensland.
Out of the Aussie Soaps i prefer to watch Neighbours as it resonates more with me. I prefer Neighbours too. There have been a lot of commercials for upcoming storylines recently when there used to be almost nothing so it may be getting more popular. |
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#8 |
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Yes, I am from Queensland (go Maroons!). Most of the postwar migrants chose to settle in large urban areas rather than small towns so places like Summer Bay are usually less diverse.
I prefer Neighbours too. There have been a lot of commercials for upcoming storylines recently when there used to be almost nothing so it may be getting more popular. |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
Posts: 4,532
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Quote:
You want Australian soap operas to have the same values as British soaps. In Australia no one expects soaps to represent Australian society or tackle social issues. Like I said earlier they are entertainment, that is all. No expects them to be any more realistic than the Bold and the Beautiful. Home and Away is set in a small coastal community and small towns are usually not very diverse.
They used to have a penchant for having female characters randomly dabble in lesbianism (Shannon/Mandy, Gypsy/Shelly), and the Summer Bay Stalker was gay. I think The Bold and the Beautiful is more diverse than H&A is these days (regular black characters, as well as Caroline and her gay mums). And probably slightly more realistic with some of their characters (like Quinn talking about the difficulties of being a woman in a corporate world and how that social stigma has partially shaped who she is today). |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
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I've always wondered why no one smokes!
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#11 |
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Queensland, Australia
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I think H&A used to be more realistic than what it is now. And while no-one may expect the show to tackle social issues, they still do, so maybe they could have a go at representing Australian society whether people expect it or not. But, I think you're right about it not being an issue the show feels it needs to address. And I don't think Seven feels it's an issue either. Either way, I think H&A has more pressing problems, like rediscovering its identity.
They used to have a penchant for having female characters randomly dabble in lesbianism (Shannon/Mandy, Gypsy/Shelly), and the Summer Bay Stalker was gay. I think The Bold and the Beautiful is more diverse than H&A is these days (regular black characters, as well as Caroline and her gay mums). And probably slightly more realistic with some of their characters (like Quinn talking about the difficulties of being a woman in a corporate world and how that social stigma has partially shaped who she is today). |
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#12 |
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Join Date: Dec 2012
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I have been to Australia twice and was shocked by how diverse it is, growing up on the soaps I never would've known. H&A is really behind the times and it's just a bit sad really that they don't feel the need to move the show forward in a representative way . Neighbours with a smaller cast has managed to.
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#13 |
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Join Date: Jan 2014
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Neighbours has always been more popular here than H & A.
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#14 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
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You're right in that it used to be more realistic. I saw a rerun last week and the characters looked and dressed more like average people than the models we have now. I think they've moved away from realism and rebranded Home and Away as a beachside fantasy soap with brighter sets and prettier people probably to appeal to overseas viewers. When it comes to social representation I do think that Home and Away represents a small beach town reasonably well albeit extremely beautified. The Bold and the Beautiful may be more diverse but it is set in LA.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they it wasn't crime and dull romance stories all the time, with characters who lack emotional depth - that's not really good fantasy IMO. But clearly Aussie's are loving the show, as its popular and brings in decent ratings, so it's doing something right. |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Apr 2010
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How many times does somebody start one if these threads? H&A has had gay, lesbian and black characters through the years. I wonder if the OP has visited a rural NSW town? If you had you would discover that these towns don't generally have black, Asian or gay people there.
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#16 |
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 7,613
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Quote:
I think why they current don't have any gay characters could be something to do with the fact that the gay relationship between Charlie and Joey back in 2009 caused a lot of outrage with complaints in both Australia and New Zealand, also the viewing figures dropped big time in Australia and I think H&A have been to scared to try it again.
H&A has never been that big on diversity especially as Australia isn't as diverse as the UK. H&A had a couple of non white sort of permanent characters back in the 90s but I don't know why their isn't anymore. At least H&A don't have a ridiculous amount of diverse characters like CS. I've always wondered why no one smokes! Also as somebody else mentioned they have had times in the past where they have made existing long term characters who have previously been straight dabble with being a lesbian (Shannon, Gypsy, Charlie) but they very rarely if at all introduce a long term character who is already gay. Once the publicity and the controversy over the existing characters dabbling in lesbianism subsides the show seems to run scared and backs off the storylines. |
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#17 |
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Join Date: Apr 2011
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Quote:
How many times does somebody start one if these threads? H&A has had gay, lesbian and black characters through the years. I wonder if the OP has visited a rural NSW town? If you had you would discover that these towns don't generally have black, Asian or gay people there.
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#18 |
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Join Date: Apr 2011
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Posts: 26,708
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Quote:
How many times does somebody start one if these threads? H&A has had gay, lesbian and black characters through the years. I wonder if the OP has visited a rural NSW town? If you had you would discover that these towns don't generally have black, Asian or gay people there.
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#19 |
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,722
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Quote:
I have actually yes and sadly it is very white and devoid of diversity so in a sense H & A is portraying reality. I wouid say that there are gay people but more than likely they are closeted.
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#20 |
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Join Date: Apr 2011
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I would say that most gay people would move to Sydney, especially the younger ones. Just as immigrants would mainly go to a bigger city
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#21 |
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 7,927
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Quote:
Why is Home and Away ignoring diversity?
No LGBT characters or non white characters, is there a reason for this? |
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#22 |
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,722
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Or Melbourne.
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Queensland, Australia
Posts: 2,695
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Queensland is Australia's Texas. Big but full of idiots, racists & homophobes.
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 40,363
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Quote:
I have been to Australia twice and was shocked by how diverse it is, growing up on the soaps I never would've known. H&A is really behind the times and it's just a bit sad really that they don't feel the need to move the show forward in a representative way . Neighbours with a smaller cast has managed to.
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 22,461
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Quote:
That is not true. What a horrible thing to say about Texans and Queenslanders. You're way out of line.
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