Recently UKIP candidate William Henwood said that Lenny Henry should piss off to a black country. Personally I’m not so sure. Of course he should piss off - but it needn't matter whether the country is a black one. Now I feel it only fair to warn you that I am paraphrasing from UKIP candidate William Henwood defends Lenny Henry tweet - which was the reaction to Our TV shows are far too white, says Lenny Henry.
All industries have their up and
down periods, and acting is hardly the stablest of careers. Generally if you’re an actor you never act full-time. As an art it is not subject to the more
black-and-white regulations (pun unintended; in fact I’m horrified that you
might suppose that I would think of such a dreadful one, and especially in such
a serious matter as this … I know I do
like silly wordplay but I at least respect decent taste, as I know you do too, so
let’s just drop it, OKAY?) of proper
industries. Now we call it the
entertainment “industry”. But it is not
an industry as such. Art should be about
passion, not quotas. If Lenny Henry
wants black programmes for black actors then why doesn’t he make them? He is essentially demanding writers include
more token-black-guy roles. (I think
even Downton Abbey has got one now.) Now
who’s being the racist?
I am not
convinced that he is a good spokesperson for the plight of young black actors but perhaps I’m being too harsh. I hadn’t realised he was such a thespian - although that was before I saw Bernard
and the Genie. But he is at least able to act like he has enough
of a showbiz lifestyle to warrant staying at Premier Inn. Regardless, he is
humanitarian and in good intent. If there’s one
person in the world who will make us laugh at starving African kids it’s Lenny
Henry.
Gary Wilmot is a black gentleman
who also found fame through New Faces; the difference is that Wilmot is still always
in work. He can act, sing, dance, and
unlike Lenny he can do comedy. And he certainly doesn’t have a problem doing panto. Apparently Lenny doesn't really like doing panto ... so I must ask him, 'Where is your career?' IT’S BEHIND YOU! (It's an old one I know, but it's the best - okay, only - panto joke I know.) But anyway, what husband wouldn’t be overshadowed by Dawn French? It just never got to be his turn to be on
top again.
As for UKIP,
it is scary that they have gained so many members who are actually ambivalent
about EU non-membership, UKIP's supposed core ideology. (The clue is
in the name.) If only there was some way
to curtail the influx of outsiders coming and corrupting their way of life. The party does make a strong
enough case for leaving the EU yet it is full of members distracting from this
political debate by being racists. With his "Bongo-bongo Land" comments,
Godfrey Bloom is just an utter embarrassment to Britain. But then again so is Lenny Henry. Most scarily of all is all of UKIP’s
scaremongering on the immigration issue - did you see their reported figures
for non-white migrants? It had a steeper rise than Dawn French's fringe. (Warning: that reference may no longer be
relevant; if not, that is one thing me and Lenny Henry have in common – our jokes are ancient.)
