Race and the refusal to name racism: consumption, identity and choice in the CBB house

Thomas, D. (2009) Race and the refusal to name racism: consumption, identity and choice in the CBB house. Entertainment and Sports Law Journal, 7(1),

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Publisher's URL: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/elj/eslj/issues/volume7/number1/thomas

Abstract

The centrality of consumption in the resolution of the ‘race row’ in the Celebrity Big Brother(CBB) House 2007 characterizes ‘the consumption politics of race’ engendered in response to ‘racism lite’ (adopting Mary Riddell’s term) - forms of racial harm articulated in normative frames specific to the entertainment industry. The regulatory response to racism litewas premised on a radical and post-modern framing of race and racial harm. When compared with the responses to racism outside the CBB House, this framing reveals a cautionary tale. The recognition of racism liteis confined to a market defined framework that attributes responsibility with a view to furthering economic agendas of dominant market actors. The danger is that this dominance can (as was the case with the ‘race row’ in the CBB House) henceforth define the terms on which racism is debated in contemporary society.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Thomas, Dr Dania
Authors: Thomas, D.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Economics
Journal Name:Entertainment and Sports Law Journal
ISSN:1748-944X

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