A media commentator is accusing the Bravo channel of using race-related issues to get viewers to tune in for better ratings. Last night's episode of The Real Housewives of Auckland focused on the use of the term 'house nigger' by one of the shows stars. Ella Henry says it highlights how shallow the broadcast industry is in this country.
The Real Housewives of Auckland are making headlines, but for all the wrong reasons.
Henry says, “Provocative language always has the potential to be damaging and dangerous and use of the epithet in any conditions, the use of the word nigger is provocative however and wherever you use it.”
Henry says getting eyes to the screen at any cost is the goal for broadcasters.
“Reality TV is constructed and the idea for any production is to garner an audience so if you can get that audience by being provocative and outrageous than of course you're going to do that because no broadcaster will stop that, our New Zealand broadcasters now allow pretty much anything to be said after a certain hour of the day.”
Bravo, the channel broadcasting the show, posted warnings of the content of last night's episode on Facebook. Housewife Julia Sloane also posted an apology to fellow housewife Michelle Blanchard.
No doubt a lesson learnt by Sloane, and perhaps other New Zealanders unaware of the effect of language on others.