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RC Xenophobic Furore: Tasteless or Not?

Written by TVSA Team from the blog News on 13 Nov 2008
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On Tuesday night (11 November) Rhythm City introduced a xenophobic attack storyline centred round the Ponto d'Oro restaurant.

Pedro - who was recently hired by the owner Mannie, was brutally attacked by xenophobic waiter Elvis, who was fired by Mannie last month.

The situation culiminated in Pedro lying helpless and bloodied on the ground after being beaten by Elvis and his cronies, who covered him with petrol and narrowly stopped short of setting him alight.

Yesterday (Wednesday) e.tv received a flood of viewer mails and calls complaining about the incident. A mole told TVSA that many of the complaints argued that the scene was tasteless, upsetting and unecessary. Others said that instead of sending an anti-xenophobic message, it's encouraging violence.

By the afternoon Radio702 was discussing the incident with conflicted listeners.

What are your feelings on it? Tasteless or relevant? Sensationalist or challenging? Valuable or not?

39 Comments

Firstdvd
13 Nov 2008 06:21

It's relevent...But i don't think it was necessary. Maybe there's a lesson behind that. We just have to wait and see.

kick-s
13 Nov 2008 06:30

Yho, i didn't see the episode, not that i watch RC anyway. But it sure looks bloody.

TerryN
13 Nov 2008 08:08

RC Xenophobic Furore: Tasteless or Not?

Tasteless!!!
Shewww! I missed this episode...will catch omnibus on Sat.

Lhepo
13 Nov 2008 08:12

That episode was unnecessary, the producers must show us something that we can learn from not something that makes us hurt after watching.

Shuga babe
13 Nov 2008 08:31

unnecessary!!!
Especially beacause RC is a family soapie it was really not suitable for the children and sensitive viewers. but I think from now on people will think twice when it comes to foreigners. it showed us that we South Africans attack foreigners for some stupid reasons. we really need to take another look at how we behave towards them.

PY
13 Nov 2008 09:01

Relevant....
We don't have to bid about the bushes>>>>>>>><<<<<<the episode was necessary...
people will think twice when it comes to foreigners. it showed us that we South Africans attack foreigners for some stupid reasons.
Shuga babe...exactly my thoughts exactly...! 'm sure that there is a lesson behind that episode...it touched me....to think of how the proudly South African, have become cruel.... just becoz of the nationality thing...

PY
13 Nov 2008 09:06

Rhythm Cityzens replies....after that episode:

Shame on Pedro....this remind me of the Xenophobic attacks that had occured ealier this year...mhm...mhm...to die like that (just bcoz u are a foreigner) as if u had killed a human being....South Africans lets be realistic ....hope that that Elvis will not do that...Did u guyz hear him (Pedro) when he cried....saying that "I have a family pls forgive me"
From: PY .......

Eish PY. I have to say, last night's episode was just hard for me to watch. just to think that what happened in that episode is based on fact, and some people stood by laughing when it happened. There used to be time when I would be proud to be South african but now i hang my head in shame.
From: Calamity ....

Eisi, that xenophobia scene was just too distasteful. I know its the reality but they didn't have to air it for so long and be so graphic about it. At least they could have focused more on Elvis. I signed up for a soapie not a horror!
From: Foxxy

felfel
13 Nov 2008 09:09

I watched it but i personally felt that it wasn't necessary as it didn't add any value in the fight against xenophobia, instead it showed a bunch of cowards who wanted to kill someone for "taking" their jobs, i didn't see anything educational in that or creating awareness, they should just try another angle. there's many ways of introducing anti-xeno in tv programmes, they don't need to include violence....

dali
13 Nov 2008 09:17

unnecessary with a capital U!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shuga babe
13 Nov 2008 09:20

Elvice got a job but didn't want to respect his Boss because he's a foreigner, then left the boss with no choise but to fire him and hire someone who's willing to work. even a South African boss could have done that.

Segololo
13 Nov 2008 09:34

eish! Go thata!

mpish799
13 Nov 2008 09:41

i watched the episode and to me realy it was tasteless . i feel the should have done something different maybe come up with solution to these xenophobic attacks , violence was not necessary

Segololo
13 Nov 2008 09:50

I believe it is neccessary only if the storyline is to teach people tolerance and also to explain the reasons so many foreigners are in our country basically if the storline will inform and educate, I am all for it... the people experienced a lot more than that acting so i hope they don't just leave the toryline empty

Tynt!
13 Nov 2008 10:17

I watched the episode, en it completely wrecked my evening… I had mixed feelings towards it, but at the same time… I am not sure if it was essential or not, as xenophobic attack is something that happened recently.. To me it shows the malevolence of South Africans!

pawagie
13 Nov 2008 11:14

The episode was worth it..Because...We have experiencing the xenophobia disease everywhere..This episode was tasteful.coz people still need to know how to treat foreigners.

When God created the Earth and Adam AND Eve,,he didnt mention,i'm creating an asian Adam and a Southafrican Eve..

People need to love and respect one another regardless of race..Coz even when we die and judgement day comes we wont be judged as black,indian or asian..we will be judged the same...

So that episode was a THUMBS UP''THANK U RHYTHM CITY''..Some people need to wake''''

PY
13 Nov 2008 11:17

Lets wait & see...maybe there is a message to it...

tha - bang
13 Nov 2008 11:56

i think it was necessary,the mere fact that we are capable (and do burn people) needs to be exposed.so9 those who have not done it can see the brutality nd inhumanity of such acts.hopefully they will not continue the saga.why should we bury our hands in the sand

pnyembe
13 Nov 2008 12:10

This is somehow relevant b'cos the is still a lot of xenophobia in sa
but it can also promote violance

Answers
13 Nov 2008 12:17

The whole scene on foreigners and xenophobia was out of line. Soapies should start encouraging people to view others as people not as foreigners. Everybody black in SA is ill treated but anybody white even if is a crook is accepted, this is not right. RC should seriously check its story line, the gay part is also not very cool.

PY
13 Nov 2008 12:48

@Answers....Xenophobic in the soap is not right, gay part in the soap is not right.....which one is right for u?...
I see nothing wrong in this becoz this is our everyday life, hiding it wont help anything.....but exposing it will (hopefully) change our minds about what we feel about the foreigners and the gays....they are there, they are around us....they are human beings....not allians they wont just vanish....hay kabi Answers...i'm just trying to reveal how i feel....to the others as well...

Smart
13 Nov 2008 13:26

My sentiments exactly PY!

Twana
13 Nov 2008 16:14

I'm all for it.Come on guys,that's what TV is all about...it makes us aware of what is really happening around us and also equips us with the necessary preventative measures.In my personal opinion,I think the scene was really necessary.

carino
13 Nov 2008 16:27

I didnt see the episode, will watch it on Saturday..

however,I can point out that Taste is relative... whats tasteful and relevant to me, might not be the same for you...

Anyway, South Africa didnt get where it is today by the media hiding away things that the public has to know.... Otherwise we would've vever had the Truth & Reconciliation Commission.

Xenophobia attacks happened.. we know they did... there's no point hiding that fact and carrying on like its business as usual. Another thing, local drama has to be about local news, and the local news is that "South Africans attacked Foreigners".

I, personally do not see anything wrong with the scenes, because they portray EXACTLY what happened on the streets of our townships...

People who say the storyline is upsetting, should use their freedom of expression to complain about etv's late night porn movies and SABC 1's sms to win show that chows people's millions every day...

And i bet you the people that wrote the emails live nowhere near the areas where the attacks happened therefore they never experienced it, which is why they only find it distasteful and disturbing now.... It's a good thing, though, now they know how disturbed we were back then.

Tshd21
13 Nov 2008 17:36

I didn't see any problem with that scene when I was watching, I think it is necessary. Whether we like it or not, it is happening out there.

Most South Africans look at foreigners and only see people who came from other countries to steal their jobs....they fail to realise that those poeple have it bad in their countries and that is the reason why they are here. They have families back home depending on the little they make in foreign countries and just like us, are trying to make a living.

Yes, some of them do resort and add up to crime in our country but some are just making an honest living, trying to do what's right and provide for their families.

Rhythm City, just like most tv programmes, was taking what is/was happening in SA and putting it into a storyline to make people aware of the intensity and seriousness of the situation. Cruel and tasteless as others view it, but it is reality and needs to be put out there, it is no exception to seeing a scene where someone gets raped or killed in a cruesome manner.

Ke lame leo bagaetsho

Tshd21
13 Nov 2008 17:41

Gruesome manner, askies

And WTF is up with "overflow at stack: 70"?? Anybody?

Tshd21
13 Nov 2008 17:42

meant overflow at stack 70...I'm sick.....askiesing

DJ Why why
13 Nov 2008 17:49

Yebo nami Tshiroro, nami kuyang'cika lokhu! Thought i was de only 1 seeing it!

DJ Why why
13 Nov 2008 17:49

Yebo nami Tshiroro, nami kuyang'cika lokhu! Thought i was de only 1 seeing it!

Foxxy
13 Nov 2008 20:38

Carino, we're not saying it's not happening. The problem's not the storyline, but rather the graphic nature of the scene. Trust me you never saw anything like that in may, unless you were up close n personal and actually doing it...... And besides, how exactly does that help the situation, they went on to show something about the police doing nothing about it. Which gives the message "Attack foreigners and u get away with it"..... Maybe they're still going somewhere with the storyline and will able to teach the lesson that the government has failed to do..... We'll just have to wait and see...

Mr-Fix
13 Nov 2008 22:45

And WTF is up with "overflow at stack: 70"?? Anybody?

yeah, WTF wit that people?

calamity
14 Nov 2008 08:20

What do you mean Foxxy when you say that you never saw anything as like that in may, how about the guy who was burning and there was a cop using a fire extinguisher to put the fire out, so yes something like that did happen and the sad thing is that the guy died in hospital. It was headline news in all the papers. You didn't have to be upclose to see it, you just had to watch the news and read the paper. tasteless or not, south africans have been exposed as xenophobic ans violent. And please read the rest of the teasers and you will see where Bongani and his guys deal with Elvis and his thugs. The message is that we as South Africans should not stand by and watch while people are being butchered, stand up and do something.

PY
14 Nov 2008 08:48

@Foxxy
they went on to show something about the police doing nothing about it. ...
This one goes to the South African government, about the safety & security of the foreigners and it also reveals how our so called "police" do their job (criminals) i think u have heard in the news or in the documentaries how is the police behavior towards the people.....dont wana go there, everyone knows that....

"Attack foreigners and u get away with it"..... this one goes to the fools....who are making excuses to kill.

Trust me you never saw anything like that in may....if you are not living in the township or u were not watching the news then.....u can say that.....SABC 1had a scene that they used to show on our screens (everyday) about the xenophobic attacks....there was a foreign lady who was beaten up with the bricks, with blood all over her head...and was walking around the street not knowing where to hide coz our proudly South African were beating her up to death...

Segololo
14 Nov 2008 09:02

I agree with cariri... why try to sugarcoat a huge problem we have in mzansi... ???

calamity
14 Nov 2008 09:02

Anawers, what is wrong with the gay plot. Are you uncomfortable watching it?

pameng2003
14 Nov 2008 09:11

IT WAS GOOD OF RYTHM CITY TO RAISE AWARENESS ON THE MATTER THOSE INCIDENTS DID TAKE PLACE SO Y MUST SA NOW BE ASHAMED..WE MUST FACE THE MUSIC IF WE KEEP SWEEPING ISSUES UNDER THE MAT ONE DAY IYAKUSIXAKA INKUNKUMA........

carino
14 Nov 2008 09:29

And please read the rest of the teasers and you will see where Bongani and his guys deal with Elvis and his thugs. The message is that we as South Africans should not stand by and watch while people are being butchered, stand up and do something.

Yes!

The people that complained about the cruelty and tastelessness of the scenes are actually challenging the Intelligence Capacity of the writers of RC.... They are trying to say the RC writers are so dumb they can put something like that in our faces without a bottom line and a morale of the story...

So, South Africans should just learn to focus their energy on things that build the country like, standing up against etv's dirty Saturday Night movies.

I'ts so funny that the same millions that stand up to attack RC before seeing the whole story, are the same millions that failed to rise up and respond to Desmond Dube's call for the Million Man March against Crime....

It says a lot about this country.... We are quick to point fingers and see that others are wrong, but very slow in responding to things that matter.

nxaaa... of course RC producers knew this was a controversial issue and hats-off to them for daring like that....

A job well done...

weirdo
14 Nov 2008 09:31

it's about BLOODY time, no pun intended. he was only beaten up. he wasn't savagely mutilated or anything. Just remember that early this year this was real and it's still going under the radar. Now, i don't know how people can react to one person only being beaten up and not bitch and moan about the real situation that has been inflicted on the masses. All i can say is if you don't like it, then change the BLOODY channel, no pun intended.

calamity
14 Nov 2008 09:38

Sorry Answers, in my haste to get answers I spelt your name incorrectly.
I agree Weirdo, if you don't like something just chenge the channel.

carino
17 Nov 2008 13:15

I saw the scene on Sat..... and all I can say is.. ohhhh, puuuhhhleassss..... some people's irritation is totally misplaced.... there was NOTHING on that scene that wasn supposed to be... it was actually a bit too soft... we needed some more drama...

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