REVIEW: Noughts and Crosses
I have just finished watching Noughts and Crosses (which is free on BBC iPlayer for people who wanna complain that they can’t watch it!) and completely recommend watching it. Like, NOW!
For those who paid no attention in Year 9 drama lessons, Malorie Blackman’s dystopian novel is about what the world would be like had Africa made an empire (just like the British did). And no, I am not going to educate you on colonisation in this review because if I’m being honest (which is the entire point of this blog), you should already know what THAT is about. I felt empowered as the only black girl in the classroom to see black people being portrayed as politically powerful, compared to the usual poor, ghetto and malnourished minority that is your ‘charity case’ on specific days of the year.
In this TV adaptation, the upper class black people treat the working class white people with hatred. ‘Blanca’ is used as a racist slur. The Noughts even try to replicate black hairstyles in order to fit in. To me, this is all too familiar. Little black girls wanting their hair straightened in order to fit in with their predominantly white classmates. The causality of the N word in the modern world in order to throw hurt at black people.
And yes, in between all of this hatred and exposure of racism, is the love story of Calum (Jack Rowan) and Sephy (Masali Baduza). Interracial couples are frowned upon in this new London, to the extent of being a crime. Watching a Romeo and Juliet love story unfold before your eyes is truly magical, especially when you feel like you can relate to it personally. And don’t even get me started on the plaster scene!
As a black person myself, having a pale white plaster covering your cut is impossible to hide. Sephy wraps a plaster meant for dark skinned black people around Calum’s pale finger. That alone is enough to show how much attention they paid to the little details. From that to English sentences mixed with Yoruba (the language spoken by the Yoruba people in Nigeria), vibrant traditional dress at formal occasions. and the constant rhythmic sounds of traditional African music playing in the background.
The portrayal of Sephy is P.E.R.F.E.C.T! She has been sheltered by her life as daughter of the Home Secretary and she doesn’t truly understand what Noughts actually go through; sadly, like some people in this world that do not believe that people of colour still face racism in this ‘progressive’ world. Sephy Hadley has, what is called in our present day lives, ‘white privilege’. She’ll never be stopped in the middle of the street and questioned, she’ll learn about her race in history lessons and she’ll be favoured by the top schools. Even if she was jailed, she would face a lesser sentence for a crime a Nought would get double time for. One look at the treatment of black criminals in the justice system would show that in this dystopian world Malorie Blackburn and BBC provided us with, is flipped. Black people (and other POC) do not have this luxury and to the few people that still want to argue that white privilege doesn’t exist, I suggest you watch this.
From exposing the microaggressions that black people face on a daily basis to the Nought (white people) women had their hair in braids and cornrows in order to mimic black beauty standards. THIS HAS EVERYTHING.
What I find funny is, amongst the good reviews and happiness this type of programme has brought , the racially fuelled backlash seemed even more than usual. People will watch alternate reality shows like ‘what if the Nazi’s had won?’ but as soon as one is made about Africa colonising Europe, they all start questioning the ethics of making a show like this. And no, this is not ‘woke’ culture ruining your Yorkshire pies on Thursday night. This is showing how racially corrupt the society we live in truly is and I for one, am glad this was shown on prime time television.
Sadly whilst this is going on, Asians are being profiled as ‘dirty corona spreaders’, ‘bat eaters’ and facing more discrimination (than usual). This is the perfect time to watch this show. To educate yourself on the issues other races face. To notice if you commit any of the hateful acts presented yourself and change your ways. Or to simply enjoy the celebrity appearance of Stormzy.
So please, use this as a tool to change your own attitude towards racism. DO NOT BE IDLE!
