U.K. people go to The Shade Room for news before even thinking about TV broadcasters – and here’s why
Lucrece Grehoua
The meaning is in its name, the urban Instagram page The Shade Room has since it was set up in 2014 been the go-to place for celebrity scandals and hourly updates of public figures. In the recent years however, more and more people have adopted the daily routine that consists of waking up first thing in the morning to check The Shade Room for inner city news stories, pop culture phenomena.
As the page has grown to 15 million followers (also known as ‘room mates’) worldwide here are the top 5 reasons why The Shade Room is the ‘people’s choice’ and why those of diverse ethnic backgrounds in the U.K. cannot live without it.
In the early days of The Shade Room, many like myself were put off by the constant need to update the public on celebrity news. However, as the page has grown in the recent years, The Shade Room has seen a surge in more diverse content, covering dozens of important current affairs events such as the deaths of black American citizens in police custody, police brutality and other social and political injustice incidents. For many Brits of diverse ethnic background, we feel racial strains of society on a more covert and subtle level. But here’s my theory; the U.S. on the other hand is a reflection of what we are going through on a more untamed level. When seeking for news on typical channels such as the BBC and Sky, the first problem many BAME people encounter is the lack of general representation which ultimately results in a lack of interest in news as a whole. The second is that dire lack of coverage when it comes to microaggressions faced by people of colour seem ignored. The Shade Room documents boldly what is happening in society, allowing themselves to a vessel for people who don’t have that representation elsewhere.
Despite being a gossip page, they cover current and political affairs just as fast and accurately as TV broadcasters. Therefore, we not only have entertainment, but as we scroll bountifully through the page, we are able to see what good old Donnie and his administration are up to. Whilst BAME and working class people can sometimes be left out of political conversations that do not include them, The Shade Room bridges that gap perfectly.
During pop-culture events, The Shade Room’s commets is the place you want to go to feel like you are sat in your front room with your cousins and aunty’s watching the TV or playing a game of Uno. We call Beyonce ‘big sis’, Blue Ivy ‘niece’ Solange ‘cousin’ (it makes sense somehow), Brack Obama ‘dad’, renowned actress Monique ‘Aunty Mo’, and the list goes on. Popular, Black catchphrases such as, ‘whew chile’, and ‘invited to the cookout’ riddle the comments section giving us instant giggles but more importantly the chance to see that hundreds of thousands of people are thinking the same things as you whist you are laid up in bed alone.
Although The Shade Room can get reckless with the shady comments and gossip, its editors make sure to back put in work when it comes to positively influencing it’s audiences. Recently the acquittal of Michael Rosfeld who killed a 17-year-old black boy left The Shade Room roommates distraught. Their response was to create a practical and accessible plan of action to promote long term change in marginalised communities. In this post, as well as encouragement and morale boosting, they detailed tips and information that people could take on to ensure they were making a positive change in their every day lives. The Shade Room have also been a main source of promotion for big names such as Jay Z, Amber Rose, Meek Mill and Yandy Smith and more celebs trying to push important legal or public messages.
The Shade Room recently stepped up their game, managing to post content for all departments of life. For men looking to date, you can put yourself forward to feature on #TSRThirstyThursdayz. #TSRReactions shows ‘Black Twitter’ memes and hilarious comments in reaction to pop culture events. #TSRDaddyDuties promotes men taking part in activities with their children. #TSRAngels commemorates figures and people who have passed away. #TSRPositiveImages showcases people who have done great things whether it be a student being accepted into 41 colleges or a young business owner. The list goes on and on and you can be sure that you will find yourself somewhere within the different themes.
All in all, The Shade Room can sometimes be a muddle of unnecary gossip, bit The Shade Room is a place where a demographic often left out by mainstream media can gather to have their own conversations, be informed on current events and pass time whilst sat at home with the bonnet or durag on.
