Display:
They have elementary schools in their own language and couple of TV stations.

This reminds me to note two smaller signs of change for the better in Hungary, too: both of them media that had favorble effect. One is Rádió C (C for cigány = Gypsy), a radio station mainly airing music, which proved a surprise success (e.g. it has a lot of non-Gypsie listeners). Another is that not all talent shows are evil (even if they are crappy): in the one titled Megasztár on a Hungarian TV channel, the second season was won by a Gypsy boy with a great voice (but crappy taste in music IMO), and as the show also followed the participants outside the studio, millions learnt to know a Gyspy life contrary to their stereotypes via their TV screens.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Wed Apr 19th, 2006 at 01:17:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The similar story happened in Macedonia as well. There is this extra popular M2 multitalent show, which probably has a similar concept to the one you are mentioning -Megasztar. Teenagers are singing, dancing or performing something and some of them get to be chosen to be megastars.
 So, at this moment there are two roma teenagers who -thanks to their well practised Michael Jackson dance moves- managed to become very popular. And there is also this trend among the Macedonian pop stars to call roma dancers to perform with them.

This is very important in multicultural societies, where different ethnic groups have their own favourite pop singers or actors which are mainly from their ethnic group. I have noticed that even this kind of crappy shows can bring cohesiveness among different ethnic groups, because they don't focus on ethnicity but on the abilities that these teenagers possess.

by pavlovska (transbluency(at)mailcity.com) on Wed Apr 19th, 2006 at 07:58:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Display:
Login
. Make a new account
. Reset password
Occasional Series