Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Criticises “Casual Racism” Of Commercial TV Following Gold Logie Fallout

It’s been a hell of a week for the Australian TV industry.

Last Sunday, the nominees for the 2016 Logies were unveiled, and the list of contenders included some diverse names vying for the Gold Logie: Waleed Aly, Carrie Bickmore, Scott Cam, Lee Lin Chin, Essie Davis and Grant Denyer.

Thanks to Aly and Chin's presence in the category, 2016 marks the first time two non-white Aussie personalities have competed for the Gold Logie. Great, right? Absolutely nothing to complain about, yes? Well, you'd think so...

Unfortunately, a baffling article from The Daily Telegraph listing the reasons Aly shouldn’t win (“#6. He’s not on social media.”) and jokey comments on the Today show about Lisa Wilkinson now being “too white” to compete for the Gold Logie have, sadly, reminded Australia that true equality in film and television remain slightly elusive goals.

Australia’s racial discrimination commissioner, Tim Soutphommasane, said as much in Brisbane yesterday, during a speech on cultural harmony and tolerance.

According to The Guardian, Soutphommasane discussed the “pattern” of “casual racism that can pass for banter on Australian commercial TV.”

“When inroads have been made in cultural diversity on TV, it doesn’t take much to reveal how threatened or uncomfortable it can make some people feel. This is the only way we can meaningfully interpret the current controversy concerning Waleed Aly,” he said.

“It is a challenging time for our race relations and community harmony. It is challenging not only because the ugly faces of racism and bigotry are increasingly on display in public, but also because public discussions about race remain fraught with sensitivities.”

He also noted that valid criticisms of racist actions are being quashed by those suggesting it’s just political correctness gone mad.

“Sometimes you get the impression that calling out racism can be regarded as a worse moral offence than the perpetration of racism itself,” he said.

You can read more of his speech here.

The Logies go down May 8.

Photo: Channel Ten.