If there is anything positive to write about the Pekka ja Pätkä movies shown this month that use of blackface characters, the n-word and depict blacks and Amerindians as happy-go-lucky buffoons, it’s the outrage that at least one caused.
In 2014, when YLE aired Pekka ja Pätkä n-word and Ketjukolari, two of the comedians most racist movies, there was no reaction except for the odd social media comment. When I protested the showing of these movies two years ago, YLE didn’t even bother to respond.
When I sent a new email this week to YLE protesting the showing of these movies, I did get a response. It’s the same one that program manager of TV1, Pentti Väliahdet, released to the media.
I wonder if YLE will dare to show these two racist movies again two years from today?
We’ll see but it’s clear that they’ll have to think twice if they do.