I don't normally watch The Tavis Smiley Show on PBS. But the black activist host had two guests from Downton Abbey this week. One was the creator of the series Julian Fellowes and the other was Elizabeth McGovern. She is a leading character of the 23 diverse, marvelous, multi-demensial characters who rotate into the screen of this immensely popular miniseries. How popular? It's worth noting its accolades ,
1) Golden Globe Award For Best Miniseries
2) Primetime Emmy Award For Outstanding Miniseries
3) Recognized by Guinniss World Book as the Most Critically Acclaimed English-Language Television Series in 2011
4) It Earned the most nominations of any entertainment television series in the history of Primetime Emmy Awards.
5) It was the most watched TV show series on both iTV and PBS.
6) Became the most successful British Costume Drama Series since the 1961's Brideshead Revisited.
7) By the third season, it had become one of the most widely watched TV shows in the world.
Impressive.
But not to Smiley, who according to Time Magazine, is one of the Most Influential Media Persons in the World. I kid you not. Just look at his PBS advertising
Smiley asked Fellowes, " Why aren't there any blacks in the series?." Fellowes replied with a hint of his crest being jostled , " In season four we feature a successful black entertainer. He's portrayed as an equal in stature to the rest of the cast without any of the victim status that so permeates the usual characterizations of blacks in media today."
Smiley's crest tumbled. He closed the show somewhat abruptly. He thanked Fellowes and almost forgot to thank Elizabeth McGovern. After all , how did Smiley succeed if not for a victim status award ? He achieved notoriety by the Civil Rights Act 's influence in relaxing of school grading standards and a legally forced integration and affirmative action to make him and people like him more comfortable? And besides Tavis, Lord Grantham didn't need hard -headed black house help when he had plenty of hard-headed Irish.
Maybe Tavis will interview a native African whenever he or she is awarded a patent on anything whenever that happens?.
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