My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding

This is an article I wrote for my First Year Journalism Assignment in March 2011. I interviewed people around the Perry Barr area in order to gain a wide view on the show. It was just to be used in my First Year work. 

MY BIG FAT GYPSY WEDDING – IS IT A TRUE PORTRAYAL?

 Ground-breaking Channel 4 production, “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding” has received great praise in its recordings but also has received a lot of criticism and controversy on how it portrays and misrepresents this community of people. It especially caused great controversy in episode ‘No Place like Home’ where it showed young girls provocatively dancing and wearing a full face of make-up.  

We interviewed local citizens around Perry Barr, to see what their opinions were on the show that has split the nation in half.

Beth Rubens, aged 28, a nurse from the Birmingham area, felt that the show was “highly amusing, but at the same time mocks the gypsies and made jokes about them. There are many Facebook groups now on the matter, and you could technically call it racism.”

Becky Cooper, aged 19, a student at Birmingham City University thought that the smash-hit television show was “hilarious, true and funny, it shows you what they really are like.”

Phillipa Joyce, aged 32, a housewife, from Perry Barr, said that “it is a very unrealistic idea of reality television. It really portrays a bad image of British People. It makes me feel very sorry for the gypsies featured in the programme. But then again, some parts can be amusing”

Tracey Farrington, aged 47, a school nurse from Wolverhampton, said “I don’t think it is a very true portrayal for all, and perhaps some of the traditions or behaviours they would not want to be featured on television.”

And lastly, Caroline Saunders, aged 18, a student currently studying at Aberystwyth University, commented that “I don’t really know too much about Gypsies, but what is shown on ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’ isn’t very positive about them.”

It seems that ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’ is causing mixed opinions throughout the ages, to whether or not it is a true portrayal, but it seems that it has been such a big hit, that it will continue on our screens for a new series to be filmed.