People who try to act black are silly and are not being themselves.
It could be offensive to some black people and can cause trouble. Once a white friend of mine was trying to do a Jamaican accent he was bullied for two weeks, and never did it again.
| I think these people must be quite lonely because they’re having to pretend they’re something they’re not. |
I don't think Ali G is very funny and he sets a bad example. Black people have enough problems without people stereotyping them.
Bola Afolabi, 11, London
I think people who try to be black aren't really doing anything so wrong. It's simply a joke. We imitate and stereotype the posh, the American, the goofy and anyone else for that matter so why is it so wrong when such people as Ali G do it? His jokes are not supposed to be taken seriously, though they do make black men appear sexist and rude and all women as sex objects.
There's all this uproar about his material and whether he should be banned but would you try and ban such comedy shows stereotyping Asians such as 'Goodness Gracious Me'?
Gabriella Gay, 15, London
Ali G is a comedy star who's funny. But the bad side is he pretends to be black which is not amusing. It is just annoying, and you can't even understand what he is saying! His accent is too strong and it sounds weird. Ali G is giving people the wrong impression of what it's like to be black.
People pretending to be black are ridiculous. It's like a black man acting Chinese. It can be taken as offensive. Ali G is giving a false impression of black people.
Jason Johnson, 13, Birmingham
Sometimes black people act white because they feel they need to belong to a group. I think it's the same for white people, especially if they don't have any other friends. They want to fit in and they will act like the group they want to be a part of. I think these people must be quite lonely because they're having to pretend they're something they're not.
Chinwe Izamoje, 9, London
At my school there's quite a lot of white boys trying to act black. They use the language that associate with 'gangsters' because they think it's cool. They wear their trousers down on their hips because they think it's "in". I think they act like this because they want to be accepted by boys acting like gangsters. Most black boys don't like it when people copy them because they've had experience of being bullied in the past or have had racism directed at them.
Chidi Izamoje, 12, London
About the team
The Answer the question panel are members of Children's Express. The column is published as part of Teen Talk, the Children's Express page in New Nation.
