I have been outraged for a long time about how the Travel Channel has chosen to display black men and women parading around naked. It is ashamed to see how these indigenous people are being exploited and degraded. What makes it okay to show nudity on everyday tv??? What makes it okay to see naked young men and women paraded on tv for all to see. There culture sees nudity as normal since everyone is naked. But you have taken what is innocent in their culture and exploited by showing it to people from the West as entertainment.
I am a black female and I have seen women that could very well have been my sister, niece, aunt or mother paraded around naked in front of cameras.
Don't say this is educational,because you don't have to show women's breast and men's penises to talk about a tribe's culture.
My heart ached when I saw men and women that look just like me and my family naked for all to see.
There is no way you would film a white women with her mother and daughters naked for all to see them and then call it educational.
There are nudest beaches and groups of people that live in nudity in the Unites States( most of which are white people)but I never see them paraded on the Travel Channel. Could it be because they are white?
Why in 2008 am I having to write about such lack of compassion for a group of innocent people. Why do you think it is okay?
Travel Channel you really need to take this off of the air immediately. This is not okay!!!!!

You are a racist. The reason there are no shows with whites (or Asians, or Hispanics etc.) running around nude is because it is typically COLD, and there just aren't any "tribes" around that are not people of color. You, however, need to get over yourself. This is an enjoyable and educational program, and you have the ability to change the channel.

I agree with jojova. This is a very educational documentary. I believe you are truly the one that is racist. Anyone that can take something educational and make it into something that is not must be racist. Keep up the good work Travel Channel.

georgia08-

I think you need to step away from your own conceptions about nudity and culture. You think its degrading because in your cultural context nudity is a bad thing. When i watch the show the last thing i see is the nudity... im more interested in how the Mek deal with everyday situations, conflict and how they see the world. this is far from exploitation or pornography.

Sadly if anything your reaction tells us more about you and your value system if you react so negativlely to a group of people because they happen to be naked and dark skinned. As if that is something to be ashamed of.

I agree with jojova... you do have the ability to change the channel. Also just because tehy are dark skinned and look similar to you doesnt mean they are in anyway similar to you or hold your value system.

There is the episode when they build the bridge and cross to the neighboring village where " culture " has been introduced. The people there are clothed in " western " clothing. My heart sank as I saw the very same people just a few miles away from the Mek " civilized "..... They have given up tradition, culture, and their way of life to be " civilized " as you see it, georgia08. Those people will never be the same...but they ARE civilized....great point georgia, too bad you missed the entire meaning of the program and its value. Get a clue!

Yeah, my heart ached when Mark and Olly came out wearing the penis gourds...they look just like my cousin and brother.....HA!

pfffft! .....Plugs ears...georgia08 you are precious!!!You have started five threads about the same topic, basically. Brilliant..I agree with everyone EXCEPT georgia08...Now I am back to enjoying the Mek marathon that is leading to the finale...

quote:

Originally posted by jojova:
You are a racist. The reason there are no shows with whites (or Asians, or Hispanics etc.) running around nude is because it is typically COLD, and there just aren't any "tribes" around that are not people of color. You, however, need to get over yourself. This is an enjoyable and educational program, and you have the ability to change the channel.

And, actually, during the appropriate moments in at least 2 episodes of this series, we actually *do* see white people just as naked as the Mek, namely Mark and Olly!!!!

This is not about exploitation. This is about awareness. This is how the Mek live. And it's important I think for the rest of the world to know that there are people on it who manage to survive in it without all it's modern day technology and conveniences.

After all, anyone who thinks it's racist is more than welcome to do a TV series on, say, "People of the French Riviera" who walk around on topless beaches or "People of Euro Nudist camps" or whatever.

But it would be a whole lot less interesting.

I have watched this series all day. I would normally just have CMT on while I do work on the computer. Interesting, educational and sexy the boys with their penis protectors on. Ha. I think it would be wonderful to be able to walk around all day without being confined to clothes. We are very old fashioned in the US. They are so tuff no shoes and work the way they do in the rain forest. Black/brown/white it doesn't matter, it's a wonderful learning experience. The boys are wonderful and what about the camera man, amazing. Thanks for a great show, you guys are amazing.

Hey maybe we could dress them up in shorts that rest below their underwear, put diamonds on their teeth and dangle gold chains from their necks. Would that then satisfy you as appropriate attire for you? Wake up.

Wow. I had to register before I could send my 2 cents out into the universe. Firstly, the Mek and Minay tribes are not "black". I believe they are Melanesian, or share very similar attributes. I was very pleased to see this program because there have been attempts to "modernize" the people of this region and other W. Papuan tribes. I hope the program will raise enthusiasm to preserve such a lovely way of life should it come under scrutiny again..That does not include people with broken remote controls and irrational zenophobia.

That being said, I wish Mark & Olly the best!

Georgia 08,

I appreciate your energy with matters as such however I see it somewhat irrelevant in this forum. Why not voice out that concern in other sites where your concerns are more legitimate. Maybe a pornography site perhaps.

Living with the Mek is perceived by majority as educational. I am quite sure if there are still "white" (as you refer it to) ethnic tribes out there then it would be shown on TV somehow.

Wow a day after I started reading this board and I still see messages from dear ole Georgia. My day is getting better already (insert sarcasm here) I actually dont see the Mek as "black" I see them as people, I dont care if western television hasnt shown "white" tribes, actually I dont care if they dont show green, purple or even magenta tribes. Its not about nudity, not about colors, not about degradation or disrespect. Please, just enjoy the show and be thankful for the chance youre getting to get a glimpse into another world, another culture that God forbid might be gone in the next 20 years like the Mayas, Incas, Aztecs and God knows how many others.

She's great isn't she????? Still here again today, not in person but in spirit. KInda like the bad taste I woke up with in my mouth this morning...lingering garlic I think. Yessss, georgia08 lives with us all ....Where'd she go to? For someone so opinionated she didn't stick around long, must be she doesn't believe any of the crap she spews either....I have disagreed with some things in these threads, but in those disagreements I can often find a method to the madness. Her posts just seem to be craving attention... * edit * ...and we gladly give it to her ( at least I do ) .... she is too easy.... * end edit *

[QUOTE]Originally posted by lia:
Firstly, the Mek and Minay tribes are not "black". I believe they are Melanesian, or share very similar attributes.\QUOTE]

Thanks you for that i don't think there blck either. for georgia08 i think there probally are white/light skinned tribes out there somewhere in the word like them.

I have learned so much since watching this show. I've learned how to grow a garden with yams. I've learned how to shoot a monkey out of the tree. I've learned I ain't walking around with my penis in a gourd. Mark and Ollie looked silly with those gourds.

At First I did not agree with georgia08. I thought that people like her were the reason it is taking so long for America to move past black and white issues. Until, I was watching another show on the Travel Channel called Tribal Odyssey. They showed us three tribes ways of living. The Zoe, The Wolani, and The Yawapaliti. It just made me think, where is the line drawn as to what is "okay" to be seen on TV? Why does it seem that, that line is drawn closer when the tribe has Caucasian ancestry? Two of those tribes are South American, South America being "settled" by the Spainards. The Spainards being European and considered Caucasian. I don't agree with all the comments made by the original poster, but, and maybe it is because my view is now "blurred" after reading her post, it did give me something to think about.

Did I read her post correctly? How silly. Two words: National Geographic.

Somehow watching I have never looked at these tribes and said ooooo they are naked!!!! I am too interested in learning about how other people live and survive in what really is a brutal climate, beauty set aside.

I wholeheartedly agree with Georgia. I believe all of you naysayers are probably white. I truly believe that National Geographic makes a point of displaying naked women of other cultures (even if they do not typically run around naked, see May 2005 Shangri La article. They will never run pictures of white women in America because it will offend all of you white people. However, they never hesitate to show nude pictures of blacks, Asians and other races because it allows the big white man to feel powerful and as if he's one-upped the scary, mysterioius and exotic culture he is learning about by seeing their women naked. How is it that all of you supposedly multicultural and "enlightened" Travel Channel viewers can't understand how it feels to be an ethnic person and to see other ethnic people exposed this way?

I disagree with the very first sentence Georgia has written. That the "Travel Channel has chosen to display black men and women parading around naked." It makes it sound like that is the Travel Channel's whole purpose for series. The Travel Channel is letting people around the world learn about these tribes and their CULTURE is VERY educational.

Georgia speaks about the fact that nudist beaches in the U.S. and the such are not seen on the Travel Channel possibly because they are white. Tell me where the cultural value is in watching nude sunbathers? Instead, the tribes are teaching us their way of life "in the middle of nowhere". In fact, today there are still many African tribes who do not view women's breasts as anything more than nourishment for their baby.

I think for Georgia to view it the way she does means that she is not comfortable with nudity of any sort. I do not mean this in the wrong way but there are many out there who are raised in an environment which would make this offensive to them. The point is that everyone has the choice of whether to watch something that offends them or to change the channel.

Georgia, I do not feel you are racist and I agree with your post. I also cringe. This show is pure edutainment, I am sure it is amusing for some to watch this show and draw inferences. Is this culture being exploited? No doubt money is being made. I don't know but it is a thin line the show is tettering on. My question is what happens when the camera goes away. How are these people affected in the long term?