This week sees the introduction of a new barmaid in the Rovers. She's beautiful and she's making Corrie history. Her name is Poppy (we don't seem to have a last name just yet) and she's a friend of Liz McDonald who met her at her Brazilian Crunch exercise class. She's offered the job of assistant manager which is bound to put a major knot in Michelle's face.
The headline refers to the fact that she's the first Asian barmaid in Coronation Street history, the first non-white, in fact, if we consider that although Kelly Crabtree did do a few hours in the bar one night recently, she wasn't a permanent or even on-trial barmaid. Coronation Street has come under fire before for being all white nearly all the time and in recent years the canvas has reflected the multi cultural reality a little better. Jason Grimshaw has biracial roots, Kelly is a mainstay in the factory, Lloyd is a firm favourite in our house and let's not forget hunky black mechanic Nathan who was handy with a spanner and charmed Frankie Baldwin. We have had a number of Asian characters over the past 10 years with the Alahan family, the Desai family, and the Mandel family. Amber's new best friend, Minnie, is also Asian. There have been relatively few non-white faces on the Street over the years until the Desai family was introduced but a multi-cultural canvas can only enrich the Coronation Street experience even more!
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Poppy should be a good character but I find it a bit strange that Liz would appoint someone she just met at an exercise class to be her assistant bar manager but I suppose she had to be brought in somehow. Anyone that rains on Michelle's parade is alright with me.
I imagine that after Michelle's behavior over this past year, they probably have to beg people to want to work at the Rover's. The way she treated Leanne was shameful.
Corrie definitely has moved more towards representing Asians in the past year. The Mandals (I really like Tara, although Prem and Nina I could do without ever seeing again), Minnie, who is a great character, and now Poppy. They also aren't bringing them in with a truckload of old stereotypes. Every time Eastenders brings in a new Asian family, you don't have to wait long for the money problem storylines to start, or stories about how different they are than everyone else.
I just wish they could bring in a gay character to replace Sean.
I think you will find that 'Poppy' may also be from biracial roots. She will be a very exciting addition to the street however. Can't wait to see her tonight.
she sounds like a man! :P
Wasn't Gina non-white?
It was never really mentioned one way or the other, I don't think, what Gina's heritage was.
her voice challenges deidre on the low front! corr i couldn't believe my ears!
Her voice was quite deep wasn't it!
What about the Malaysian or Chinese girl (Orchid?) who seduced Fred. (I say, seduced Fred.)
Oh yes, Orchid, i'd forgotten her. She was only a short term character and there were others of various cultures in the past but they too were short term.
How is Michelle white? She's not black but... no way is she WHITE! Carla and Michelle are a lot darker than Liam and Paul were.
Dara - If skin shade was the only clue to ethnicity, the permanently bright orange David Platt would be an ethnic monority all on his own.
Anyone who can knock Michelle off her pedestal is fine by me.
Gina was supposed to be white. There was the storyline where her mother objected to her seeing Dev because he wasn't white. Although I agree she does look mixed race.
anyone know name of green/brown wallpaper in steve's living room??
I'm certain that Sunita worked at the pub for awhile after she broke up with Dev. Then there was Steve's almost second wife. Didn't she pull a pint or two? She was half white, half black.
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