Showmax permanently removes Leon Schuster films over blackface and racial stereotyping as MultiChoice's video streaming service says it's no longer comfortable hosting such content.

by Thinus Ferreira

Showmax has permanently removed 5 Leon Schuster films that contain blackface and that it decided is racially insensitive and contain racial stereotyping, along with 2 other films, and says it is not the place of MultiChoice's video streaming service to tell people what they should find offensive or not but that Showmax isn't comfortable carrying such content any further.

Showmax removed several of Leon Schuster's film catalogue two weeks ago for a review.

Out of the 6 films that were removed, Frank & Fearless will be made available on Showmax again, with You Must be Joking, You Must be Joking Too, Oh Schucks... It's Schuster, Sweet 'n Short and Schuks! Pay Back the Money will have been censored and removed from the service permanently.

In response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus asking who did the review, Showmax said that the Showmax content team managed the review. No names were provided. Showmax was asked when the decision was reached and said that it was made during the course of this week.

"We have completed an initial review of the content on Showmax. Seven titles have been removed due to negative racial stereotyping and prominent elements of blackface," Showmax said in a statement on Friday.

"We recognise these movies are a product of their time and were created with positive intent. Showmax is an entertainment service and we don’t endorse the views or actions that take place in the shows and movies on our platform."

"It’s not our place to tell people what is right or wrong, nor what they should find offensive. But we will make decisions as to what content we are comfortable hosting."

"We believe that platforms such as ours have a role to play in bringing people together through shared experiences."

"We don’t want to shy away from polarising topics, but we also don’t want to sow division. We won’t always get the balance right, but we’ll do our best to listen and to learn from our mistakes."


ALSO READ: Showmax removes 9 Leon Schuster films with blackface characters that MultiChoice's video streaming service is reviewing over racially insensitive content.

Showmax removes 9 Leon Schuster films with blackface characters that MultiChoice's video streaming service is reviewing over racially insensitive content.

by Thinus Ferreira

Showmax has quietly removed 9 of the films of filmmaker and South African comedian Leon Schuster with blackface characters that MultiChoice's subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service is now investigating through a review over racially insensitive content.

Showmax that until now was fine with the Leon Schuster films, and with Mama Jack (2005) that was broadcast on South Africa's free-to-air broadcaster e.tv last weekend, has now followed the global streamer Netflix that started to remove content in the form of satirical series like Little Britain, Come Fly with Me and Australia's Angry Boys, Summer Heights High, We Can Be Heroes and Jonah from Tonga of Chris Lilley because of performances of some characters in blackface and brownface.

The removal of content by Netflix, the BBC, the film Gone with the Wind from WarnerMedia's streaming platform, HBO Max, and now MultiChoice's Showmax in South Africa is part of the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on the broader entertainment industry around the issue of racism that started in the United States and that has spread globally.

After quietly removing Mama Jack in which Leon Schuster makes extensive use of blackface, as well as Mr Bones (2001) and Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past (2008) in which he appears as a white sangoma, Showmax has now removed a further 6 of Leon Schuster's films.

These additional Showmax content removals include You Must Be Joking (1986), You Must Be Joking Too (1987), Oh Schucks…It’s Schuster (1989), Sweet ‘n Short (1991), Schuks! Pay Back the Money (1995) and Frank and Fearless (2018).

All of the films earned millions of rand at the South African box office over decades under all audiences and have had multiple broadcasts over the years on the SABC, e.tv, M-Net and the M-Net Movies channels, with e.tv that showed Mama Jack a week ago.

The locally South African produced films that have outearned overseas and American titles and with several having record-holding rankings in cinema attendance and earnings, have made Leon Schuster one of the most successful South African filmmakers in the country's history.

Netwerk24 first reported about Showmax's removal of Leon Schuster's films on Friday.

TVwithThinus asked Showmax about the content removal late on Friday, who reviews and removes it and why, and will add the response here when received.

Richard Boorman, Showmax spokesperson, told Netwerk24 that the latest 6 Leon Schuster films have been removed this past week because MultiChoice's streaming service is reviewing them as they are deemed to be possibly racially insensitive and that it was done in line with steps taken by global streaming services.

Showmax referred Netwerk24's media enquiry to MultiChoice with Benedict Maaga, senior manager for corporate communications, who said that MultiChoice in the past had removed content with "unacceptable presentations of racial prejudice".

It's not yet clear who reviews content for Showmax and MultiChoice, how the films and content are reviewed or when the review process of the Leon Schuster films would be completed.

Leon Schuster told Netwerk24 that he is "shocked and "deeply upset" about MultiChoice's removal of his films and Showmax's review process.

He said that "in my entire career I've never heard a single word from a moviegoer asking why I'm doing blackface. My Indian character has been unbelievably popular and nobody has ever said to me I'm cratering my name or that I'm busy being racist."

"If I knew that this is something that is angering people I wouldn't have done it. If I've offended people I apologise to them. I'm really sorry".

M-Net Movies Zone adds Kids Club movie festival for December, kykNET returns fliekNET pop-up channel with Leon Schuster's Schucks! catalogue.

The M-Net Movies Zone on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service is adding a Kids Club movie festival for the December holidays while kykNET is returning the fliekNET pop-up channel that will do a film festival featuring the funnyman Leon Schuster's Schucks catalogue.

M-Net Movies Zone (DStv 139) is adding a Kids Club movie festival on the TV channel from 7 December and will be showing movies for kids, daily during the end-of-year holiday period into January.

The M-Net Movie Zone Kids Club movie festival will kick off on 7 December and run until 6 January 2019. From Sundays to Fridays M-Net Movie Zone will show films aimed at a youth audience between 06:00 and 17:00.

On Saturdays M-Net Movies Zone will run youth-focused films between 05:00 and 19:00.

M-Net says parents and older viewers are welcome to watch the films with younger viewers, with the film line-up that includes movies like Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl, Problem Child, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Jr, Stuart Little 2, Mirror Mirror and Muppets from Outer Space.


Oh Schucks, fliekNET
Meanwhile kykNET is returning the fliekNET (DStv 198) pop-up film channel that will once again be running from 16 December to 6 January 2019.

Comedian and hidden camera prankster Leon Schuster's film catalogue will be on fliekNET, including films like You Must be Joking, There's a Zulu on my Stoep, Sweet 'n Short, and Oh Schucks, it's Schuster!

fliekNET will also broadcast films like Faan se Trein, 'n Paw Paw vir my Darling, Mooirivier, Pad na jou Hart, Klein Karoo, Vir die Voëls, Vaselinetjie, Treurgrond and Noem my Skollie. 

Kids films on fliekNET include Khumba, Heidi, Die Sneeukoningin, Maya die By, Jou Romeo, Die Pro and Strikdas.

Classic Afrikaans films on fliekNET include Die Storie van Klara Viljee, Katrina, Liefste Madelein, Ma skryf Matriek and Agter Elke Man.

There's a Gupta On My Stoep: Comedian Trevor Noah reveals the inspiration behind his stand-up show's title - 'Leon Schuster changed my life with his comedy'.

With his brand-new stand-up show, There's a Gupta On My Stoep, comedian Trevor Noah says he is trying to capture the mood of anxiety in South Africa right now and says the title was inspired by comedian Leon Schuster "who changed my life with his comedy".

The host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central (DStv 122) is back in South Africa during his weekday TV show's end-of-season break, but while actually back on home soil for a holiday he also decided to do a new stand-up show in Johannesburg and Durban. Cape Town was left out because he simply didn't have the days.

Next year Trevor Noah will also reteam with M-Net (@DStv 101) where he had his first TV show, Tonight with Trevor Noah in 2010 for three seasons, and in 13-episodes of Trevor Noah Presents... as host he will showcase upcoming new South African comedians in 2018.

"There's a Gupta On My Stoep is an idea of what I'm feeling and what South Africa feels right now, is it not? That there's a Gupta on our stoep," said Trevor Noah who spoke about his new stand-up show at M-Net's press conference on Thursday.

"There's people who are old enough to remember the reference - the title of one of my favourite movies - There's a Zulu On My Stoep. Leon Schuster changed my life with his comedy when I was a young child."

"Essentially I felt that's what we're experiencing right now: We're a country where we are confused and trying to put together the pieces of how intense, and how much effect these people had on the running of our nation."

"People are still trying to piece together the Gupta emails, people are still trying to piece together the extent of their influence on our government, but it definitely feels like there's an encroachment on what we thought was 'us' defining ourselves."

"And the best way I could think of that was really There's a Gupta On My Stoep. It's South African," said Trevor Noah.

"It's a hint and a nod to the past. And it's not There's a Gupta In My House, it's just on my stoep. There's also some other things that are happening that I talk about and so that's why I went with that title."

"It also reminded me of home. It reminded me of a piece of my childhood. And it's a nod to the time that we are living in now."

BREAKING. Comedy Central crisis as Kenny Kunene has to replace Leon Schuster who now refuses to do the Roast.

Comedy Central crisis: Kenny Kunene has been roped in to replace Leon Schuster who has suddenly backed out of doing the Comedy Central Roast set for 3 April.

Leon Schuster will no longer sit in the Roast seat after apparently being advised to rest by doctors.

Leon Schuster told Comedy Central last week that he is no longer doing the Roast. Comedy Central executives immediately called Kenny Kunene last week and asked him to help - South Africa's "Sushi King" has always been on Comedy Central's radar as a potential roastee.

Comedy Central says Leon Schuster "has been advised to rest by his doctors following an intense work schedule which has seen him shoot two movies back-to-back, and who is awaiting a knee replacement operation".

Leon Schuster says that he's "heartbroken to be missing the Roast and so sorry at any disappointment caused to my fans but unfortunately all those silly movie stunts and some old rugby injuries caught up with me at the ripe old age of 62. I'm going to take some time out for a bit of rest and recuperation and I look forward to coming back fit and refreshed in a couple of months."

The change clearly means new work by Comedy Central to find and secure new local celebrity talent to roast Kenny Kunene instead of Leon Schuster. Comedy Central didn't announce who Kenny Kunene's roasting panel will be.

Evert van der Veer, Comedy Central channel director says he's "excited to welcome Kenny on board as our second Roastee".

Evert van der Veer tells TV with Thinus in answer to a media enquiry, that "the decision was made by Comedy Central on the advice of his doctors".

"We think Leon would have made a great roastee so naturally we are sorry that he can no longer participate but he has been told to rest and his health is the most important thing."

"Kenny is a brilliant alternative - a controversial and well-known media figure thanks to his colourful career," says Evert van der Veer. "Kenny's ability to court controversy and to polarise opinion offers lots of comedic possibilities and make him truly Roast worthy."

Kenny Kunene says "You can never roast sushi. Don't even try. But bring it on Comedy Central!"

The Comedy Central Roast of Kenny Kunene will be recorded on 3 April and will be broadcast on the channel on DStv on 28 April at 20:00.

It will be the second South African Comedy Central Roast, based on the American Comedy Central format which kicked off last year with Afrikaans singer Steve Hofmeyr.