Roma Rip Fat Gypsy Weddings Show

Over-the-top shindigs fuel prejudice, say critics
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 16, 2011 3:42 AM CST

The new Big Fat Gypsy Weddings reality series in Britain is infuriating members of the traveler community who charge that the over-the-top shindigs have very little to do with them and are fueling prejudice. The Irish Traveler Movement has demanded a "right of reply" to the Channel 4 program, which recently featured a bride and her 200-pound wedding dress with Christmas lights and mechanical butterflies, and 6-year-old kids sporting spray tans. "The show’s a bad thing," said the president of the Gypsy Council. "There are some weddings like these, but there are also plenty of normal ones.”

The hugely popular series also has fans among Irish travelers and Romany, reports the Telegraph. “I'm glad this show paints the traveling community in a better light," said one. A statement from the program called the series an "observational documentary made predominantly from the perspective of Gypsies and travelers talking about their own experiences. We have intentionally avoided many commonly held stereotypes and attempted to provide a balanced view." (More Big Fat Gypsy Weddings stories.)

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