Are you with the reds? Or are you with the blues? (Ross Kemp on Gangs)

Member Name: stuff10

Product:	Ross Kemp on Gangs
Date:	25/09/09 (57 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Kemp presents it very well, genuinely interesting

Disadvantages: Gang culture is all a bit silly really, isn't it?

I'd seen Ross Kemp on Gangs (RKOG) advertised on Sky a couple of years ago, but recognising him as "that guy off Eastenders" I steered clear (I can't stand Eastenders). However, lately I've been left to my own devices with the TV and flicking through, I've seen a couple of Kemp's programmes and I must admit, they're gripping TV and I actually really like the guy.

The first thing I noticed about Kemp is how posh and softly-spoken he really is - not how I thought he'd speak with the bald head and the image that he has. He comes across as a really likeable chap and is the perfect person to present these programmes - Julian Clary on Gangs wouldn't have worked quite so well!

The programmes follow Kemp as he visits the most deadly and notorious gangs in the world. The latest episode I watched was about the gangs in LA - which is where gang culture originated in the 1970s. LA has hundreds of gangs, mainly black or latino and most of them hate each other, and murders are an almost daily occurrence. The programme started off by introducing us to 2 of LA's black gangs - the Bloods and the Crips. Simply-speaking Bloods wear red and Crips wear blue, these colours are how they associate themselves with the gang and wearing the wrong colour in the wrong part of town can get you beat up, shot or even killed.

As they were filming a Crip (the blues) showed a gang sign in a Blood neighbourhood (the reds) - a gang sign for the crips is the letter C made with your hand - a Blood saw this sign and wanted to get his gun and "kill the motherf****r". The blood eventually calmed down, having been restrained by one of the OGs - an older member of the gang.

After interviewing some Bloods and Crips, Kemp entered the Latino part of town and attempted to find some gang members. He eventually came across some marking their territory with spray paint and asked them how the feel about blacks. The language used was very racist and was basically along the lines of "if a black guy walked down da street, I'd kill the n****". With talk (and hatred) like this, it's easy to see why there's so many murders in LA.

Other shows that I've seen follow the same format with Kemp interviewing gang members, trying to understand why they do what they do. It's a fascinating insight into the gang culture - something that seems crazy to me, but if there's any gang members reading this... please don't kill me! :)

Kemp is now also doing programmes about Afghanistan and African Pirates - 2 shows which I hope to catch-up on soon!

Repeats of Ross Kemp on Gangs are currently been shown in Sky1, after 10pm.

Summary: Don't be wearing blue round my 'hood