In a thread on Walford Web kindergarten about Ray Dixon, Matt, one of the nicest and most intelligent contributors to the discussion on that site writes of Ray:-
I find it incredibly hard to like a character when he loves himself so much. He bought his way into Morgan's affection, Kim spends more time with his daughter than he does, he's also quite happy to lie and betray his friends (as seen with the recent pub football fiasco), he treats Kim like an object (your MY woman bla bla bla), and, if the writers didn't like to indulge so often in their favourite past time of retcon, then he wouldn't even exist right now.
That's a pretty astute and accurate description of Ray, who went from new-character-with-potential-interest to stereotypical black man in less time than it takes to down a pint. Worse, he's a white man's stereotypical view of a black man.
Ray certainly did try to buy Morgan's affection. There was never a time when Ray didn't appear at Bianca's door, laden with gifts for Morgan, making up for all those years he didn't know he had a son. Presents and cooking meals the kid didn't like, with lectures on healthy eating, were the sum total of Ray's parenting. He never once tried to spend quality time with Morgan, take him to football (although he bought him football boots) or see a film together or even make a playdate. He did, however, get snookered into handing over money for Bianca's other children, even though they were not his responsibility anyway.
In fact, whilst Ricky was with the kids during Janine's wedding episodes, it took Ricky to remind Ray that, for all the presents Ray gave Morgan, he still didn't know the kid's favourite colour - and Morgan still refers to Ricky as "dad."
Then there's Ray's po-faced daughter Sasha, who - perhaps from some weird sense of rebellion against Ray - always seems to be stuffing her face with chips or chocolate. Ray makes much about his good parenting skills with Sasha, she's always forthright to the point of rudeness, and lately, he does seem to dump her on Kim a lot, when he's not dumping her Cora at the charity shop.
And Matt is correct in pointing out Rays' totally sexist, appropriationist and proprietory attitude toward Kim, with whom he has yet to formalise a proper relationship. Ray comes and goes as he pleases, and Kim is dared to question his whereabouts. He has a list of exes a mile long, which would entitle Kim to ask that he take a test for various STIs. He regularly refers to her as "his" woman (like, since when is Kim anyone's property) and dictates to her what she can and cannot wear. He is Theophilus T Wildebeeste without the charm, and as for Ray being a ladies' man, Ray loves only himself.
Finally, as Matt does point out brilliantly, Ray is a totally retconned character, and if Bryan Kirkwood had left Diederick Santer's original storyline alone, Ray wouldn't even exist, because Bianca didn't have a clue in hell who the fuck he was.
However, there is someone in the Walford Web playgroup who knows better than Matt. Mr Know-It-All, AKA Jark, who prissily rejoinders:-
He bought his way into Morgan's affections did he? As I recall it he felt guilty (despite the fact that he had no need because he never even knew about Morgan) and wanted to see to it that Morgan was provided for. Hardly a crime! He tried to make sure his son was fed properly by Bianca and even wanted to give her lessons in cooking good food. I thought he was the best dad he could've been under the circumstances. You don't know that Kim spends more time with Sacha than Ray, it just so happens that Ray is usually working whereas Kim is usually skiving. And with the football thing, the only reason he had to look elsewhere was because Kat fucked him about for no good reason. He just wanted to be appreciated.
I like him a lot. He seems like a thoroughly decent person.
Point by point:-
He bought his way into Morgan's affections did he? As I recall it he felt guilty (despite the fact that he had no need because he never even knew about Morgan) and wanted to see to it that Morgan was provided for. Hardly a crime! He tried to make sure his son was fed properly by Bianca and even wanted to give her lessons in cooking good food. I thought he was the best dad he could've been under the circumstances.
See above. BIB: Actually, no, he's not the best dad he could have been under the circumstances. Beg pardon, but Ray has no right whatsoever to Morgan, because the birth father has whatever rights the mother and custodial parent gives. However, know who does have parental rights to Morgan? Tony King. It was Tony who put his name on Morgan's birth certificate, and - criminal or not - he's Morgan's legal dad. On the other hand, the kid was raised by Ricky Butcher and calls him "dad." He sees Ricky regularly - certainly more than he sees Ray. Ray could visit Morgan, but we never hear about that. He's too busy admiring himself and screwing around with Kim.
You don't know that Kim spends more time with Sacha than Ray, it just so happens that Ray is usually working whereas Kim is usually skiving.
Until recently, Ray had absolutely no qualms about taking advantage of the fact that Kim skives off running her hotel business to dump Sasha in her care, just so he could work a shift at the Vic or go kick a football. As for Ray working, he was off a week recently due to the bedbug infestation, and there have been several times he's stomped his foot at the Vic and gone off in a hissy fit. Ray needs seriously to grow a pair and grow up.
And with the football thing, the only reason he had to look elsewhere was because Kat fucked him about for no good reason. He just wanted to be appreciated.
Oh please ... he got the hump because Alfie dropped him in a publicity stunt to feature Billy, the Olympic Torch Bearer as a striker for the Queen Vic team. And he didn't look elsewhere - really, if Jark (the Jerk) is going to piss all over someone else's opinion in that singularly self-righteous, bitchy and condescending way only he knows how to do (I blame his parents for his rudeness), he needs to get his facts straight.
Ray was approached by another pub team to play for them when they saw how well he played. Ray was pissed off at playing with those whom he considered to be a bunch of losers, and his ego jumped at the chance to star, until he got caught out and his vanity cost the Vic's team their place in the league. It had nothing to do with Kat or Alfie. Oh, and although we saw Kat acting like a barroom whore around Ray, it's evident that he didn't bite her apple or her arse. Do pay attention.
I guess our Jark (the Jerk) lives up to the wooden and ham-fisted reputation for self-righteousness that a particular EastEnders' character who shares Jark's name possesses.
Life imitating art.
Update: Just as real sublime proof of this child's arrogance, check out the answer he gave to a couple of contributors on the kindergarten site, one of whom, Kate, is a long-time viewer:-
The world has changed an awful lot since the 80s. The pace of everyday life has changed. For better or worse people don't want to watch people sitting around talking about things. Every now and then we get an episode of EE which is so sedate and character driven and lovely, but then I read the reaction elsewhere and people seem bored by it. I don't think EE could've survived without adapting to that faster pace of (often sensationalist) storytelling.
For what it's worth, people, Jark (the Jerk) is twenty. He wasn't even born when EastEnders' started, doesn't know what it entailed and how it changed the face of continuing drama on British television, and just for his information, EastEnders in the 1980s was nothing about people "sitting around and talking about things." I suppose that's what happened every time Den Watts sailed across the bar of the pub. The show dealt with teenaged pregnancy, single mums in their teens, like Mary, struggling to get by, cot death (realistically), domestic abuse, unemployment, couples struggling financially. The programme was the first to feature gay people and gay men coming out of the closet. There was a plethora of goings-on in the 1980s and they reflected life at the time, something the show does not do today.
EastEnders was grounded in reality; that was its ethos - that and well-rounded, well-written characterisations, not the cartoon people we see today. Sensationalism is not reality, it's the stuff of fantasy, so I would suggest Jark (the Jerk) stick to Harry Potter or other assorted fairy tales.
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