Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Big Bother

Pardon the intemperate language, but you know your country is fucked when the top story on the evening news is Celebrity Big Brother.

The Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty has been the subject of a hefty amount of abuse from fellow housemate Jade Goody. Accusations of racism are flying about all over the place - particularly bad news for chancellor Gordon Brown, currently in India to promote, well, Gordon Brown mostly.

Now, I can't say for sure if Jade Goody's behaviour is racially motivated. After all, I don't know what goes on inside Jade's head (if anything). But it's certainly bullying. Prompted, as bullying so often is, by jealousy. Jealousy brought on by the fact that Shilpa is a talented woman, with a successful, identifiable career - not to mention a great deal of class and no small amount of beauty. Whereas Jade... isn't.

I was going to add that Jade is a no-mark, reality TV-created, non-celebrity with a face like a pig's arse. But I don't think that would be helpful.

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