Stuart Jeffries writes in The Guardian:The Big Brother house remains one of hate, divided between ugly, thick white Britain and one imperturbably dignified Indian woman.
There are also some stereotypically weak men in the house, but they are functionally irrelevant. Shilpa Shetty has taken the supposed British virtues of civility, articulacy, reserve and having a stiff upper lip and shown that, at least in what passes for our celebrity culture, we lack them.
Jade Goody (pic -centre), by contrast, was called into the diary room to explain why she had referred to the Bollywood star as "Shilpa Fuckawallah, Shilpa Durupa. Shilpa Poppadom." Jade defended herself by taking her foot and placing it in her degraded gob. "It's not in me to be racial about anybody," she explained. "If it's offended Indians out there, I apologise."
But, if such surnames aren't racist (the word you want, Jade, is not racial, but racist: do spend some of that estimated £8m you have earned on a remedial education rather than boob jobs and liposuction), then they surely have hideous racist undertones.
Indeed, much of the bullying and backstabbing of Shetty by Goody and her foils, Jo O'Meara (pic-left) and Danielle Lloyd (pic-right), has had that resonance. I thought Britons had moved beyond this kind of rubbish; it's shaming to see that we have not.
And we shouldn't let Jack, Jade's piggy-eyed ankle bracelet (boyfriend), off the hook: let's not be sexist in damning people who give the lie to Britain's tolerance of difference and reputation for intelligence.
As has happened throughout this week, Shetty gave a masterclass in grace.
Insider's view: tonights' eviction will reveal whether the UK public can, through its voting, redeem this sorry situation somewhat.
It's Shilpa vs Jade!
As to the quotation in the title of this entry.
Insider is sure the three women pictured above will neither understand it nor care.
2 comments:
Absolutely right! Perhaps the most extraordinary moment was on Wednesday night when a segment of the programme ended with Shilpa saying "I am here representing my country, do they represent modern Britain?" only to be followed immediately by an advert for a gossip magazine puffing stories including "The husband who fattened his wife up using pizzas" and "The groom who cheated on his bride on their wedding day" - got it in one, Shilpa.
The chavs are now the ruling class.
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