Celebrity Big Bollocks

George Galloway is infamous for courting controversy and his decision to appear on Celebrity Big Brother is merely the latest example. Unfortunately of the voluminous verbiage committed to the blogosphere on the matter by those on both sides, the vast majority is inane, predictable and frankly uninteresting. Surprisingly, the most incisive response I have seen, is something I found linked from the website of Galloway's Respect Coalition (not to be confused with Tony's new Respect Action Plan). Zoe Williams, writing in the Grauniad, claims, "It's rare to come across a TV programme, indeed a cultural experience of any sort, that manages to bring together two points of view you absolutely hate, and pit them against each other":

The first is this: that young people, in order to be "engaged" with politics, need to be spoken to in language they understand, via media they have a track record of taking an interest in. Post-internet, post-PlayStation, post-reality telly, traditional campaigning simply won't reach them. This has become orthodoxy. More young people vote in Big Brother than in elections, ergo, politicians must appear on Big Brother. It's daft. I've been to Sainsbury's more often than I've been on a protest march; it doesn't follow that I will only turn up to a march if someone along the route will sell me tomatoes on a two-for-one offer.

There's nothing more embarassing than old people trying to appear "down" with the "yoof" as anyone who's had the misfortune to witness my father discussing pop music will atest. When this cringeworthiness is presented as serious politics you have to wonder if you should laugh or cry.

(Those of you curious as to the specifics of the second of Williams' hated point of view can go read it for yourself. I'm done here.)