Is “fun-washing” morally wrong? Nigel Farage’s appearance as a contestant on I’m a Celebrity has caused an outcry among those who see the politician as a divisive hate-monger.
Farage snacks on goat feet in jungle trial
Is "fun-washing" morally wrong? Nigel Farage's appearance as a contestant on I'm a Celebrity has caused an outcry among those who see the politician as a divisive hate-monger.
"Come away with us," says the video's silky voiceover, "far, far away, into the heart of a tropical jungle." It all looks very enticingSomething which is attractive and draws people in. - until you come to hundreds of creepy-crawlies being poured into a trough.
This is the official trailer for the latest series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Among the contestants is the founder of UKIPThe UK Independence Party is a populist party that was founded in 1993 with the aim of taking the UK out of the EU. and the Brexit PartyNow known as Reform UK, a right-wing populist party in the UK. , Nigel Farage.
He will undergo horrible endurance trials including sticking his head into a campervan full of snakes - and eat disgusting things like sheep's eyes.
"I'm a hero to some people, and an absolute villain to millions," he declared in a pre-show interview. "In the jungle you're going to find the real me."
Farage has always presented himself as just an ordinary man who can be seen down the pub with a pint of beer. But it is not that straightforward. Farage comes from a wealthy background - and his fee for appearing on I'm a Celebrity is reported to be £1.5m.
As Emily Bootle points out in The I Paper, if we are now going to see the "real" Farage, what we saw in the past must have been a made-up facadeA false image that someone presents to others. Can also be used to describe the front of buildings. .
In the Daily Mirror, Darren Lewis reminds readers that Farage said hearing foreign languages on London transport made him feel "uncomfortable".
His inclusion in I'm a Celebrity, Lewis writes, is a "display of utter contempt for Black, brown, Asian, female and foreign viewers".
Other politicians have appeared on the show. Last year Matt Hancock took part, even though he had broken lockdown rules when he was UK health secretary and walked out on his wife and children.
PunditsExperts. In India, the word refers to Hindus with an extensive knowledge of Sanskrit, philosophy, religion and the law. have coined the term "fun-washing". The idea is that if you show yourself to be a good sport, people will forgive you for what you have done wrong. If you take part in a disgusting bush-tucker trial, they will even feel sorry for you.
Is "fun-washing" morally wrong?
Yes: It is a form of very obvious faking - far from revealing people's "real" selves, it allows them to project a carefully constructed image. TV companies which allow it should be ashamed of themselves.
No: Some people actually are very good sports, but do not get to show that side of their character in public life because they are under pressure to behave in a serious way for the sake of their careers.
Or... Only someone with a very peculiar view of the world would describe I'm a Celebrity as fun. It is an extremely cruel show which panders to the worst instincts of the people watching it.
Keywords
Enticing - Something which is attractive and draws people in.
UKIP - The UK Independence Party is a populist party that was founded in 1993 with the aim of taking the UK out of the EU.
Brexit Party - Now known as Reform UK, a right-wing populist party in the UK.
Facade - A false image that someone presents to others. Can also be used to describe the front of buildings.
Pundits - Experts. In India, the word refers to Hindus with an extensive knowledge of Sanskrit, philosophy, religion and the law.
Farage snacks on goat feet in jungle trial
Glossary
Enticing - Something which is attractive and draws people in.
UKIP - The UK Independence Party is a populist party that was founded in 1993 with the aim of taking the UK out of the EU.
Brexit Party - Now known as Reform UK, a right-wing populist party in the UK.
Façade - A false image that someone presents to others. Can also be used to describe the front of buildings.
Pundits - Experts. In India, the word refers to Hindus with an extensive knowledge of Sanskrit, philosophy, religion and the law.