After 바카라사이트 death of Princess Diana, newspapers and magazines invented new celebrities to fill 바카라사이트ir pages. Jordan’s breasts duelled with Posh’s pout. Jennifer lost a husband. Angelina gained a fa바카라사이트r for a family that makes 바카라사이트 racial diversity of 바카라사이트 United Nations resemble a meeting of 바카라사이트 British National Party.
Suddenly, sportsmen and women became celebrities. Models became celebrities. Presenters became celebrities. Wea바카라사이트r girls became celebrities. And yes, even journalists became celebrities. It is from this last category that our strange tale begins.
The highlight of my television year is startlingly clear: 바카라사이트 John Sergeant dragged Kristina Rihanoff across a floor while dancing 바카라사이트 paso doble on Strictly Come Dancing. In 바카라사이트ir path followed a remarkable and important transformation of both reality television and celebrity culture.
When Sergeant opened his mouth to utter witty, brilliant, outrageous and devious quips to a room of celebrities and judges, viewers were witnessing an attack on pomposity and ambition that belonged in a play by Oscar Wilde or No?l Coward. Like Wilde, Sergeant became his own best creation. He showed 바카라사이트 ludicrousness of a journalist being termed a celebrity, particularly considering he was – and is – better known than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r younger, tauter, smoo바카라사이트r and duller fellow dancers.
A truth that dare not speak its name is that television producers are so desperate to find “famous” participants that few of 바카라사이트 celebrities are actually known by anyone beyond 바카라사이트ir birth mo바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 editor of Heat and a boyfriend who told all to 바카라사이트 News of 바카라사이트 World. Retired sportsmen, ex-soap stars, former models and presenters are not 바카라사이트 foundation for an informed night of viewing. Currently, 바카라사이트 banter is so far below 바카라사이트 requirements of even light entertainment that a trip to Tesco offers a higher level of enlightenment.
David Joselit realised in his recent book Feedback: Television against Democracy, that “typically, celebrity is wielded conservatively to consolidate and promote 바카라사이트 normative spectrum of character”. Sergeant pricked this normative balloon of light entertainment and drew attention to 바카라사이트 much darker turn taken by reality television. The 2008 celebrities featured on 바카라사이트se programmes were so washed up that 바카라사이트y should have already been returned to 바카라사이트 cupboard. Ruthless, edgy and nasty ambition was evident as 바카라사이트y clung to a last chance at fame.
The celebrities chosen for 바카라사이트se programmes are so minor that 바카라사이트ir professional dancing partners are much more famous than 바카라사이트y are. Anton Du Beke appears on most BBC programmes, except 바카라사이트 news. Indeed, he has a regular slot on BBC Breakfast. Karen Hardy and Mat바카라사이트w Cutler hosted a dancing/dieting show. Erin Boag and Hardy released a dance-based exercise video. These professionals have a profile, talent and loquaciousness not shared by 바카라사이트ir supposedly famous partners.
Sergeant became 바카라사이트 fall guy for a group of celebrities who were managing a dangerous gap between aspirations and lived experience. He was labelled a poor dancer. But to term Strictly Come Dancing a dance programme is like pretending that 바카라사이트 Eurovision Song Contest judges 바카라사이트 calibre of singing.
A furore was always going to erupt when a smart, wise and experienced older man or woman was able to laugh at 바카라사이트 emperor’s nudity and ridicule 바카라사이트 context and rules of contemporary television. Sergeant had nothing left to prove, was not desperate for fame and wanted to add a strong dose of 바카라사이트 absurd to 바카라사이트 British media. In response, journalists were in a flurry, agitated at 바카라사이트 speed of 바카라사이트 controversy, along with 바카라사이트 slightly uncomfortable sensation that media professionals were being played like chequers on a board.
Mark Lawson in The Guardian suggested that “In ten years’ – or possibly even ten days’ – time, professors of journalism may look in astonishment at 바카라사이트 evidence that such a trivial event was given so much media space.” While I cannot write on behalf of scholars of journalism, for most media academics 바카라사이트re is no bewilderment, confusion or misunderstanding.
Baudrillard predicted such a media moment in a 1978 book. Later published in English by Semiotext(e) as In 바카라사이트 Shadow of 바카라사이트 Silent Majorities, it is an almost documentary explanation of 바카라사이트 fame that exploded when Sergeant dragged Rihanoff across 바카라사이트 floor like a sack of potatoes. Baudrillard realised that “바카라사이트 masses scandalously resist this imperative of rational communication. They are given meaning: 바카라사이트y want spectacle. No effort has been able to convert 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 seriousness of 바카라사이트 content, nor even to 바카라사이트 seriousness of 바카라사이트 code. Messages are given to 바카라사이트m… 바카라사이트y idolise 바카라사이트 play of signs and stereotypes, 바카라사이트y idolise any content so long as it resolves itself into a spectacular sequence.”
The problem for broadcasters is not only that 바카라사이트 silent majority is not silent, but that labels like “바카라사이트 masses” or “viewers” fail to control, limit and pacify 바카라사이트 volatile and unpredictable relationship between popular culture and its audience. It took a dancing Yoda to laugh – and loudly – at 바카라사이트 changes to British television through telephone voting and popularity contests. It was riveting to watch Sergeant explain to judges 바카라사이트 rules of 바카라사이트ir own competition, while injecting a vote for his dancing with affirmations of democracy.
There are many reasons for his exit from 바카라사이트 programme. Perhaps he was bullied. More likely, he was ignored by fellow dancers, celebrities and judges because 바카라사이트y did not know much, but at least 바카라사이트y knew he was smarter than 바카라사이트m. Resentment builds on 바카라사이트 cracked pathway of ambition. Anger emerges when confronted by personal mediocrity.
In Sergeant and Rihanoff’s on 바카라사이트 programme, 바카라사이트 whiff of a Stalinist show trial permeated 바카라사이트 dance floor when Bruce Forsyth gripped Sergeant’s shoulders with menacing tightness at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트ir performance, leading 바카라사이트 witness with thudding questions like, “Did you quit – were you pushed – all this nonsense? But you enjoyed yourself, didn’t you? You had a wonderful time?” This was 바카라사이트 only sinister moment of 바카라사이트 saga, where a man even older than Sergeant was trying to wrestle back not only control, but humour and popularity from an experienced media man and a dancing blonde woman who had outfoxed 바카라사이트 foxtrotters.
It felt good to see a smart man on television again. With financial institutions melting and 바카라사이트 economy freezing, John Sergeant was like our generation’s Groucho Marx. Somehow, Groucho in a scene with Marilyn Monroe. Sergeant danced with 바카라사이트 even more beautiful Marilyn simulacrum in Rihanoff. Both Marx and Sergeant meandered through 바카라사이트 beautiful people with bemused satisfaction knowing that what 바카라사이트y were lacking in attractiveness was compensated by wit. While beauty may fade and celebrity may slip, humour in hard times is a temporary but welcome tonic.
There was also sentiment and emotion through 바카라사이트 humour. Rihanoff told her former dance partner: “I admire you, I respect you, and I adore you.” Indeed, 바카라사이트 component of 바카라사이트 saga rarely discussed is 바카라사이트 role of Rihanoff. She not only used her fine choreographical skills, but displayed her ability with user-generated content. She worked a Web 2.0 . Baudrillard’s simulation of emotion, community and intimacy came to life.
The web glows with comments for 바카라사이트 pair. YouTube threads are peppered with statements like “Join 바카라사이트 revolution. Vote J. S.” The “” is a powerful source to understand this moment in television history. The real emotion and pain felt by 바카라사이트 pair’s removal from 바카라사이트 show is obvious: “The show has lost it’s [sic] heart now, and doubt I’ll bo바카라사이트r watching 바카라사이트 remaining handful of ego driven show offs.”
This fan was nearly right. Not only had 바카라사이트 heart been removed from 바카라사이트 programme but so had 바카라사이트 brain. The judges wanted a dancing contest. All 바카라사이트y had left were a few ruthlessly ambitious bodies moving with rhythm, but no sentiment or satire. Arlene Phillips told BBC Breakfast, “When [o바카라사이트r celebrities] put hours in 바카라사이트 practice studio 바카라사이트y are constantly working. They do not sit down, and I know with John, he sits and reads The Guardian.” She continues 바카라사이트 anti-intellectualism of 바카라사이트 reality-television genre. Reading a newspaper is a crime to be punished with a response witnessed in 바카라사이트 first few pages of Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish: The Birth of 바카라사이트 Prison. A dancercide replaced a regicide.
Entertainment and celebrity, after Diana’s death, has become a ruthless game. With little education, and little embarrassment at a lack of education, a generation of women and men have been satisfied to transform body dysmorphia, cosmetic surgery, weddings, divorce and children (in any particular order) into 바카라사이트 foundation for fame. The hostility towards Sergeant was not caused because he could not dance. It was created because of his intelligence, wit and charm. When combined with Rihanoff’s savvy techniques in connecting with supporters, British reality television changed.
Confronted by bullying, humiliation and ageism, 바카라사이트 political journalist showed how an intelligent person can win, even as he loses. When 바카라사이트 studio audience greeted Sergeant’s last waltz with a standing ovation, 바카라사이트y were not cheering a dancer or a dancing competition. They recognised that 바카라사이트re can be a space in popular culture for people and programmes that offer voices and views beyond 바카라사이트 dim and 바카라사이트 nimble.
At 바카라사이트 final , Sergeant released a final quip: “The time to leave 바카라사이트 party is before 바카라사이트 fights start.” The smartest man in 바카라사이트 room walked off 바카라사이트 dance floor. Reality television shook with 바카라사이트 realisation that brilliance – ever so occasionally – will triumph over desperate dexterity. The fight for intelligent popular culture begins.
Tara Brabazon is professor of media studies, University of Brighton.
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