Little wonder the actress rushed to distance herself from an ill-advised TV competition
Just when you think entertainment and celebrity culture cannot get any more surreal, it does. The last few days have seen: professional health officials in several countries feeling obliged to contradict a tweet by Nicki Minaj about her cousin’s friend’s swollen testicles; comedian Larry David being grumpy at unlikely public events; and “inventive” interpretations of the “American independence” theme at the Met Gala, from political slogans on backsides to Kim Kardashian’s head-to-toe black Balenciaga. (Her look reminded me of when the boys in my home town used to put black socks over their trainers to get past the bouncers at the local club, which had a strict shoes-only dress code.) After more than a year of lockdowns, and therefore limited opportunities to shine, famous people are putting themselves out there with gusto.
Nowhere has this chaotic energy been more apparent than in the saga of The Activist, which has been as compelling as a novel, albeit one that would be considered a bit too far-fetched. To recap, American television network CBS announced a new reality show called The Activist, which would pit six political activists against each other in a competition format, measuring their “successes” by online engagement, social media metrics and the judgments of the panel: noted grassroots organisers Julianne Hough, Priyanka Chopra and Usher. The final challenge, a showstopper, if you will, would have seen contestants lobbying at the forthcoming G20 in Rome.