Big Bully

Like most of the rest of the country, I've been watching Celebrity Big Brother. There's been endless debate about the taunting of Shilpa Shetty, the unsuspecting Bollywood actress who is currently in the house.

The 'is it racism or just plain bullying?' question is on phone-ins, on message boards and is being talked about by nearly everyone. Of course, there are those who moan that the people who object to the way Shilpa is treated should switch off their TVs. Now, how disingenuous is that? Just because you don't watch a programme doesn't mean you can't – and shouldn't – take an interest in what is going on. Very silly reasoning that's trotted out by those too lazy to formulate an argument or hold a point of view but still want to be included somehow...

As far as I can see, the three women at the centre of the row - Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O'Meara – are definitely bullies, and you can just imagine what they were like as kids. But are they racists? Jackiey (Jade's mother) using the term 'the Indian' in a derogatory fashion makes the term offensive. Calling someone you detest a 'silly cow' is fairly tame but change it to 'silly Indian cow' and, well, it's pretty obvious. Context is crucial. And the context here is that Jackiey hates Shilpa. As an aside, today, Jade has said she wants to head-butt Shilpa apropos of something to do with Oxo stock cubes. Oh, genes, what have you made? Jackiey, you must be so proud. Bet you are, aren't you? Tragic.

People have argued that Jackiey, who referred to Shilpa as 'the Indian' several times (including during the post-show interview, where she was inexplicably described as 'an awesome housemate' by Davina McCall, who is the antithesis of Jeremy Paxman), had a problem with saying her name. Two syllables can be a bit much when you're about as bright as plankton piss, I guess. Well, I'm sure she's said the words 'shilling' or 'sh*t' before, and I guess she could manage 'pat' or 'pants'... That should take care of the syllables needed, surely. Or can't she quite manage her mother tongue??

If indeed 'Shilpa' is a tricky word to get one's tongue around, how about calling her 'the actress'? The fact that Jackiey chose to use nationality as a descriptive term while spouting bile about the woman is significant, I feel. You wouldn't get away with it in an office. And there were comments and questions about Shilpa living in a shack, looking like a 'dog', being called a 'f*cking c*nt', having a 'monkey face', and the stuff about 'how they eat over there...', and oh, the 'fact' that Indians are all thin as they don't cook their food properly... Shilpa can appear imperious and slightly aloof, but what is the woman to do in the face of such rude, foul, dull, inarticulate, asinine housemates? She deserves a medal for endurance. And if there's any justice, she'll win this game.