This has to be the most pointless and ridiculous story I’ve read in a while.
Hip-hop star, Estelle (okay, I’ll hold my hand up; never heard of her), has apparently accused Jeremy Paxman of being disrespectful to the rapper Dizzee Rascal. As she would have it, Paxman treated Rascal like “an idiot” by asking him “Do you feel yourself to be British?” — within the context of a discussion about race and “Britishness”.
Having watched the interview I actually found Paxman to be quite affectionate (for him!) and the notion that asking a black British man if he feels British is somehow out of order shows a distinct lack of intelligence and, quite possibly, prejudice on the part of Estelle.
“That was so… crazy,” Estelle said. “I don’t ever want to diss another artist that I know is in the same struggle and grind as me, but it was the look on Jeremy Paxman’s face.”
That look suggested to me a good-humoured leg-pull. All three participants seemed to be enjoying the discussion, however different their walks of life may be.
It strikes me that it is actually Estelle who is being the disrespectful one here. Disrespectful to Paxman and to Dizzee Rascal.
