Shows like Strictly Come Dancing and I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here are fun – but why are they almost always populated by showbiz and sports types? In the past two series of Strictly, political journalist John Sargeant and politician Anne Widdecombe were introduced as comedic interludes – and there have been no scientists at all. The sterling efforts of some not entirely unadjacent to this parish to get scientists into the mainstream of our cultural life notwithstanding, what we really need is a scientist on prime-time celeb TV.
Now, I could name a fistful of scientists with such experience of fieldwork that they’d eat I’m A Celebrity for breakfast, kangaroo testicles and all, so perhaps Strictly would be more of a challenge. One could imagine (say) Robert Winston cutting a rug in the waltz, or perhaps the paso. He Who Must Not Be Named has the elegance and aggression for the American Smooth.
But if I had to name one scientist who really should be invited, it would be Professor N. S. Clayton, FRS, who is seriously – I mean seriously – good at tango. Go watch.
Whoa, dudes, what about George McGavin; the man is made for I’m a celebrity. Can you imagine the bug eating sections?
Hmm – seem to remember writing a joke column once about “I’m an eminent scientist. get me out of here”. Have to see if I can find it.
Liking the idea that scientists with experience of fieldwork would find I’m a celebrity a breeze.
There was a podcast* on Radio 4 where this subject came up. (Why scientists are not celebrities, not why scientists are not on Strictly.)
IIRC, one of the interviewees thought (heavily précised) that one of the reasons scientists are not celebrities is because what they (we?) do is difficult to understand without years of training, whereas something like art or music can be appreciated at face value.
Maybe we could have “strictly do science” where celebrities are paired with scientists and obliged to do experiments under pressure each week.
*the link will only last a week, I think. The programme is called Moments of Genius.
@James – thanks for hat. I am unfamiliar with Mr McGavin. Must check that out! I hope you don’t mind my tidyin up your comments – sorry you had trouble with the comments system.
@Austin – I look forward to that.
@Erika – have to check that out too. I have my work cut out. But now I can haz write Christmas cards.
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Disinterred article now up on my blog:
“I’m a Celebrity Scientist – Get Me Out Of Here”
Much as I approve of getting scientists ‘out there’, I have little desire to see people who are bad at dancing try to dance, people who can’t sing try to sing etc. I include myself in these categories. But clearly I am out of step with the great viewing public.
Incidentally, I did see Prof Brian Cox on an edition of a comedy panel show (“Would I lie to you”) and heard later that some in the business (of science, not show) had been a bit snide, claiming that this trivialising science. That’s an unfortunate inclination — and one that should be resisted.
And, while I’m at it, I attended Robin Ince’s “Nine Lessons for Godless People” which featured a jolly line-up of singers and stand-up comics and a parade of scientists or science-writers, including Ben Goldacre, Marcus Chown and Simon Singh. They were generally less successful at being funny than the comics because each of them, I think, had a serious point they wanted to make that trumped humour. It is interesting that there is a public appetite for this kind of ‘show. However, if it is to have legs, the participants will want to come up with new material for next year and I’m not sure if the pace of scientific progress is really up to that!
I can do a mean jitterbug.
OTOH, there are a lot of theoreticians, gene jockeys, physicists and chemists who would struggle. Am I evil for thinking chucking them into a tropical forest would be a fun experience to watch?
(and yes, I have done fieldwork. I have even done it in a field)
@ Austin – saw article. Bus/Station nexus moment.
@ Jenny – sure, but how’s your lindyhop?
@ Bob – yes. mwahahahahahahah.
@ Stephen – my intention would not be to find scientists who can’t dance or sing, but those that already can, to show that scientists are real people who don’t spend all day in white coats speaking to one another in equations. Nicky Clayton is a good example – an accomplished dancer as well as a distinguished scientist.
In these shows -Strictly in particular – the aim is to find people famous for something or other and get them to dance. It doesn’t matter what they are famous for, and some ar hardly famous at all, but they always seem to be sports types or TV presenters or actors in soaps. That’s a very narrow range of famous people. Another trend I’ve seen is that these people are recycled – once you’re a celeb you’ll be a celeb everywhere. The only way to become a celeb these days is to have been a contestant in a reality show such as X-Factor or Big Brother. It’s a horrible, PR-driven futile cycle.
My own dance abilities – which have been likened to a drunk accidentaly standing on a skateboard and hurtling off down a steep hill on one foot – will be challenged in January by appearing in pantomime… The challenge is that most of the other dancers are a third of my age, and weight…
Oh yes it is! Oh no it isn’t!
That’s quantum mechanics for you.
Funnily enough, my second ever blog post was about how scientists embarrass themselves by attempting to dance at conference social events. Putting them up in front of a TV audience certainly sounds entertaining, but in my experience would not do too much for the public’s perception of scientists…
Thanks Cath. I think dancing by anyone who isn’t a proper dancer is plain embarrassing. And at conference socials … well, your post brought it all
upback. Me? I’ll be in the bar for a while. But I usually try to get an early night. Bah humbug.