Disgraced Film Producer Receives This Year’s Dubious Honour
The vote for who will stand in for Guy Fawkes at the Edenbridge Bonfire has courted even more controversy than usual this year.
A bit of harmless fun, or hugely insensitive and inappropriate? This year, it seems everyone has a view on the decision by a Kent charity to burn a 36-foot effigy of Harvey Weinstein at its annual bonfire.
There was a time when this time of year involved bonfires and impromptu firework displays in back gardens, but these days, bonfire night is an altogether more structured and organised affair. Not only does this mean less chance of an accident, with properly trained personnel, fire safety signs and so on, it has also led to 5th November meaning more than just a bonfire and some fireworks.
Displays across the country seek to outdo each other. Some include light shows and some have live music. At Edenbridge, however, the tradition over the past few years has been to substitute Guy for a well known celebrity. Typically, this has involved a reality star, politician or someone of that ilk. This year’s decision to select a man who has been accused of a range of serious criminal offences has certainly added some controversy to what are supposed to be light hearted proceedings.
Previous winners
Never has the word winner been used so loosely, although it is fair to say that many of the previous famous images to go up in flames were those who subscribed to Oscar Wilde’s well worn phrase: “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”
The tradition has been going strong since the 1990s, and has included the likes of Jonathan Ross (2008), Katie Hopkins (2013), and Price (2009) from the world of celebrity, plus political figures such as Donald Trump (2016) and Tony Blair (2004).
A controversial choice
Many believed that President Trump would have the distinguished honour of being burned on the bonfire two years in succession, and others were certain that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un or even Prime Minister Theresa May would be the people’s choice to meet a fiery end.
But as it transpired, the final choice was a figure even more controversial than a politician. Harvey Weinstein is the American film producer behind such big screen classics as Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love. Today, however, he is better known for an increasingly lurid list of criminal allegations relating to sexual assaults and rapes.
Choosing someone who has been accused of such serious crimes certainly raised some eyebrows, and attracted criticism and applause in equal measure. Some felt that the effigy in some way made light of the offences, while others said there could not have been a better choice.
Organisers stressed that this in no way belittles the seriousness of the allegations against Weinstein. One thing is for sure, this year’s event has garnered more media attention than anything that has come before, and where charity fund raisers are concerned, the Oscar Wilde quotation definitely holds true.