So Nelson Mandela’s granddaughters have a reality show, and as much as I want to stop right there and discuss all the various ways that particular phrase is bonkers and a little mind-melting, there’s simply no time. Not when this happened.
Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway and Swati Dlamini were promoting their own reality TV series, Being Mandela, which begins in the US on Sunday. In an interview with Associated Press they suggested that Mandela, world renowned as a liberation hero, statesman and Nobel peace laureate, “sort of likes” reality TV and will “definitely” watch their show.
“You’ll be interested to know that he loves Toddlers and Tiaras,” a laughing Swati said. Zaziwe added hastily: “Because of the kids! He just loves children.” [Guardian]
Nelson Mandela — 94-year-old, anti-apartheid revolutionary, former political prisoner, 1993 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize Nelson Mandela — loves Toddlers & Tiaras.
I don’t even know how one begins to process that information. This is like borrowing your spouse’s laptop and finding the complete works of Nickelback in their iTunes. Or stumbling into a Hell’s Angels meeting only to find them watching Finding Nemo and dabbing away tears with their Harley Davidson bandanas. Or, well … or like finding out NELSON MANDELA LIKES TODDLERS AND TIARAS. It’s so confusing that it serves as its own preposterous analogy.
Luckily for both my heavily-wrinkled brain and the state of the entire human race, one of his other grandchildren disputes the claim.
Ndileka Mandela, his eldest grandchild, denied any knowledge of Mandela watching reality TV. “I know he watches National Geographic and news channels but I don’t know if he watches Toddlers and Tiaras,” she said. “I’ve never seen him watch the programme.”
If this turns out to be a lie, and two of Nelson Mandela’s grandchildren are running around telling reporters that he loves Toddlers & Tiaras to promote a reality show, I think we can all agree that it would be the worst thing that has ever happened to him.
