TikTok and foxes

There were plenty of headlines on the go last week, as there always are, although two news items stood out for me above all else.

Both unrelated and each opposite ends of the spectrum; when considered in tandem, I think they can provide something of a lesson in this New Year of hope, 2023.

First there was the story about the English teen whose TikTok account was shut down because her acne was branded as “gruesome content”.

Eva, from North Yorkshire, remarked that she had initially created the account so as to offer encouragement and advice to others because acne “doesn’t define who you are”.

After emailing TikTok to complain (God forbid you might actually get a social media moderator on the phone), the account was reinstated. A spokesperson for the social media platform admitted that they “don’t get every moderation decision right” and “we hope Eva continues to use TikTok to offer encouragement and advice to others, and to share her story.”

To be honest, I hope she doesn’t. I hope she shuts down the account, gives TikTok the fingers and never uses it again. At the end of the day, she doesn’t need people referring to her in such demeaning terms.

Second (and this couldn’t be more unrelated), there was the story about the two-legged fox which was spotted – and footage recorded – in a Derbyshire back garden.

Recorded by Phil and Jane Carter in their garden in Ilkeston, the video shows the fox freely moving around on its two front legs while sniffing around the lawn – most likely for tasty morsels – and it really is an amazing sight. The healthy and mature fox looks completely at ease and has completely adapted to having only two legs.

After the footage went viral, a wildlife expert named Mike Dilger said it was an example of “nature conquering all” and “an amazing survivalist story”.

Now, here we have two differing types of stories and perhaps the only thing that links them is that videos are involved.

One is the story of how a faceless, video-hosting service which makes money through user-submitted content and moreover, how its user-neglect can have such perverse consequences.

The other is a story of how, to paraphrase Jeff Goldblum from Jurassic Park, nature finds a way – in this instance, in the most amazing and inspiring way.

The lesson? Well…

Social media in general is a great tool, for entertainment, news and for staying in touch with our nearest and dearest. However there is very little in the way of inspiration on TikTok and in fact, if Eva’s experience is anything to go by, it can be demeaning and insulting – and that’s not even abuse from trolls.

Going by just these two news items and bearing in mind we’re only just into a new year, I think there has never been a better time to put our phones down and head outside. You might not see a two-legged fox but no matter what you see, you’re not going to be called gruesome by the great outdoors, except of course if you happen to bump into TikTok moderators.

Here endeth the lesson.

On with the programming!

First up and in no particular order is Travel Man: 24 Hours in Vilinus (Friday at 8.30pm on Channel4)…

Joe Lycett explores how to get the most out of a weekend away with a fun-packed, 48-hour itinerary of trademark humour and facts. This time, fellow comedian Sarah Millican joins him for an exploration of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. The duo take to the skies to see the city from above – an experience they find by turns terrifying, thrilling and beautiful. Keen to explore Lithuanian cuisine, they sample cold beetroot soup and cepelini dumplings washed down with gira, a drink made from fermented beer. Later, the pair explore Vilnius’s medieval centre on foot, taking in Gediminas’s tower and Lukiskes Prison.

Or (and lastly), The Great Pottery Throwdown continues on Sunday at 7.45pm on Channel 4…

Siobhán McSweeney sets the 11 remaining potters a deceptive challenge, in which they must make a keepsake box with a disguised lid and perform an unusual task while blindfolded. Judges Rich Miller and Keith Brymer Jones must decide who is potter of the week and who will leave the pottery.

The first episode is available on catch-up.