The White House’s tasteless Jet2 TikTok fails to take off

    Jess Glynne has publicly expressed her distaste at the video while Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have clarified that they do not endorse the use of their brand for government policy

    Rats In A Sack has its finger on the social media pulse and is, therefore, very familiar with the current trending audios on TikTok. Taking off at the moment is the Jet2 holidays advert, featuring Zoë Lister’s voiceover to Jess Glynne’s Hold My Hand. “Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday! And right now, you can save up to £50 per person, that’s £200 off for a family of four,” Lister’s excitable voice proclaims. 

    The audio has become a popular meme, used in over 1.9 million TikTok videos. More often than not, they feature unfortunate water sports incidents or tongue-in-cheek British coach rides. One even starred an especially aggressive seagull, knocking through windscreen glass with its beak to reach a lone chip it spied on a car dashboard, just as Lister’s voice announces that “nothing beats a Jet2 holiday.”

    They’re usually light-hearted. A spot of British humour just in time for summer. Enter Donald Trump.

    Last week, the White House’s account published a video of people handcuffed, pulled out of a van and being escorted onto a plane by ICE agents to the aforementioned trending audio. The clip ends with a previous shot of Trump offering a thumbs-up to the camera. The caption reads: “When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 holiday deportation. ✈️🎶Nothing beats it!” The tasteless video has been slammed by users yet, remarkably, remains up on the White House’s official account.

    Needless to say, Glynne has publicly expressed her distaste at the move, stating that the post made her “sick” and goes against her music’s aim of “unity”. Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have also clarified that they do not endorse the use of their brand to promote governmental policy. 

    The Trump 2.0 administration spied a trend and turned it sinister. And this, Donald Trump, is why we can’t have nice things. 

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