We reported earlier on Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty’s venture into the Celebrity Big Brother house in the UK. We thought things were going smoothly for her when reader Jai informed us that Shilpa was part of a reshuffle in the house where
“8 housemates voluntarily transferred into an adjoining, and significantly dodgier, “servants’ quarters”, with the intention that the 3 remaining celebrities would be treated like royalty by them. It appears that they all selected the lucky 3 on the basis of them having the highest status in the real world — Shilpa was one of them, along with Jermaine Jackson and a famous director called Ken Russell. So that’s an interesting indication of how they view her.”
Jai signed on again, despite starting a new job (congrats jai!), to let us know how things were progressing for Shilpa and the gang. It seemed she had bonded with the other major stars on the show, especially Jermaine Jackson and Dirk Benedict (Face from the A-team) who was crushing hard core on the Bollywood star. At the same time it seems, Shilpa was also the victim of a lot of bullying and even some acts of racism from some of the housemates (especially the ladies). Over the past few days, fellow participants have called Shilpa “dog, “”The Indian,” and have even mocked her accent. One of the Bullyers according to the Daily Mirror is previous Big Brother winner Jade Goody. Goody, who supports Act Against Bullying, an anti-bullying charity, was swiftly given the boot by the the charity because of her actions. Act Againts Bullyying called Goody’s behaviour “unforgivable”.
Jade’s mother Jackey too got in on the anti-Shilpa act. According to Caroline Malone, who was recently evicted, “Jade’s mum Jackiey hated Shilpa and constantly referred to her as “The Indian” which I found horribly insulting. Jackiey made life purposely difficult for Shilpa – shouting at her for no reason, criticising her cooking, attacking her for being bossy.” (link)
Hey, you don’t like someone? Call them names, use their race, ethnic origin, or anything that makes them different and mock that as well. Have your mom call them names, and have your boyfriend call them names too. That solves everything. It turns out Jade’s boyfriend Jack Tweed— who is also currently in the house, and was alleged to have called Shetty a “paki” when Jade’s mother was evicted last week; Channel 4, the channel on which Big Brother airs, has confirmed that Tweed didn’t call Shetty a Paki, but instead the clearly more civilized, “cunt.” Last night Shetty was in tears and is quoted as saying: “I’m the only one they are mean to, I don’t know why. Nobody is mean to anyone else except me.” (link)
The Hindustan Times reports that many viewers think Shilpa is being targeted out of jealousy. I was quite surprised to hear that Shilpa was being paid more than everyone else $680,000, against the standard fee of $610,000. She has also been more popular in the media than other participants, mostly B- and C-list celebs (link). Even though I am a fan of the reality tv genre, I am constantly amazed at how foolish and idiotic adults can act on these shows. Things have gotten so bad in the house for Shilpa that the BBC has reported that British Media watchdog Ofcom and Channel 4 have received almost 10,000 complaints about the racist behavior and bullying thus far. Showing solidairty with his Asian sister and his many British Asian constituents, Leicester East MP Keith Vaz even tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons against the alleged racist behaviour on Big Brother. The motion reads: “…This House views with concern comments made about… Shilpa Shetty by other housemates; believes that Big Brother has a role… in preventing racist behaviour…; regrets that these comments have been made, and calls on the programme to take… action to remind housemates that racist behaviour is unacceptable.” While Ofcom has indicated that it is looking into each complaint of racist behavior on the show, no matter how much investigation they do, it won’t change the resentment/negative feelings that seems to exist in some segments of British society. You can’t investigate that away.
Re Hindi. It’s funny despite the widespread use of what I call “Aaj Tak” hindi, very few people read Hindi literature. If you compare publishing in Hindi to publishing in Bengali, Malyalam or Tamil, the numbers are hugely disproportionate. I understand this is a generalization (caveat caveat), but I find that urban English speaking Malyalis, Kannadiga, Marathis or Bengalis, generally read more literature than Hindi speaking members of the same social class.
In Bengal, Puja times sees the publication of a huge range of books and magazines covering all genres from detective stories, science fiction to nonsense verse U.R. Ananthamurthy is political and cultural force to reckon with in Karnataka. Malyali authors are household names, but writers in Hindi are rarely seen or heard outside Sahitya Kala Akademi conferences.
I am willing to be corrected, but from what I have seen the Hindi belt lacks a reading culture.
but from what I have seen the Hindi belt lacks a reading culture.
I agree with some of your points. However,
Some of the greatest Indian (prose) writers have been from Hindi belt writing in Hindi-Urdu (in addition to other parts of India, obviously from Bengal). To name a few of them:
1) Munshi Premchand (the Shakespeare of India) 2) Guleri 3) Bhisham Sahani (one of the most powerful modern writer)
Munshi Perchand is the household name in India.
Now to poems, Mirza Galib. No even comes close.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/3932975a12.html
“Indian papers say racism thrives in India”
“While condemning “racist jibes” thrown at a Bollywood star on Celebrity Big Brother, several major Indian newspapers said the country should examine its own prejudices before expressing national outrage.”
“”Discrimination on the basis of colour is ingrained in the psyche of most Indians,” the newspaper said. “What else explains the quest for the holy grail of fair brides across the country?”
“Many of India’s one billion people still live within a hierarchy imposed by the Hindu caste system that, for example, stops low castes entering some important temples decades after such discrimination was outlawed.”
“”Indian responses should also factor in our own record of prejudice . . . If racism is a fact in many interactions in British society, prejudice is a quotidian reality of Indian social life,” the Indian Express said in its editorial. While in Britian there were institutions in place to deal with discrimination and Western nations were alert to racist attitudes, the Express concluded, in India the victims of such abuse often have nowhere to turn.”
As a hindi speaker, I am sorry to say I’ll mostly have to agree with you. There was a strong reading culture around Lucknow and Allahabad even till the mid 1970s, with a sizable readership for both hindi and urdu(There were excellent literary magazines such as Sarika, Dharmayug, etc). However, it declined, partly because the elite anglicized (perhaps due to proximity to Delhi). Also writing in hindi became strongly politicized with a communist ideology(nothing hurts literature more than subservience to an ideology).
My parents mostly encouraged me to read tranlations from bengali and tamil instead of hindi, because they felt contemporary hindi literature’s lack of quality.
In my experience men usually target men for racism and it is not always verbal… like the last time two white dudes threatened to cut my balls with their halloween sword as I walked to my apartment.
@Doordarshan,
Those are some pretty good points to reflect on. At the beginning of this whole thing I found myself thinking, how the housemates have been completely obnoxious towards an Indian, didn’t think much about the fact that she was a Bollywood star (honestly, I find Shilpa’s Bollywood record rather unimpressive, however kudos to her to pursue this opportunity). After reading the opinion posted by you (@Doordarshan), I am reminded of the caste and color divide that is embedded in the Indian culture itself. What if this Big Brother was featured within a household full of Indian aunties (I think auntie, because I remember growing up, it was mainly the aunties who would compare my skin color with my siblings. I remember looking at them and sensing the hidden “oh.. it will be hard to look for a husband for you when you grow up” while we went shopping for clothes and finding colors that contrasted greatly with my skin color ) looking to marry off their sons and are being wooed by Indian girls who were fair, dark and came from many different castes and with different levels of educational and professional skills? I wonder who the typical auntie will pick for her son. I know that there are a lot of indians who do not care so much for color but for the education and behavior but typically what is the general outlook.
I’m not sure what others feel but in my mind calling shilpa shetty ‘ shilpa poppadum’ as seen in todays CBB episode by Jade was abhorrent. What she can think of poppadum but not the simple syllabuled name ‘shetty’? Despite her protests when BB called her up on it and then the fake apology to shilpa I hope most people can see this is one at worst nasty at best , super stupid person.
I’m not sure what others feel but in my mind calling shilpa shetty ‘ shilpa poppadum’ as seen in todays CBB episode by Jade was abhorrent. What she can think of poppadum but not the simple syllabuled name ‘shetty’? Despite her protests when BB called her up on it and then the fake apology to shilpa I hope most people can see this is one at worst nasty rasicist and for the sympathisers, at best , super stupid person. Just cos she’s mixed race doesn’t mean she is automatically exempt from having racist tendencies.
Sakshi, Red: i cannot agree more with you guys. Ah, Sarika and Dharmayug :). Add to that Chandamama and Nandan for kids :). Sarika and Dharmayug are not even published these days, am not sure if Chandamama and Nandan are also published anymore.
Its the same for Punjabi literature also. I don’t even know the names of new writers if any. Its like literature ahs frozen in time…..What evem more painful is that even if you want to buy old literature books in regional languages, there are hardly any book shops selling them. Go to Strands, Teksons, Gangarams-is there any corner for Hindi/Regional literature?
and yes, i too remember having taken to translations of Bengali, Marathi, Tamil and Kannada literature…..
But you’re able to assess this despite the fact that you admit that you can’t speak Hindi without thinking and your grammar isn’t good? How would you know if the quality is worse? Languages have historically evolved, so maybe Hindi is just changing, not getting worse. I don’t have to think before I speak in Hindi, and I have never thought it was “inappropriate” to speak it in any situation in a Hindi speaking area. Then again, I don’t often stay at 5 star hotels.
After watching the clips on youtube, I am more for Jade, than for Shilpa. I don’t know why I feel like this, may be because I have spent more than 10 years in a hostel, and I have worked with people from various nationalities on hands-on maintenance jobs. I mean if someone calls me an Indian, how can I deny that? I am an Indian. Why should I feel bad about it? Correct me if I am wrong, but why should that behavior be labeled racist? I have a feeling that if Shilpa spent her childhood in a hostel, she wouldn’t behave like this. Anyone feels the same way?
When I read this in the BBC report, I agree.
I don’t know if this has been mentioned yet, but I just watched this on BBC, where Shilpa stated that she has not been bullied or had any racial slurs thrown at her.
Chandamama was the best!
As someone who is a student of both the Media and British Politics, I have been following this closely since the beginning. And things escalated far beyond simply being called “the Indian.” Google videos, since they are longer have sections of the live feeds which don’t make into the highlights–as does YouTube but cut into 10 minute sections.
Shilpa never heard anyone calling her the “Indian.” Most of the allegedly racist remarks were said behind her back. So she is not behaving in anyway to possible racism. What she did respond toward was the blatant ganging up and bullying the three women displayed. And yes, she did later wonder if it was racism. But later took it back when Big Brother asked her to clarify, because in her view she has seen no proof of it, nor has any other Housemate on her side implied of the racial elements to it. But the viewers have seen many of the remarks and behavior. If not on the Highlights, on the live feeds, which give a much cleared and larger picture.
My comprehension is 100%, I can easily tell well-spoken Hindi from Hinglish, thank you very much. I speak fairly well too (especially considering I grew up in NJ), just get rusty living here…in India, I become pretty fluent after a few weeks. I KNOW the grammar (I’ve studied it) but yes in rapid speech I do make some mistakes. My accent always gets compliments. I think you’re arguing just for the sake of arguing now, your points are making less and less sense.
Languages do evolve. However I think the current rate of extremely rapid “evolution” is indicative of other forces beyond just the natural course of linguistic change. It speaks of marginalisation, diglossia, snobbery, and lack of any of the usual safeguards that help to preserve a language. The early stages of language death. The status of Punjabi in Pakistan is an even better example…the language is sorely neglected, not taught in schools, not spoken by parents to children in educated families, and generally losing ground in urban areas. A recent survey done in Lahore showed that many words which were common just 20 years ago, are now known by only a small percentage of youth. That’s not simply evolution, it speaks to systematic harm.
Excellent. I wish more were like you. Good luck.
Anyway, I’m done with this language issue (for now), unless there’s something I really feel I should respond to. I’ll let you have the last word on this if you’d like.
When I mean google videos, I especially mean http://video.google.co.uk
If Punjabi language withers, and our folk songs are not understood, our community is pretty much lost of some of its vital well-spring. The ability to comprehend Punjabi is still one of the best ways to read our religious texts. Amitabh’s comments become much less about “authenticity policing” from that point of view. People think Punjabis are all about puffing out their chest, but, um, we’re a pretty small community who has faced some long odds. And we keep coming out fighting.
Keep blazing Amitabh
i just think it is awesome that folks in india are burning crap and tons of people have written into complain and now a corporation has pulled funding from the show.
let the mutiny begin!
(and by the way, i think abhi is sick of the shilpa shetty stuff, check out the SM news page)
david cameron says that if you are bothered by the alleged racism, you should turn off your television. because we all know that will solve the problem.
now THIS is interesting: http://www.suryasays.com/2007/01/18/my-take-on-the-shilpa-shettybig-brother-controversy/
keshif, the link you posted is really interesting. surya is right — any exposure of indecency always attracts negative attention. maybe shilpa should have prepared herself for something like this, but then again, the real question is what can we do in society to prevent this from happening again? create a more litigious society in britain? fight against alcoholism? make people who make public statements of a racial or sexual nature apologize publicly? launch a civil rights movement in britain?
abhi was sick of the story 3 days ago…and i’m totally on abhi’s side..evertime i see her name i think of hell.
she was paid 1/2 a million to be on the show in a house with b/c list stars (and sorry to break it to some folks but she isn’t an A list celebrity, no A list bollywood star would be caught dead in this thing)..i think she now even refutes racism charges here… and hell it’s all for ratings anyways..
anti-reality tv movement.
(did anyone see ‘my name is earl’ with the online indian friend ;))?
anti-
realitytv movement.anti-
reality tvfillumi movement.Gush Gush.. OMG! He was looking so HAWWTT!!.. OMG OMG.
… that tractor thread looks real neat though.
I am surprised how much importance desis give to bollywood and its stars. Well, Americans fawn over the ciphers that populate Hollywood too, but at least they occasionally make a good film.
Seriously uncreative derivative cinema, and an industry largely funded by Mohammedan blood money. And yet the woes of one of its b-listers becomes an international incident.
namitabh, yeah– i thought it was really interesting. especially since the dude who wrote it surya is on reality tv. the apprentice. he lives in cincinnati where i’m from. given his connection to reality tv, i’m guessing his take will blow up.
i didn’t know he was on the apprentice!
i don’t know why south asian/asian activist groups in the US haven’t issued any statements on this case, though. wasn’t big brother originally based in the US? or the caucus for indian-americans or the washington political center.
i suppose i can understand inasmuch as an “american” has not been targeted, but given the growing influence of bollywood in north america, it is a big deal (to me, anyway).
GOD when will this story stop…its been running day and night here in india and im getting sick of it…somehow i think its all one big publicity stunt…as noticed by the steady increase in the ratings. Yeah she isnt a A list celebrity either…ive only seen one of her movies (Dus) lol.
To all who are sick of Shilpa Shetty story:
There is a “Chav” culture in Britain that is lets say a mix of trailer trash and hip-hop. They admire worthless celebrity females who care nothing about bullying, boozing, appearing naked, swearing and making fools of themselves in public. The are hated by many middle class people of all races. They have been articles about the decline of British society because of this chav culture. But anyone criticizing them are accused of looking down on the lower class. Now someone is taking them on.
This big brother has turned into a dirty slagging match between the Beautiful but classy Indian underdog and three vile Chavs. And “the Indian” is winning. She is winning by refusing to fall into their ways and maintaining her dignity in the face of horrible bullying. And her cheering section includes two Americans. Watch unedited shows to get the whole story.
I’m loving this. This is a win for conservatism and it doesn’t matter that the one fighting on our side is an “actress”.
What does ‘chav’ stand for, come from, abbreviate etc.?
Although I’m quoting Amitabh here, I don’t mean to target him specifically. The comment above is just one of many on the internet which refer to Jade’s socioeconomic class.
Here’s the thing – even with the greater role of desis in British society, there are still going to be certain classes who have no personal exposure to British people of different ethnicity or socioeconomic class, let alone to people of other countries (like Shilpa). So, one can expect Jade and her mother to assume that:
So I think it all starts there. Now, if at that point a counselor could come in and speak to them about the hidden expectations they hold about how it is “normal” for people to behave, perhaps that would have helped. Of course the show is not structured that way, so the situation festers.
Add to it the other strong motives of wanting to win the competition and of jealousy of her higher socioeconomic background and its products (success, beauty, well-spokenness), and of certain ideas they may have about what their own behavior means and how it identifies them with the class they identify as being from (e.g., rudeness: “I’m straightforward [NOT LIKE THOSE SNOBBY RICH PEOPLE]”). You’re going to get everything from miscommunication to bullying. (I saw a clip where Jade flew off the handle when she thought one of the other contestants had behaved in a way which eliminated a food shopping opportunity for the designated “servants.” It was pretty clear she was identifying herself, psychologically, with the “downtrodden,” against the “privileged.”)
And of course, in the mix, is latent racism: expectation of entitlement to higher status than a darker person. Latent racism of some sort or other is within everybody, and it will find expression in situations of subjective or objective stress or threat or competition.
So, because Shilpa is of a different race and the latent racism is there, it emerges as the situation escalates – but the situation is initiated by inexperience, misunderstanding, and jealousy.
Shilpa, on the other hand, has the education to be able to detach herself from her emotional reactions and rationalize that she is not used to living with people from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
We (meaning the majority of people commenting over the Internet) rightly identify the resulting behavior and comments as racist, but then turn around and condemn the people from lower, insular socioeconomic classes for not having experience they cannot be expected to have. And there are many comments (not from SM’ers of course) which turn on the bullyers for being “fat and ugly and trashy.”
So it’s PC to be anti-racist but OK to be classist? Does this really serve the cause of fighting racism?
Note, I would not use this analysis if Jade (can’t speak for Danielle and others) were from a solidly bourgeois family. There you would expect that there would be more experience in interacting with others of different ethnicities and classes, which are abundantly present in British society.
That pretty much becomes the case in these sorts of arguments. The whole “Southern people are racist hicks” angle, the term “white trash” itself–maybe it’s because it’s easier to think that people hate you because they are ignorant and low class and don’t know any better. But the reality is racism transcends class; it’s just more subtle, and therefore sometimes more dangerous when it comes from the upper echelons of society.
Interestingly, the predominant discourse on SM has a distinct majoritarian aspect as well, and people who chafe at that become quite disenchanted. Step out of the bounds and you’ll know it quite soon
This is in itself, is problematic. One does not neccesarily need a familiarity with international travel to be able to understand that different people carry different mannerisms. I think the discussion on why those girls are saying what they are saying is being shunted into a classist discussion not by internet commentators, but by the originally classist discourse that exists in the UK
There was a lot going on than just calling her ‘an Indian’. One girl calls her a dog (00:35). My comments here didn’t portray the full story. I am sorry for the hasty judgment.
Addendum to my earlier post:
But does that comment reflect only the ‘chav’ culture? Here’s (scroll down little) what Nobel Laureate Winston Churchill said in his elegant prose to the Palestine Royal Commission in 1937:
I do not agree that the dog in a manger has the final right to the manger even though he may have lain there for a very long time. I do not admit that right. I do not admit for instance, that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia. I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place.
No, but one needs to have had actual experience mixing with people from different economic classes and ethnicities, or at least to have had someone introduce you to the concept that someone from a different place may have different behavioral expressions than you would assume given a situation. I live in a very small place where many people have not mixed with people other than from the small society here and the tendency is to be thrown off very easily by any small differences. They are not racist, but they feel uncomfortable/confused/disoriented.
I don’t think the above addresses anything I was saying, but anyhow it need not be “shunted” into a classist discourse or repackaged as one – the classist issues are as integral to what is happening as any racist issues.
Doesn’t really matter what the actual words are; the context and intent determine whether the utterance is racist.
Naiverealist, nice. 🙂 As desishiksa said, racism by the powerful (the power structure) is the real issue.
As peculiar as the dynamic on the show is, the analyses of that dynamic are just as weird. Jade is going to be crucified as a racist for a long time to come, yet she’s made the least amount of racist comment, if any. Danielle and Jo have been quietly sneering, poking fun at Shilpa’s accent, her ‘fingering the food’, her cooking, calling her a dog etc., but no one is calling for their heads. Why not? Because they’re not quite as ‘low’ as Jade? Because they don’t shout and scream the way a ‘chav’ is supposed to, and Jade does? I find D and J to be far more sinister, the sort of sneering bystanders who do nothing to help a victim, and who egg on perpetrators.
I disagree with you, I think they are not confused or disoriented, but are insecure and are being competitive, and willfully mean. That they have not been around other communities I think is less important. I don’t think one needs to have mixed specifically with people of different communities neccesarily to have an appreciation for other ways of thinking.
The driving factor that has set the parameters of the discussion; are these women mean because they are low-class, is not being set by individual commentators acting a priori, but by the already-set parameters of class discussion in the UK. They have been neatly plugged into the “common chavs acting like they commonly do” not by individual commentators, but by the nature of society in the UK
I totally agree.
Um, I’m talking about the people where I live, not Jade and co. You missed some context there.
You’d be surprised. Even educated people, who intellectually grasp that others have other ways of behaving even basically (e.g. the correct frequency for “thank you”), can have gut reactions of confusion when one of these basic differences occurs – especially if they come from and live in a small, insular society.
But people from societies all over the world are using “low-class” markers as pejoratives against the bullies. Not just UK commenters. US for example is just as dismissive of certain lower socioeconomic classes.
Earlier you said that the bullies on the show were disoriented as well.
An insular society meaning one in which diversity of thought is not valued? My contention is just that being able to appreciate different ways of thinking is not mediated by class-conditions. People who are working class and with little literacy or exposure to travel can be quite open-minded through other means
My take is that the form the discussion has taken, once it was noted that the behavior was wrong, was that Jo and others were doing these things because they were low class. And this answer to the problem is an answer being driven not by individual commentators, but by the already well-entrenched discourse in the UK. The same point “Disgusted” made
True! And I believe that is the original root. But I have not discounted the role, as the situation develops, of competitiveness and insecurity, as I said in my original comment.
An insular society meaning one which is not often joined by outsiders (due to location, as in my case, or to class stigma, as could be in some other cases like Jade’s)
What means?
Yeah, and I said in response that people all over the world, who have never been to the UK, are responding in exactly the same way without being shaped by the well-entrenched discourse in the UK.
Meaning that, cultures which are not able to appreciate diversity of thought are not those cultures that are poor. Cultures that are poor can be cultures that appreciate diversity of thought independantly of level of literacy or levels of poverty.
That would be my basic contention, and would be curious as to whether you agree or disagree. I was assuming that your point was, that because Jo comes from a poor community, she may not be able to be pen-minded to other ways of thinking. And I disagree with that.
Two things, one that classism is entrenched a lot of places, and two, the reason I tried making that point was just that I think its an important distinction to make that the tone is probably set by a sector of society that is not low class, but is probably equally prejudiced as the “chav” class
We may not be disagreeing on too much
Deepa, you make valid points…but on a much more basic level, Jade and co. are just not nice people, simple. A lot of their behaviour could be cultural, and due to their socioeconomic class, their socialisation process as kids (anyone with Jackie as a mother is going to end up very messed up, Jade actually turned out better than one might expect) BUT I’m sure there are individual differences too in terms of how much basic human decency a person has. Doubtless there are people from Jade’s background who would not be quite so abrasive and insulting in this situation. Anyway, it’s apparent that Jade and her mom have lived a hardscrabble life, and they are certainly not equipped to deal with someone like Shilpa Shetty. It would be kind of comical if it didn’t feel so bad to see Shilpa treated like that. By the way, when I called Jade low-class, I was referring more to her behaviour than her socioeconomic class per se, although I agree with you there is an overlap.
The desi immigrants who migrated to the UK in the 50s/60s/70s had to deal with people like Jackie and her ilk on a daily basis. In fact the racism (from what I’m told) was far more upfront and unhidden (and violent). Fortunately many of the desis themselves were hardscrabble people from rural backgrounds (although with a much more intact culture and stronger sense of identity, as well as much stronger family ties), and their UK-born kids managed to learn how to fight fire with fire and deal with these people head on.
by, in part reviving their folk traditions and adapting them to new uses
From today’s Wall Street Journal –
Telefónica Urged to Sell Stake
January 19, 2007; Page C3
LONDON — As many as a dozen private-equity firms and broadcasters are urging Telefónica SA to sell its controlling stake in Endemol NV, the creator of the “Big Brother” television programs, people close to the situation said.
The Spanish telecommunications group has said Endemol, based in the Netherlands, isn’t a core business and will be sold. But so far it has balked at selling the 75% it still owns.
It sold a 25% stake through a stock-market listing in November 2005. The company is valued at about €2.4 billion ($3.1 billion), based on its stock price.
Endemol and Telefónica declined to comment.
Can someone post a link to a racist clip?
All I’ve seen so far on youtube was clips from news programs stating that there is protest via thousands of emails over “alleged” racism.
I’ve also seen a few clips from the show, but no racism.
As regards the Mom who called Shilpa “the Indian”, isn’t that was Shilpa is? An Indian? It would be like me getting upset over the same Mom calling me “the American” if I were on the show. Would I have something to be upset about or grateful for?
As far as the “bleach” clip – totally staged! Believe you me, no woman is going to parade around with bleach on her face asking cheerfully, “anyone for bleach?” in front of a group of people. When we do these types of things – we do it in private. We seek to cover our blemishes and imperfections and the fact that we have to do something about them, rather than celebrate it openly.
And she does not bleach her facial hair, if she did, it would be noticeable, even on TV. She might as well just have admitted that she bleaches her skin tone, rather than say she has “baby hairs”. Besides, “baby hairs don’t need to be bleached. If anything they will be even more noticeable after a bleach job.
Reality TV is totally fake.
hairy_d,
How cool! btw, any admirers of the poet Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’ here? I agree that the selection of Hindi literature in school was somehow lifeless.
Sorry, misunderstood the question. The means could be several. Even if they are in isolated areas, most people do have visitors from other regions from time to time. If you live in a region in which these interactions are valued, then you’d probably be more likely to value difference as a valuable and interesting thing even if such interactions don’t happen often