Free For All

While Indian news anchors demonstrate restrain,political correctness and civility are hardly a consideration on reality shows.

Broadcast journalist Martin Bashir,who shot into prominence two decades ago with his controversial interviews with Princess Diana and Michael Jackson,has resigned after calling Sarah Palin a world class idiot on his TV show on MSNBC. His on-air outburst was triggered by a speech by the former Governor of Alaska in which she asserted that the United States borrowing money from China is the equivalent of slavery. An outraged Bashir further proclaimed that Palin should be forced to eat excrement,alluding to a diary notation of a plantation owner describing punishments for slaves.

MSNBC has recently also cancelled actor Alec Baldwins late night talk show after the Hollywood star was caught on camera using a homophobic slur during an argument with a New York paparazzo. In politically correct America,there is little tolerance for socially irresponsible behaviour on TV.

Given how heated and volatile our anchors and panel lists get every evening on Indian news channels,it is a miracle that no one has yet let loose a volley of abuse on prime time. Using colourful language and four-letter words is second nature to many who regularly appear on news programmes,and it is admirable that despite all the hectoring and haranguing,they have restrained themselves,perhaps aware that using profanities on-air can mean an end to their political and/or broadcast careers.

However,when it comes to reality shows,there is absolutely no verbal restraint shown by the participants,who delight in abusing one another using an assortment of slurs and epithets.

The current season of Bigg Boss has the fair-skinned Armaan Kohli repeatedly calling soap star Kushal Tandon kaaliya in retaliation for being dubbed a budhdha. This despite the fact that young Kushal possesses what can,at best,be referred to as a wheatish complexion and Armaan is 45 years old and not quite the geriatric he is being made out to be. Another irrepressible character,Ajaz Khan,taunts Armaan by dubbing him a flop actor and is in turn called dedh footiya by Armaan because he is shorter than him.

Any semblance of political correctness and civility is discarded as these overgrown boys pillory one another on prime time much to the delight of viewers who dial in and cast votes to save their favourite participants from being evicted.

In this free for all,even the women show little restraint,as Gauhar Khan taunts Tanisha for being 5 feet 2 inches tall and constantly

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wearing high heels,while Tanisha mocks the fact that Gauhar is prone to fainting spells and maintains that this is not a medical condition but a ploy to garner audience sympathy.

Amid this merry TRP driven tamasha,I am amazed that no one has raised objection to the use of such ageist,racist and sizist diatribes.

In a country where Bollywood stars endorse fairness creams,calling someone kaaliya as a pejorative term seems normal. An actor is mocked for being vertically challenged and he laughs it off saying all the top heroes are dedh footiyas. Considered a has-been at the age of 45,the prickly Armaan Kohli takes umbrage at being called budhdha when it is senior citizens who should be offended by such insensitive ageist remarks. Tanisha simpers and tolerates abuse from Armaan who she is hopelessly besotted with,making feminists cringe at her subservient behaviour.

People take reality shows with a dollop of salt but the subliminal messages that are sent out to viewers,particularly children,have long term ramifications.

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If we are to evolve as a society,we cant allow invective and insensitivity to pass off as entertainment.

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