Shilpa Shetty, Reality TV protests go global.

steven_ber

Politicians enter Big Brother row.

Gordon Brown has become involved in the row over alleged racism on Celebrity Big Brother during a visit to India.

The programme drew its third-largest audience of the series amid more than 21,000 complaints about housemates' treatment of Indian star Shilpa Shetty.

In other developments:

- A small-scale protest in the eastern Indian city of Patna saw the burning of an effigy

- Bollywood actress Shetty's family issued a statement saying they were "overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support"

- TV regulator Ofcom said it had received a record number of complaints for a television broadcast - over 19,300

- Bookmaker William Hill made Shetty favourite to win Celebrity Big Brother

Full Article. (BBC)

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Palexurdy

Herd mentality...

NickyG

I am very embarrassed by this whole furore. I have never, nor will ever, watch Big Brother. I feel deeply ashamed that the attitudes and opinions displayed by the attention seeking participants of this puerile programme are deemed as representative of a nation to which I still feel pride in. Unfortunately the publicity will boost the ratings and further line the pockets of the programme makers who must be laughing into their bank balances. Please let us take a reasonable view of this. Don't judge us all by these moronic ill-educated fools who should not have access to such a wide audience.

PeakXV

I think this all pretty shetty and eveybody should be ashamed.

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palerider

OOOOOH isn't it tragic that the word "reality", has gone the same way as "paradise". Neither are what they say they are anymore.
Big Brother in Australia was renamed " when good assholes go bad"
by a lot of people,
The participants were Pig ignorant, racist neanderthals, whose one obsession in life, let alone on the telly, was to bonk anything that still drew breath, or failing that, to expose their wholly inadequate genital prowess to anyone either in the phone book or not in the phone book. Legends in their own lunchtimes.
As one famous wit observed...."these people are "never was's ", trying hard to be invisible has beens."
Oh golly have I been too harsh?.
Maybe they could amalgamate a few of these type of shows?.
Say big bachelor wife swap survivor race apprentice weight loss rally
. Now I'd pay to see that.

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stellap

Second that!

fnm500

Palexurdy is spot on with his assessment that these shows thrive due to the herd mentality.

I'm a living example of it.Until today I tried to avoid the show. I was proud of myself to have never seen a single episode of BB.But reading the stuff about Shilpa Shetty day in day out at in the Metro newspaper aroused my curiousity.Sure enough I switched on the telly tonight to see whats happening.And promptly fell into the trap..Like NickyG observed correctly, the only ones laughing here are the TV show producers.
The best response is to not watch this idiotic show anymore..(I have to say though that some of those remarks made by Jade etc did sound quite racist..)

Palexurdy

Until yesterday, there had been 2000-3000 complaints, yet when the free-thinking public read half-a-page of tabloid gossip, or see a 20 second clip of the show, the complaints increase tenfold. Methinks the issue may have touched a sore spot amongst a large portion of Middle-England.

capt_mahajan

Agree with the herd mentality bit. Also agree completely that the actions of a few should not be used to judge the majority.

Having had racist remarks passed on me in the UK, and elsewhere, I can tell you that it makes you very angry, though. The whole colonial thing comes up in your head.

The trick is not to let it colour your opinion of a whole country and to realise that the sins of the fathers do not have to be placed on the doorsteps of their children.

Other than that, I feel this is just a storm over probably a third rate show.

Digital Drifter

this is pushing buttons (as Palerider's post mentioned before in another thread).
most probably the producers saw fit to include the nasties. There is no such thing as bad publicity. So for the next couple of weeks, there will be an uptick in viewers, advertisers, and bank balances of the producers.

Bank balances of the producers.

Remember that.

People on the show? mostly ones who need counseling including shilpa shetty.

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capt_mahajan

Already sick of the coverage on Indian TV and newspapers. Is this really front page news?

The Indian media is going the tabloid way, even the so called mainstream newspapers.

icetea

I just feel that the whole thing is blown waaay out of proportion. Let's face it, there are far worse racist comments than calling someone "the Indian", "the Paki", or mispronouncing a name. While I really do understand how hurt and singled out Shilpa must have felt by the remarks, I have a feeling she is just being a big big sissy; after all, if she ever watched the show before, which she should have, she could have realised that it's a dog eat dog thing. As she said, crying, "It's just a game!"...and I feel that it's her who doesn't understand that in the first place. It's a competition game where people will do and say just about anything it takes for them to win the race. So if she joined and presumably understood the rules of the game, she is expected to do the same, and not act like a wounded swan...it's not a peace camp after all.

docgirl2005

I am sorry but calling someone a "Paki" is very insulting to Indians and Pakistanis especially those living in the UK and Europe. Maybe you should see it from their perspective before you make such statements. Just because there are "faar worst" racist statements doesn't mean those werent themselves racist in nature which is plain wrong. Racism holds no degree or scale of worstness..

On the other hand, the few jobless Indians burning effigies is so stupid. Come on bhai saabs, there are far worst things to protest about in India itself. Worry about that, Shilpa can take care of herself. Besides she has alot of support nowadays even in the UK from what I hear.

This would never happen in the USA without some sort of protest, I can't imagine Danielle from Big Brother (an African American woman) putting up with their garbage. Shilpa seems fragile but I think it has to do with her character, maybe shes a softer girl doesnt like to fight unlike the minority reality stars we see here in the USA who are very bold and outspoken...(aka New York from Flava flav show) hahah...yea I guility watch that show.

I am surprised we at Indiamike waited this long to bring it up in a thread, I suppose our British Indophiles wanted to avoid any such topics hmmmmmmm?

I am surprised, while these women(witches really) don't represent all of the UK, I am surprised they even exist at all considering how diverse I heard the UK is. Also with their long ties to India, and the amount of Proud British of Indian origin there are, it's surprising. I have heard people(especially Europeans) say my fellow Americans are so insular and backward and how they are so worldly and well-travelled. Hmm...guess not everyone right? The pot calling the kettle black I would call it.

capt_mahajan

Kinda my point.

'Paki' is not an insult in India. In fact, most Indians would not understand what that term is meant to imply. (or maybe, many now will, with the media hoohaa)

So, my point again, why the hell are people in India getting so excited about what is, finally, an event in the UK.

I know why. Controversy sells.

icetea

I know exactly what a racist/ethnic insult is and how it feels, I was at the receiving end myself, as I come from the most backward end of Europe, and I'm an ethnic minority in my home country as well. I'm just trying to say that she doesn't seem to understand the rules of the game, that's all...she probably hasn't watched BB before in her life, she should be more assertive. Why is she so surprised and naive? Was she expecting people to embrace her "culturally rich" heritage, when racism is a reality out there? By british standards she has a weird name, she speaks with a funny accent, dresses differently and moreover, I have a feeling she is not at all a likeable person in the first place. Not that this justifies racist comments or anything, that's NOT my point here.