Technorati Tags: big brother, shilpa shetty
BBC NEWS: Politicians enter Big Brother row
I don't know why I was surprised by the spectacle of protests in India, complete with effigy burnings, against the racist bullying of Shilpa Shetty, the Bollywood actress, on the notorious Channel 4 programme Big Brother, two nights ago. I did not see the actual episode as (until last night) I didn't watch this wretched, trashy, clapped-out programme. However, I did hear the discussion of the episode on yesterday morning's Vanessa Feltz show, and most of it was not sympathetic to the three women responsible.
Clearly the protests in India are by people who are as ignorant of British culture as the three stupid women on Big Brother are of Indian culture, or anything for that matter. Early on in yesterday's Feltz show, the founder and sole spokeswoman for Action Against Bullying, the charity with which Jade Goody has been associated, was interviewed about the charity's decision to remove Goody's pictures from its website, and agreed with Feltz that Shilpa Shetty is a "fine example of womanhood" or something like that. She explained that being ladylike is a common excuse for female bullies to pick on someone because they are jealous of them. (If Shilpa Shetty is such a lady, what is she doing on that vile programme?) Others accused her of having airs and graces; one caller said she would not eat a chicken which had been cooked for only 45 minutes, no matter who by. Germaine Greer, in today's Guardian, thinks that Shetty is milking it:
Everything about her is infuriating: her haughty way of stalking about, her indomitable self-confidence, her chandelier earrings, her leaping eyebrows, her mirthless smile, her putty nose and her eternal bray, "Why does everyone hate me?" Not to mention the crying jags. What no one seems to have quite understood is that Shilpa is a very good actress. Everyone hates her because she wants them to. She also knows that if she infuriates people enough, their innate racism will spew forth.
The footage of the protests (particularly the burnings) were uncomfortably reminiscent of those which followed the infamous Danish cartoons. I'm not going to say that the latter were for a worthier cause, because they were senseless and ugly. It is, of course, perfectly possible that there are Muslims among the protesters in India, but any Muslim living in Gujarat or in and around Ayodhya or Bombay knows that it's not just Muslims who are capable of a destructive riot. But if anyone out there is angry about what happened to Shilpa Shetty, I have two things to say to them.
First, the reaction to it in this country was very much supportive of Shilpa Shetty and hostile to the three dumb racists. One woman, for example, called the Feltz show and called Ms Shetty a lady and the other three white trash (as Jermaine Jackson, also a contestant, had earlier called them), and said that Jade Goody filled her body with alcohol and looks like a dog. Another of the three, Danielle O'Meara, is married to someone in the football business (I'm not sure if he's a player or something else), and someone said that her partner should realise what sort of person is inside that body of hers that he fancies. There have also been around 20,000 complaints to the media standards body (Ofcom) regarding the incident, although how much is from British Indians or is orchestrated I don't know.
Second, racism is a fact of life everywhere, and is a common feature of bullying in schools and the workplace, the victims being Asian, black, anyone who is different. Why has it taken a bit of nasty treatment for a wealthy Bollywood actress to bring you out on the streets, when children have suffered this and far worse for decades? I'm sure racism is rife in India too, much of it disguised under the caste system. I wonder if you will be out burning effigies next time someone is murdered for some infraction of caste etiquette?
Some very good points.
Of course the racism and ignorance of those three idiots should be condemned. But why people are taking so much notice of a trashy programme is anyone's guess. Anyone who goes on it must be a fool, not that this makes racism right.
I am calling for Jade Goody to be made a UN goodwill ambassador immediately. I think only she has the personal skills and acumen to solve many of the World's problems. See my Blog for more details
I haven't really noticed any racism, from what I've seen the behaviour this year is not all too different from behaviour in previous years, just that the target this time is non-white. The hoo-hah isn't justified, it certainly doesn't necessary for comment from the Prime minister.
Hopefully this means Jade Goodey will slip away from "celebrity" anyway.
I think the fact that this got into the House of Commons is pretty indicative of where Britain (or maybe just England) is right now.
When George Galloway made a fool of himself on Celebrity Big Brother, I was thinking "I bet Salma Yaqoob must be laughing her head off! I wonder if maybe she could take over the party?"
Shilpa Shetty is a product of a racist industry 'bollywood'. An industry where you can be a leading actress if you are fair and light skinned, to this date i havent come across a famous bollywood actress who is dark skinned, beauty and being fair go hand in hand. I hope the industry and the people of India that accept this form of racism to look at their country first and give talented dark skinned actors a chance.
Assalaamu alaikum,
Some Bollywood actress is insulted. It's an international incident, they've burned effigies in India, everyone is outraged - and I think most people can understand why.
But they couldn't understand why over a billion Muslims would be upset when their Prophet was insulted?
Yusuf, I'm disappointed to read this post of yours... it's ironic that you denounce racism but quote other personal insults. I only say this because I read your blog and like it mostly.
And please don't admit to have started watching Big Brother :)
*An industry where you can be a leading actress if you are fair and light skinned*
Yeah but what can you do if fair-skinned is what Asians think is beautiful. As long as they don't consider dark-skinned people to be any less capable, it's not racism. Perhaps also they just find it easier to see the facial expressions of lighter skinned people.
What I don't understand is, that while the world goes nuts over Jade Goodings subliminal racism, theres hardly a response to Jermaine Jacksons use of the term "WHITE TRASH" in the B.B. House. Surely thats in the same ballpark as the N Word or P*k*. Maybe its more to do with the fact that some cultures don't automatically pressume the worse & then totally over react. In contrast to burning effigies in Mumbai or Race Hate Demos over Danish cartoons!
When complete nonentities say stupid things, why not just ignore them? To do otherwise is to give them more respect than they deserve.
That is such an ignorant comment Student. Ofcourse they consider them to be less capable if the industry considers some jobs are not suitable for dark skin people. Racists like you will look for silly excuses such as the one you made in your last sentence.
Leila, it's not racism as nobody is saying that black people are any different in their brains or can't act as good. Simply the asian audience likes lighter skinned people on its screens and that is what the industry gives them. Maybe it works the other way around as well, but either way, I don't see why you think I'm a racist or why my comment is ignorant.
There are dark-skinned people in Bollywood, but they put on a great amount of foundation to make themselves look lighter when filming. It is sad and unfair but not necessarily racist.
Also I said *perhaps* it is the case that it is harder to see their expressions. As it is often the case for me when the skin is extremely dark, but then again I am myopic so I don't assume to know for everyone.
And please, instead of labelling me a racist, try to make some excuses for me and give me the benefit of the doubt as per the hadith of our Prophet (saw).
Salaam aleikum
Almost all societies historically favoured light skin, as it was a sign that the person involved didn't have to spend long periods of time working outdoors in the fields (and was thus a status symbol).
This traditional prejudice was reversed in the West by the industrial revolution, which meant that most workers (even the lowliest ones) worked indoors. From then on a tanned skin became a status symbol, as it was a sign that the person could afford ample holiday time in warm foreign locales.
Student, what is your definition of racism? To me refusing someone a job, an opportunity, education etc due to the colour of their skin is racism becuase its direct affect on their life. Bollywood hasnt produced a single dark skinned actress due to racism. The industry is reflective of consumers, that doesnt mean its not racism, there was a time also when white people didnt not want to see black people on their screen, it was a reflection of a racist society and attitudes. Going back to the point denying a dark skinned woman to be the next shilpa and ashwaria is racism. I never had a problem seeing the expressions of whoopi goldberg or eddie murphy, do you? Its just silly excuses.
To me, racism is to consider people of different races to have different capabilities - to not believe that we're all equal as God's people - to think one person can do something better than another because of their race.
Bollywood acting is partly modelling. It isn't just dark skinned people who are excluded but also all the other people that don't fit the people's conventions of beauty e.g. overweight people
*Bollywood hasnt produced a single dark skinned actress due to racism*
The actress whose name begins with K is very dark in real life without all that makeup. And I imagine her cousin actress is pretty dark as well without all the makeup. (I don’t want to say their names, as I don’t want guys who don’t know who they are to now look up their names on Google images.)
Anyway, most of Bollywood films, particularly modern-day ones, are trash so it's a blessing for all the darker people who are excluded and I certainly won’t be campaigning for their rights to be in these films :)