Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Who The Hell Is Shilpa Shetty?
As most of you who watch the television, read the papers, listen to the radio or know someone who does, you won't have escaped the remarkable furore that has surround the Channel 4 programme, Celebrity Big Brother this week.
The whole world, it seems, is up in arms about 'racist slurs' made by housemates to Shilpa Shetty, an award winning Bollywood actress.
Burning effigy's in the streets of India, Governments embarrassed and embroiled, and over-driven media coverage is now the order of the day.
But what's it over?
Well, like with any other series of the programme, a dozen people are put into a house in the hope there will be one or both of two things: sex and/or fighting.
This time, we got fighting, and lots of it - as is pretty much the standard for a dozen people suddenly living together in a small environment. Don't forget also, these people are "celebrities" so there is even less room in the house when their over-inflated egos are taken into consideration.
The executives got what they wanted: back stabbing, slagging, fighting and arguing. Apparently it makes for good television.
So what's so different about this series?
One of the people involved in the arguing is Indian.
Apparently as soon as you shout at an Indian (or any other ethnic minority), you immediately become a racist. Well if you listen to the media you are, anyway.
This whole sad episode has been driven entirely by the media, who have jumped on the politically correct bandwagon and managed to stir up people's opinions on a matter that has no real justification.
So far as I can tell, nobody who goes into the Big Brother house is right in the head. They do it for their own ends, either to grab their 15 minutes of fame or in the celebrity edition, to try and resurrect flagging careers. These people weren't right to begin with even before they went in!
That said, nothing that has been reported, seems to be outwardly racist, in that if it was said to one white person to another, it would just be a normal insult. Said to an Indian, or any other ethnic minority, and it's out of line.
To the contestant in the Big Brother house
I have no sympathy. You are all a bunch of sad twats for wanting to be in there in the first place so you will get what you deserve when you come out.
To the British media
You are to blame for inciting racial tension where it existed only on the flimsiest of charges.
To the Indian media
You are also to blame for believing everything your British counterparts are writing and saying and stirring your own people up.
To the British public
Stop watching this crap and get minds of your own. It's some of the worst drivel ever to hit our TV screens. Go read a book for a change. READ MINE!!!
To the Indian public
Burning effigy's of Channel 4 executives is pathetic and proves nothing. Did any of them say anything to your Bollywood star? No. It was a stupid wee lassie who is trying to grab some fame by shacking up with a football star and going on BB. If you take what she says seriously and use it as an excuse to burn up your own streets, then you are even thicker than she is.
To the Channel 4 Executives
Lap it up people; it's what you always wanted.
To Everyone
It takes two to tango. Shilpa gave as good as she got, therefore by the media's standards some of the things she said to the others must also be racist. N’est pa?
Too much irresponsible journalism, media hype and the willingness of ethnic minorities to jump on any anti-western bandwagon that comes along makes for an unwanted hotpot of a situation. At the end of the day, some ego's argued in a house on live television and one of them was Indian. So fucking what? Could it just be that they don't like each other? Does that it make racism?
Consider this final thought: only a few people in this country new the name Shilpa Shetty a few weeks ago. Now she's a household name.
USE YOUR HEADS PEOPLE!!
Back to the writing.
I did a wee update to my website, updating the pages mentioning A Pocketful of Fun: A Collection of Poems for Children, which by the way, has another new outlet.
Here's the full list of outlets:
Waterstones, WH Smith , Blackwells, and Amazon.
A Pocketful of Fun: A Collection of Poems for Children
Forward Press
Price: £14.99
Paperback
ISBN: 1844184390
I was checking out the Forward Press website and realised that all the authors who were included in the anthology stand to share in £10,000 in prize money. First prize is £3000 and all work is considered for the Top 100 Poets of 2006 competition. Fingers crossed - I could do with a wee cash injection.
I finished the re-draft of Stella and prepared a few submission packages. It is now back out in the arena and I await some favourable responses.
Colin 9:09 am