Living in the age of Reality TV

Got a mail last week. The subject line was as provoking as its message, it read - ‘Stuck With Wrong Parents’. It is a promo for a show being aired on UTV Bindaas where the lifestyles of youngsters are pitted against the older generation. Saw its promos on TV as well where youngsters are yelling and screaming for possible ‘interference’ and ‘intrusion’ in their lives and later the shouting turns into name calling. 

Of course, it looks like great ‘masala’ and a sure shot formula to gather enough eye-balls for the show but a sad pointer to the fact that TV producers will go to any length to win more audience. Also, a stark reminder of how gullible our generation is (me included). 

Gone are the days when people wouldn’t give out their secrets for anything. Remember the age old saying – maine use zubaan di hai (I have made a promise) and people would go to any extent to keep up their promises and reputations. People wouldn’t hang around with folks who had tainted reputations.  No one would dare to start any controversial topic, leave alone become a centre pint of any uncomfortable conversations. 

Now, things are different. Our generation is more than happy to be a part of controversies. ‘Gossip’ is the buzz word everywhere, and the gossip mongers are as happy as their subjects.  We are dying to be part of shows like ‘Big Boss’, where every bit of lives, every moment of our day will be on display. We don’t mind losing our cool in public, retorting or responding to any claims or allegations heaped on us, even if it is coming from a dead fly. Patience, calm, grace, dignity are words found in the dictionary only. Otherwise in practical life we are all willing to give up everything for five seconds of fame, some Lakhs of Rupees or some recall value even if its comes for all wrong reasons. And this is where the clever producers win. They whip up shows where our meanest instincts are on display and they get more TRPs for bringing out the worst in us. Thanks to this new trends we have no bodies turn into instant celebrities, look at the likes of Rakhi Sawant, Raja Chaudhary, Dolly Bindra.

As for the UTV show ‘Stuck With Wrong Parents’, I would say Shravan Kumar must be turning in his grave after hearing about this shows. 

PS: Shravan Kumar is the mythical character who carried his aged, blind parents everywhere to fulfil their last wishes.