The action taken by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in India to shift shows like “Raakhi Ka Insaaf” and “Bigg Boss” to non-prime time slots is truly commendable. While I am not an anti-television person, I certainly draw the line at deliberately pushing adult and just plain crass content in front of a family audience to make a few bucks.
Taking a cue from shows like "Jerry Springer" in the US, "Raakhi ka Insaaf" deliberately creates emotionally charged situations, forcing rude confrontations on screen. People’s most private conflicts are laid bare for a thrill hungry audience to lap up. On the other hand the reality show "Bigg Boss" relies solely on the ability of a few over the top personalities to draw the TRPs. This season’s star attraction is an obese, self-centred woman called Dolly Bindra who would put a New York Harlem resident to shame with her viscious tongue.
This trend of reality shows that rely solely on cheap thrills to lure an audience is a recent phenomenon and truly a disturbing one. What started as a new genre with shows like the “Amazing Race” and “The Apprentice”, where people’s skills were tested and the thrill came from knowing that these were real people in a real competitive situation, has now become the equivalent of a peep show. We are shown people’s private fights and arguments solely for their own sake. While in a show like “The Apprentice”, the participants little asides, likes and dislikes of others were interesting, they were not the whole show. Neither were they the primary reason that the show existed. They were the social dynamic aspect of a skills show. But shows like “Bigg Boss” boast of cat-fights, arguments and collusions as the main reason for its existence.
I am no sociologist to comment on the reason behind this trend. But the fact that Amitabh Bachan chose not to host the current season of "Bigg Boss", and the producers had to rope in Salman Khan, shows that a senior more sophisticated person no longer wants to be associated with the production and it has chosen to go down a path where thrill is the only aim - irrespective of the methods used.
