Splitsvilla Or Shamesville?
I consider myself as a 28 year old with an equally active testosterone and other such related hormonal behaviour as any 18- or 20-year-old. And yet I don’t get the fascination (some) youths have developed for an ongoing reality show called Splitsvilla aired on MTV India.
In a nutshell Splitsvilla consists of 20 women vying for attention of two young men. The folks behind this reality show would like us to believe that the concept of the show is the search for True Love (along with a fetching sum of Rs 5 lakh.) Each week one girl’s fate rests in the hands of the two men, who have the power to vote her out of the show.
Reality Shows today are the “in-thing” and like others, I too immensely enjoy(ed) watching many of them. However I fail to see the point behind a show such as this and that too being heavily promoted by a channel responsible in so many ways for shaping the minds of our youth.
The only possible explanation I can think of is that viewers of such kinds crave for two things – humiliation (of others) and skin show. And Splitsvilla happens to suffice both these urges. 20 something girls going all the way – from dressing low to flashing their bulbs assets, from back stabbing to in-front of the camera ridiculing one another, from belly dancing to bathroom tub caressing – they are letting nothing hold them back.
And what makes matters worse is the reason behind such crass behaviour - two men, worth nothing. And I mean nothing. Thin, squirmy, butt ugly, all backed by high headiness – that seems to be their only qualification. Frankly I wouldn’t be surprised if tomorrow it is revealed that the boys belonged to the sponsor’s clan or the production/channel’s household. So here we have two absolute losers tossing girls around as per their whims and fancy.
Which gets me to the most important point - while the channel, viewers and the boys are having a gala time at the expense of the participating girls – is 15 seconds of fame a good enough reason for these contestants to completely demean themselves?
Not looking at it from a feminist view point, as a life lesson I believe nothing is worth more than one’s own self-respect let alone mortifying yourself on national television not once but umpteen number of times. While MTV may call their creation as ‘testing of one’s character’, I simply see it as TRP game play, being done at all costs.
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10 comments | Leave your comment
Jul 29th, 2008 at 10:55 am | #
Very clearly, each makes a choice. Self respect is important but to some, money may be more important. And for all we know, the contestants may not be feeling that any of the things you mentioned, gets them to compromise on self respect. So why bother? Enjoy the show if you can, or else, skip the channel. And let the men in the show - whoever they are - have a ball too
Aug 2nd, 2008 at 3:48 am | #
Hi there Sakshi
Very well written. I’ve quite given up on even thinking or commenting on this subject. The Reality Show Jazz. I’m not a prophet for morality, but I definitely don’t beleive in going to any extent to score a few TRP’s. Tons more of thought, but I’ll rest my case..:-)
Name’s Sanjay, am a radio artist among other things. Placing your blog on my roll. Do check mine when you get some time
http://radiogenie.blogspot.com
Cheers
J
Aug 5th, 2008 at 11:17 am | #
I fully agree with you Sakshi. Splitvilla is absolutely shameless skin show being proclaimed as Reality Television.
And the two guys they are supposedly vying for, give me the 5 lakhs any day, something I am sure the two guys would not have seen in their lives, note neither of them won roadies which has again become a sham. Serioulsy looks like MTV India is losing it.
Aug 7th, 2008 at 12:05 am | #
Everytime i watch the girls on Splitsville, the first thing that comes to mind is ” Arent they worried their parents are watching this!” I dont even watch the show when MY parents are around. Guess this is one instance when a parent wouldnt proudly proclaim Meri beti Tv par aa rahi hai!
These are young beautiful girls, reasonably intelligent and well spoken and obviously from well to do families .They have everything going for them.Why they would opt to do a show of this sort is beyond my reasoning.And if u think the reason is money, judging from their outfits and demeanour,i seriously doubt any of them is in danger of running bankrupt in the near future.Besides werent they told abt the money only on their first day in the villa!
And I m seriously losing any respect i had for the mtv india crew.Granted roadies was a series of bleeped out sound bytes and mind numbing cat fights with added masala of changing rules and re entries.But the challenges were nevertheless good enough for it to be rated an adventure show.
But in splitsvilla, all the contests ( the supposed search for qualities) seem to be aimed at one thing alone.Getting the girls to wear the least possible amount of clothes!Think of it, the best body contest,the dare (sadly didnt work out as planned i suppose), the sensous dance / lap dance, the bubble bath, the mud wrestling, the beachwear photo shoot??? and many of their dates are somehow near some water body or other ( the pool,spa jacuzzi,beach,man made lake) just inviting them to don their swimsuits yet again!
And is it somehow ok to our extremely progressive and broad minded youth , that two guys can walk into the bedrooms of girls ( from the very 2nd episode) without knockin even and lying down on their beds and acting totally at home when the girls are in their shorts and tanks or actually still in bed???
Is this is how young ppl really behave all over or am i just an old fashioned 24 year old??
Aug 7th, 2008 at 7:40 pm | #
Came here via DP.
Splitsvilla is a dangerous trend. It demeans the girls and strips them off their confidence and individuality. Another thing I object to is the girls being scolded by Rannvijay and Raghu, like they are some chattels. The show preys on the desire of young girls to make it big in showbiz. There is absolutely no competition, just puppetry and I think it is sending out the wrong signals to a lot of young minds over there. And I agree, the two boys, Varun of Roadies is ugly and the other guy is a wimp.
Aug 7th, 2008 at 9:51 pm | #
@Ajay: So why are you bothered? Read the post if you can, or else, skip the blog.
Aug 7th, 2008 at 9:52 pm | #
oops that should read “Amit”…the first commenter.
Aug 7th, 2008 at 10:33 pm | #
I know what you mean..sleazy
Aug 8th, 2008 at 12:01 am | #
Wonder what took this post this long…
@Amit:”Self respect is important but to some, money may be more important.” There’s another term for such a state of action- called soliciting and it is considered a depravity in most civil societies.
The show is despicable. Thats obvious. It doesn’t effect me- a 31 yr old, but to think about it it might just influence others. I mean there’s nothing wrong after going all guns blazing for your Man (or Woman as the case may be), but then from whatever little I have seen of the show it doesn’t really say what is so desirable about these two!!!
No, I am not jealous (though I should be, I guess), I just feel very sorry for the entire state of affairs. Of course, I save none of those feelings for the stupid men and women who put themselves through such stuff willingly.
I guess it is a price you pay for living in a free state… given that you too have the freedom to flick the channel.
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