Simply Me

I was reading this book a few months ago called 'Chart Throb' by Ben Elton. The book is about this guy who accepts a challenge from his almost-ex-wife that he makes the 'Prince of Wales' the final winner of the Chart Throb program. Basically 'Chart Throb' is the top music talent show. The idea is to get max TRPs for the program and in the end no one quite cares who wins, right? It’s all about getting the max people to watch and vote... Wrong... Calvin has a lot to lose if the Prince doesn't lose... namely half his wealth to the manipulative female whom he married... Calvin is no angel; you come to know as you read along... The whole book deals with his manipulations to make the Prince win...

...But this post isn't about the book... This is about how close it seems to the reality of the 'Reality' TV talent hunt shows...

The biggest example I thought of this was Ruprekha winning 'Fame Gurukul'... I mean may be I was one of the few people who thought she sang utterly crappy but then I honestly felt Rex deserved to win... But let’s keep my opinions aside... Javed Akhtar, one of the judges on the shows, would extol her to such heights; you would think she was a martyr... There was this episode when the two highest rated contestants had an opportunity to either chuck out one of the two remaining contestants or keep them both safe till the next episode... The other guy, I forget his name, decided to let both the others through... So did Ruprekha... You should have heard Mr. Akhtar go on and on and on about how great Ruprekha was by not chucking out the others... I mean get a grip, man... It was utterly absurd listen to him being so blatantly biased....

In more recent shows comes the Marathi 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.' The judges kept praising one of the contestants to the skies during the last episode... I don't remember his name... The guy's voice was a typical folk singer's voice... he has that specific influence over any of the song he sings... Nothing particularly spectacular or bad... just not an all-rounder voice... I really have nothing against the guy to be honest... Today were the finals of the show... I didn't feel like watching... But last time they announced who was leading; he was the one who was leading among the guys...

Then there is 'Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar'... I wonder if Farah Khan has some vendetta against Himani... She wasn't the best singer in the last episode... Still the champions voted her as the best and she joined the champions... All three judges criticized for a whole 10 minutes after the votes were declared... And then when she finally sang, again she wasn't the best... Farah said she was sure that Himani wouldn't be able to sing... If there was any poetic justice at all, she said, Himani wouldn't sing well and that is what happened... Himani had made a deal with the champions to vote her, she said... Himani ended up weeping and saying she was not at fault... blah blah blah... I think the champions just voted for the worst of the three so that they would all be safe when the audience voted... That has seemed to be their strategy since they probably found out the power they had according to the game format... I mean last week they voted Amit Sana who has almost consistently been the weakest of the challengers considering he was really one of the most likely people to make it big after Abhijeet Sawant after Indian Idol 1...

I couldn't care less... What gets to me is the extent to which the judges go to build up a contestant they love or sabotage a contestant they hate... Very few people remember Ruprekha now... I am not sure where the 'Sa Re...' guy will end up... I am not even sure whether he won or not... Amit Sana will go back to oblivion as he did after he lost Indian Idol... Himani will definitely lose next week if the trend is anything to go by... she's the only girl left in the show and she had definitely performed way better in Sa Re Ga Ma... so she has a good chance to lose anyway...

Maybe winning and losing is a coincidence... However, I feel that when you are judging a reality TV show, you really should keep your personal feelings aside and judge on the basis of how well the contestant has performed.... But then... if there were no controversies, maybe people wouldn't watch them anyway...

Labels: Chuck de Chuck de..., Door hi rehna paas na aana...

I AM THINKING ABOUT : Why exactly I am replying to a tag my sister sent by mail on my blog

I SAID : Kopu... She said 'Topu umti ghaali' (That is a conversation amma and I whenever I am home in the evenings...)

I WANT TO : FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

I WISH : I could go back to the time when Purni, Shrads and I were sitting in that car dicky... The photo I am looking at for inspiration as I write this answer

I WONDER : why amma wants me to go to sleep early... don't need a rocket scientist to answer this... I have to get up early tomorrow...

I REGRET : not too many things too often

I HEAR : my computer humming currently...

I AM : moody, confused, sensitive

I DANCE : more than I walk when at home

I SING : whichever song comes to my mind

I CRY : every once in a while

I AM NOT : crying right now... DUH... I am happily typing away...

I MAKE WITH MY HANDS : crazy stuff? Something I never did as a kid... I drew cartoons a few days ago...

I WRITE : to chill or vent out my frustration

I CONFUSE : people a lot when I am teasing them...

I NEED : music most of the time when I am at home

I TAG : Purni and Rachana... Its pay back time guyzzzzzz

Labels: Rail gaadi....

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