Humanizing the Gods
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KP
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Humanizing the Gods
Why does India not yet have a paparazzi culture? We are a country strangely obsessed with celebrities and religion so I suppose it only makes sense that the two come together in our treatment of the stars. Other than a handful of actors, the industry actually seems to be filled with scandals that far outdo the level of talent. Most of the media, however, seems reluctant to ever expose the truth. Bombay Times has stories about “funny pranks being played by XYZ on the sets of ABC.” Ah yes. Our dear red-carpet heroes have such wit and humour and make crank calls to each other in the middle of the night. Come on…let’s be a bit honest…such juvenile pranks would even get my grandmother’s approval. Why is nobody willing to talk about the torrid affairs, the vicious back-biting, and the drug abuse in the industry? Why are we scared to admit to bisexuality and homosexuality? Why do we hide under these PG stories of our celebrities? Where are the Madhur Bhandarkar’s of the media who are willing to tell the truth?
Let me be clear…I despise the extent to which American paparazzi culture has suddenly gone. The American media has enabled, and then viciously documented, the fall of young talent like Britney Spears. Spears’ own adolescent issues and mistakes have become water-cooler conversation at boring corporate offices across the country. Not one thought it given to a depressive young woman who has to wake up every morning and see her face in the tabloids. Her failures feed the voyeurism of the masses and we, as a society, should be held responsible.
In India, however, we tend to take it to the other extreme. This can have worrying repercussions for a country that is on the cusp of a cultural change. Let the homosexual and bisexual stars be outed so that the confused and scared homosexual teenager can stop feeling so alienated. Let’s admit that even our boring, “moral” on-screen wives and mothers have probably indulged in at least a few nights of indiscretions. Why should the 40-something wife living in Dadar hate herself if she fantasizes about the neighbour while in bed with her husband? We hold our celebrities up as the ultimate examples of morality and goodness. We measure ourselves against an imaginary yardstick of so-called proper behaviour. It is time to humanize the gods and allow the public to know that these people got where they are even if (in fact, often, because), they erred. A few stars are beginning to open up about their own issues…via blogs, revealing interviews etc. Such platforms are allowing people to start thinking of ways off the beaten path. Creative room is being made by knowing that you can give up your 9 to 5 engineering job and finally write a script but, it’s just a start.
Barack Obama (a politician, yes, but now a star in his own right) admitted not only to marijuana usage in college but also that he would occasionally treat himself to some blow. Imagine someone in Bollywood ever admitting to hard drug use. Our stars rarely publicly enter rehab or admit to problems. Bollywood is not an industry filled with perfection…it is far from it and it is risky to allow people to believe that such a rigid and false notion of perfection exists. We do not need to make role models out of people suffering from eating disorders and drug addictions but some sort of realism seems necessary. There is a large gap between putting people up on pedestals and bringing people down by following their every move and every mistake with cameras. Websites like tmz.com are not what we need to create. We do, however, need to stop creating the illusion of perfection where it doesn’t exist.
In a country where people try to hide their true feelings, desires, and fetishes, it would do us good to have people to look up to who have been through our own insecurities and mistakes. The masses don’t need to feel alone in their confusion.
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I TOTALLY AGREE…
crap .. we dont need that
Ramados is going ballastic at our actors for smoking on and off screen. Because according to him, the youth and all the fans treat these actors as role models and will imitate them.
Just imagine if the media expose some film personlity for his/her sexual orientation or drug abuse, the media will be the first one to brand them and the rest of the India instead of empathizing (in cases required) will treat them as outcast.
So it will happen when it will happen, first we have to deal with the outburst of intolerance with Jodha Akbar or Aaja Nachle or some other movies and then we go personal.
1) who will expose whom? Biggies of Media are devoid of such things which make them worthy to expose other celebrities? They all live in glass houses and hence an understanding is there.
2)When celebrities will start thinking on the pattern of western celebrities that anything can be sold then they will also start selling any kind of news/item about them.
Many of them are at first stage, performing in pvt parties, joining opening of shops etc. These things have got recognition and later other things will also be recognised. If not completely nude like Demi Moore etc during their pregenancy, then bit more acceptable pics of stars can be sold. MMS etc have started coming out. They have started giving news of their new affair, quarrel in public view etc.
3)Sanjay Dutt’s drug use and rehabilitation was a open thing. though many other stars have not spoken about these things.
4) Many things come under introspection and they have nothing to do with others, so why Paparazi kind of disease should engulf India also. In Indian ways stress has been given on introspection, in west because of christianity stress has been on confession. Though both demands atonement as second step, otherwise it remains a theoretical exercise only.
5) Prince Manvendra has accepted his homo sexual nature in open. later Vikram Seth confessed. and many other big names came out in open to remove harsh law against homo sexuals.
Nobody paid much attention to Homo Sexuality in past. Names of big poets like Firaq saab were mentioned without any protest. But did people respected him less as a poet?
If Homo sexuality is normal then why a person should declare if s/he is homo sexual or not? does a person declare that he is staright or normal?
and if homo sexuals deep down feel that this is not normal only then they make noise that others should treat them as normal. Why this crowd gathering mentality has been entered in thie field?
Do straight people ever made organisations that they should be recognised as straight?
There is some gap. stupid people are there who have started searching gayism in Teletubbies. Thats stretching a thing beyond extreme.
There is some deep politics involved in whole game.
and then there are homo sexuals who hit anyone in shoping places, in markets and at any other places. If straight people do this with opposite gender then law takes strict action but these people have started taking it as their birth right to look for suitable partner in anyone from the crowd.
world is changing very fast. two old cities of Israil are going to happen again?:d
Go away from my window,
Leave at your own shows and speed,
I am not the one you want babe,
I am not the one you need,
You say you are looking for someone,
Whose never weak but always strong,
To protect you and defend you,
whether you are right or wrong,
Someone to open each and every door,
But it aint me babe,[-(
No no no,
It aint me you are looking for babe!!
-Bob Dylan;)
Whats the point of wishing for a paparazzi culture just for the sake of overcoming your own embarassment because of a habit of yours?Just because a ’star’ does the same does not efface the particular?You dont need someone to pick you up each time you fall!:-w
“We hold our celebrities up as the ultimate examples of morality and goodness. We measure ourselves against an imaginary yardstick of so-called proper behaviour.”
Exactly “WE”. We made them demigod and onus is upon us to realize that. I don’t think it is fare to invade someone’s privacy just because we want to console ourselves. If these celebrities decide to discuss their lives than fine but if not they have the right to their privacy.
“allow the public to know that these people got where they are even if (in fact, often, because), they erred.”
Yes, I partially agree with this point. It will be helpful for the youth to know where Akshay Kumar started with and now where he is. They need to know that a really poor kid from Rameshwaram can become one of the most respected scientist in the country. But more importantly it will help them a lot if they are told about how difficult the journey has been. How often they stumbled and picked themselves up. So that they can prepare themselves for the struggle and don’t give up at the first sign of failure. I don’t think media is a good medium for this. It is very difficult to draw the lines because after a while it will all become the race for TRP and individuals right to privacy will be completely ignored. I think biographical books and films are good medium to bring these aspects in to public. This way the author has total control over what he/she want or do not want to bring out in the public.
Do you honestly think that people will go watch films of any actor who comes out of the closet ?
Forget India you can count the number of openly gay leading men in Hollywood on your fingers. In any case nobody’s personal life is anybody else’s business. Thank God we don’t have paparazzi in India.