Aishwarya Sharma
By Aishwarya Sharma,(XII),CJM
The television is amidst a state of metamorphic revolution and rejuvenation. There are unique concepts and formats in application to construct a new array of atypical programmes that capture the attention of the viewer and take the TRP on an all time high. There is this common trend of adopting formats of foreign shows and converting them into new Indian avatars and presenting them in a spicy and entertaining way in front of the entertainment loving audience. A few examples include the very popular Indian Idol, taken from American Idol, Big Boss adapted from the Big Brother series, and the most recent and talked about, Iss Jungle se Mujhe Bachao, taken from Get Me Out of Here!
It’s indeed a unique and peculiar show. Living in the tropical rainforests of Malaysia, in an isolated camp where the thick canopy of trees even cuts out the sunlight, making the inmates unable to differentiate between day and night, a residential camp in the heart of the jungle, coupled with life threatening conditions, testing the survivability of the Homo sapiens.
But the kind of conditions and struggles these guys are subjected to does critically raise certain questions about the way our reality shows work. Man is an adventurous being; he possesses the qualities of adaptation, and an instinct to survive in the toughest of conditions and a skill to maneuver every difficulty or crunch in resources. In fact, the life of the Homo sapiens began in the jungles. But in an era as that of today, where we’re facing widespread interference in the environment by humans, leading to catastrophic situations, can we really afford to welcome the exploitation of jungle resources just for the sake of entertainment and adventure???
Contestants in the show are supposed to consume things like earthworms, Madagascar cockroaches, grasshoppers, ants, and all kinds of insects, and also use up animals like pythons, rats, snakes, etc. can we really imagine the kind of risks we’re undertaking for us as well as for these poor animals out there? Why do those poor being have to bear the brunt of the reckless yearnings and pursuits for entertainment of the cruel human being who know nothing except plundering the environment?? Preparing mixtures, beverages, and ice creams out of animal entrails, mixtures of crushed insects, or the body parts of various animals and using them in those silly tasks for a trivial thing like one meal a day is surely the most heinous thing one can ever do against humanity. Do we even know how many organisms are falling preys to this madness?
And the worst part is, these big sacrifices made by these blameless hapless creatures are of no meaning for anyone. In fact, the ingredients are naturally detested by all the contestants.
People talk of the abusive language and the obscenity on the show. Frankly speaking, I really don’t care. There is not a single area today untouched of abuses and indignity. So now it really doesn’t make a difference to me how many times someone speaks the F word on a particular show. The thing that really disgusts me is the fact that in order to win some cash, and merely entertain the audiences, the channels are resorting to such barbarous acts.The forests in the world are seeing the stages of fast depletion and destruction. The day is not far when the richest and densest forests in the world as those in Malaysia will see a tragic state of affairs. Before we head into another wipeout, let’s just save our own lives and give up this madcap race for entertainment and mindless tasks and avoid cheap thrills in order to avert heavy damages.
The television is amidst a state of metamorphic revolution and rejuvenation. There are unique concepts and formats in application to construct a new array of atypical programmes that capture the attention of the viewer and take the TRP on an all time high. There is this common trend of adopting formats of foreign shows and converting them into new Indian avatars and presenting them in a spicy and entertaining way in front of the entertainment loving audience. A few examples include the very popular Indian Idol, taken from American Idol, Big Boss adapted from the Big Brother series, and the most recent and talked about, Iss Jungle se Mujhe Bachao, taken from Get Me Out of Here!
It’s indeed a unique and peculiar show. Living in the tropical rainforests of Malaysia, in an isolated camp where the thick canopy of trees even cuts out the sunlight, making the inmates unable to differentiate between day and night, a residential camp in the heart of the jungle, coupled with life threatening conditions, testing the survivability of the Homo sapiens.
But the kind of conditions and struggles these guys are subjected to does critically raise certain questions about the way our reality shows work. Man is an adventurous being; he possesses the qualities of adaptation, and an instinct to survive in the toughest of conditions and a skill to maneuver every difficulty or crunch in resources. In fact, the life of the Homo sapiens began in the jungles. But in an era as that of today, where we’re facing widespread interference in the environment by humans, leading to catastrophic situations, can we really afford to welcome the exploitation of jungle resources just for the sake of entertainment and adventure???
Contestants in the show are supposed to consume things like earthworms, Madagascar cockroaches, grasshoppers, ants, and all kinds of insects, and also use up animals like pythons, rats, snakes, etc. can we really imagine the kind of risks we’re undertaking for us as well as for these poor animals out there? Why do those poor being have to bear the brunt of the reckless yearnings and pursuits for entertainment of the cruel human being who know nothing except plundering the environment?? Preparing mixtures, beverages, and ice creams out of animal entrails, mixtures of crushed insects, or the body parts of various animals and using them in those silly tasks for a trivial thing like one meal a day is surely the most heinous thing one can ever do against humanity. Do we even know how many organisms are falling preys to this madness?
And the worst part is, these big sacrifices made by these blameless hapless creatures are of no meaning for anyone. In fact, the ingredients are naturally detested by all the contestants.
People talk of the abusive language and the obscenity on the show. Frankly speaking, I really don’t care. There is not a single area today untouched of abuses and indignity. So now it really doesn’t make a difference to me how many times someone speaks the F word on a particular show. The thing that really disgusts me is the fact that in order to win some cash, and merely entertain the audiences, the channels are resorting to such barbarous acts.The forests in the world are seeing the stages of fast depletion and destruction. The day is not far when the richest and densest forests in the world as those in Malaysia will see a tragic state of affairs. Before we head into another wipeout, let’s just save our own lives and give up this madcap race for entertainment and mindless tasks and avoid cheap thrills in order to avert heavy damages.
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