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Vhodlem Ghor, Irmao and Dhakto Bhav
Dropping names while explaining Big Brother to South Goans
By Cecil Pinto
I spent the last weekend in South Goa and was astounded at the abysmally
low level of awareness, among some Salcetkars, about current issues and
events. I consider it my civic duty to not only entertain but also to
inform. With this in mind every few weeks I will have a special column,
like this one, to spread awareness, of current topics, in South Goa. Some
words and phrases will be explained in parenthesis (bracketam) for the
Salcetkars. I hope my regular readers (vachpi) will take this additional
reading burden in the spirit of social service.
This week let's examine Big Brother (Vhodlo Bhav), a popular reality TV
show in which for about three months contestants try to win a cash prize
(inam) by avoiding publicly-voted evictions from a communal house (ghor).
It has been a prime time hit in 70 different countries with each regional
franchisee making changes to the basic format (formatu) and adapting it to
a specific country's audience (tiatr poloinar). The name Big Brother comes
from George Orwell's novel (romance) "Nineteen Eighty Four" in which Big
Brother is the all-seeing leader (amdar). The house where the contestants
live has cameras and mikes recording everything, which is then edited and
beamed to the TV audience.
Big Brother is in the news (khobro) because Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty
is currently a contestant in the UK Celebrity version of the show, and
there were insinuations (bangoddi) that another contestant made some racial
comments to her. What might seem to be a publicity stunt must be seen in
the context of inter-cultural sensibilities and the voyeuristic nature of
Whoaaaa!!
Just read those last two paragraphs and realised I'm not making any inroads
into the South Goan mind. I have to try and think like a Salcetkar. Let's
try another approach.
What comes to mind when I say Big Brother and entertainment?
"Churchill?"
No! No! Ok. Let' try a different approach. Think of Small Brother.
"Mickey Pacheco? Sausages?"
No! Agreed Mickey acts like a dhakto bhav but I was trying to explain a
concept. Ok, try this. What is a communal house?
"BJP office?"
Aaaargghhh! Ok. Think of a huge house with some twenty people sequestered
inside for many days. Think of cameras beaming images and sounds from this
house to television audiences.
"Babush Monserate's house and the MLA inmates when the BJP government was
toppled last year?"
Well something like that. Now think of the public being able to phone in
and vote which person gets eliminated from the house for obnoxious behavior.
"Like Philipe Neri was bundled out of the Assembly by the police?"
Similar, but that action did not have public approval or legal sanction.
And Babu Azgaonkar definitely takes the cake for most obnoxious behavior in
the Assembly. His joining the Congress has increased the BJPs decency
ratings considerably. Anyway back to our Big Brother TV show. Remember
these people are in a big house isolated from society.
"Maybe on Faleiro's private island that they showed on NDTV?"
Something like that. There is a representative of the organisers called the
Big Brother who assigns group tasks.
"You mean a central observer like Margaret Alva?"
Sort of. And the public votes out, from the house, contestants who they
feel are undeserving.
"Like elections to the Assembly?"
No. We vote MLAs to the Assembly once in five years and then unfortunately
can't recall them whatever they do. Contestants on Big Brother are
eliminated every week. Remember we can observe all their actions on camera.
"Like when the Assembly is in session? Or like Churchill discussing funds
for mobile libraries?"
A little of both. But in the case of the Big Brother show the contestants
are voted out depending on how they behave. They cannot wiggle their way
out of the consequences of their actions.
"Like how Arlekar and Mandrekar were disqualified from the Assembly?
No! That was a technical issue. Quite frankly, if we follow that technical
route there will be precious few qualified MLAs left. I mean even Sonia
Gandhi held 'office of profit'. But let's get back on track. The TV
audience votes who remains in and who has to leave the House. Big Brother
then evicts that person. Big Brother is just an anchor person but portrayed
as all powerful.
"Like Eduardo Faleiro treating the Global Goans Convention like his
personal fiefdom?"
Well not exactly, you see Big Brother is a privately owned show and so they
have the right to enforce their own rules, however unpopular. Eduardo is
appointed by an elected government and is answerable to the people. Elder
Brothers (irmao) like Eduardo, Willy, Zantye and Rane are from another
generation and should make way for fresh blood.
"You mean make way for young people like Vishwajeet Rane and Agnelo
Fernandes who are adept at wheeling-dealing?"
Err
not exactly. You see Narvekar, Ravi and Kamat have been pretty good at
making deals themselves. In fact one Small Brother, Joaquim, has a house
more palatial than the one they use on the TV show. And Mathany has danced
with wolves for so long that he's not quite sure where he stands. Big Mummy
Victoria wants to get her Big Son into the wheeling and dealing too. But
we're getting into dirty politics here. Forget Big Brother and such weird
western reality TV concepts. Maybe we should examine something closer home
and more relevant. Maybe educating South Goans about the huge newspaper ads
that are going to follow in the next few months, with every two-bit self
appointed 'social worker' being congratulated by his 'supporters'.
"Yes. Why do the supporters spend so much money on big advertisements? Why
can't they just give the money to him to do more social work? How come my
name appears and yet nobody asked me for money? Why does
"
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The column above appeared in Gomantak Times dated 25th January 2007
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