Controversial program that created racist issue: Celebrity Big Brother & Shilpa Shetty
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Sexy Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty
Fans of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty marched down a street in Patna chanting “Down with Big Brother”. They were protesting the alleged racist taunting of Shilpa Shetty, an Indian film star during a British reality TV show. They also burnt an effigy representing the program’s producers.
Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, 31, had been repeatedly reduced to tears during Celebrity Big Brother by fellow contestant Jade Goody, who had called Shilpa’s cooking untrustworthy, mocked her accent and complained about her “screeching”.
This controversy has created various issues in London. It has prompted Prime Minister Tony Blair to condemn racism (even as he acknowledged he had not seen the program). Europe’s biggest mobile phone retailer, Carphone Warehouse, also announced that it was suspending sponsorship of the series because it did not want its name associated with claims of racist bullying. Broadcaster Channel 4, whose ratings have soared since the row erupted stood by the controversial show. British High Commission in New Delhi had fielded thousands of calls on the issue.
Having said that, Shilpa has become the favorite to win the competition. Besides, the Indian papers also commented that the racism in India is even worse. Many of India’s one billion people still live within a hierarchy imposed by the Hindu caste system that, for instance, stops low castes entering some temples decades after such discrimination was outlawed. Muslims face widespread prejudice and have often been seen as the enemy within since Islamic Pakistan was carved out of British-ruled India at independence.
Here with the controversial show:
January 24th, 2007 at 9:37 am
[…] From whatever angle, it is impossible to liken Bollywood’s sultry actress, Shilpa Shetty, to pappadum in terms of looks. In what is beginning to be a habit, British national TV again invited controversy when it compared the sexy Bollywood star to Indian pappadum. Perhaps the controversy will be placed in better perspective if David Beckham were compared to fish and chips, or Madonna to hamburgers. Nevertheless, as a humble Indian cracker, pappadums are as much a staple for Indian consumption and a representative of Indian culture as the rising star Shilpa Shetty. Thus pappadum and Shilpa Shetty may have a lot in common after all. What is pappadum? To the unenlightened, pappadams are thin, circular discs, measuring 5cm to 25cm in diameter and between 0.3mm and 1.2mm in width. They are made from soaked rice flour, black gram or cow pea flour, mixed with salt and spices, and formed into flat shapes. They are pleasant of taste and smell, and crispy to bite. The Codex Committee specifies that pappadum should contain not more than three percent fat, have a moisture level of 12.5-15 percent and a maximum pH reading of 8.5. The Codex Committee was set up by two UN agencies to safeguard consumer interests and international trade. Food that is listed as an internationally traded product by the Codex Committee entitles an individual or importer to take legal action if it falls below standards. […]