Reality voyeurism

There is something vaguely obscene about young children gyrating non-existent hips and heaving undeveloped bosoms on national television in the presence of proud, beaming parents. Add to this the profound statements that these prepubescent children tend to make, and one is inevitably struck by the surrealism of 'reality' television in India today. If that sounds like an oxymoron, then that is indeed what these productions have become. Where have all our children gone? Many seem to have joined the grand Indian circus, which creates miniature men and women out of children, boys and girls.

This past May, one of the first victims of Indian reality shows entered the public consciousness, when 16-year-old Shinjini Sengupta of Calcutta suffered severe shock resulting in paralysis after she was rebuked by judges during a Bengali reality dance show (see pic). Despite the subsequent hubbub, however, it can be safely concluded that she will not be the last. The immense psychological pressures and emotional rollercoaster rides that are part and parcel of the reality-show formula have the power to turn even hard-nosed adults into nervous wrecks.

Success stories of talent discovered – such as reigning artistes Shreya Ghosal, Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan – have tempted parents to attempt to live famous lives through their children. In so doing, however, these parents do not seem to realise the intense physical and mental trauma that they are inviting upon their children. Ambitious parents would of course argue that, in this highly competitive world, a little push never hurts. And, as Shinjini's parents contended in an attempt to brush off allegations of working their daughter too hard, they were only "acting according to her wishes". But of course, it is exceedingly difficult to demarcate where exactly volition ends and coercion begins.

For every talent discovered, there are hundreds of others who are forced to face public humiliation and rebuke, something that can scar a child for years afterward or worse. But in the absence of guidelines for children's participation in reality shows, children fall victim to the whims of Television Rating Points (TRPs): a titillating, emotion-packed show, nearly always caused by the emotional upheavals that the participants undergo in public, inevitably sends TRP levels soaring.

Celebrating the unreal
Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of reality shows – song-and-dance competitions such as American Idol, Indian Idol or Biggest Loser Jeetega (a weight-loss show), where the contestants are exposed to harsh and even cruel taunting from judges; and shows on which a dozen or so people are put together in an unnatural environment (Survivor, Big Brother, Big Boss) without any diversion, thus forcing the contestants to interact only with each other. In both versions, it is generally the viewers who vote the contestants out. Meanwhile, the artificial environment and tough competition inevitably leads to a significant amount of tension, petty behaviour and emotional outbursts, all of which is encouraged by the show's producers.

Reality programming has dramatically revised the ways that both viewers and producers are currently watching television. In the book Reality TV: Realism and revelation, media researchers Anita Biressi and Heather Nunn contend that "reality television has little to do with reality and everything to do with television form and content … reality TV takes the reality television phenomenon to be a significant movement within documentary and factual programming." Through detailed case studies, Biressi and Nunn break new ground by linking two major themes: the production of realism and its relationship to revelation.

Reality television, characterised by some media critics as being something of a cultural by-product of the American way of life, can come as a shock for those unequipped to handle blatant publicity. For this reason, the organisers of reality shows in developed countries have laid out a certain body of regulations. For instance, all Big Brother contestants have to undergo a psychological assessment by an independent psychologist, and also pass a series of fitness tests. But it is doubtful that such procedures are being followed by most shows in India, where the concept is still new, and where most producers have yet to realise that they need to be careful about whom they select. As has been seen by some of the unfortunate incidents on reality shows elsewhere, the mentally unstable need to be screened, including those who crave social acceptance or suffer from anxiety or even slight depression.

Yet, even more problematic than a lack of understanding on the part of producers of reality shows is the view that the participation of emotionally vulnerable people holds the potential for more entertainment for viewers. High drama, anger, tears, so the idea goes, is the stuff that viewers are looking for, and brings them back week after week. As such, producers might well be deliberately picking such candidates – all the while going through the motions of being careful, and hoping that nothing extreme happens.

But the extreme does happen from time to time, which is belatedly forcing some organisations to act. After tragedy hit Shinjini Sengupta, a leading private school for girls in Calcutta, La Martiniere, moved to ban students from participating in any televised reality or talent show. And, with reality shows involving children coming increasingly under the scanner, the central government has announced plans to formulate regulations that will include a code of conduct for judges on such shows. To frame guidelines for children's participation in reality shows, the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights has set up a 10-member committee, which will be addressing issues related to working conditions and the health and welfare of children involved in such  competitive programmes.

These regulations will undoubtedly be some time coming. In the meantime, it is parents who will need to ensure that children do not become victims of reality-show tamashas that cater to the some of the basest of human emotions – voyeurism among the audience, greed of the producers, and base competition and jealousy among the hapless participants.

~ Sharda Chhetri is a freelance writer and educationist based in Darjeeling.