The Ugly Reality

But in the world of reality television,this is par for the course. And nothing is straightforward. For a start,by now,everyone knows there is nothing real about it. All the world’s a stage and even the directors behind the camera are playing a role. The only tragedy is that the craft of acting has hit a new low. It has become such a lucrative industry that there is a tribe of actors who spend their lives going from one reality show to another. One day,you will see her posing for a calendar shoot,and the next,she will be battling it out for a man. On the third,she will be fighting to death as a tomboy in an adventure slot. Of course,each appearance is accompanied with tears,nervous breakdowns and the choicest of cuss words. Normal behaviour is amped up to hysteria. And conducting yourself within the rules of polite society is not an option.

But what really leaves me gobsmacked is the audience’s appetite for this endless spectacle. Around the world. Across borders. For instance,at the moment,on every channel,you are bound to find a cook-off. From Top Chef to Hell’s Kitchen,pots and pans seem to be everybody’s favourite weapons. But after watching a few episodes,I was forced to turn off my set. While Padma Lakshmi is lovely and encouraging on Top Chef,this American show is so American. Everyone is fiercely cool. The contestant’s back stories are milked to death and over-dramatised. The food challenges are made for television and every single judge — guest or otherwise — is an uber celebrity. Of the 21st century variety. They throw food around,making cutting remarks about the cooking,play to the gallery. They do everything but stay on the topic of food. Their mantra seems to be to channel Simon Cowell: it is kind to be cruel. A motto followed rather devoutly by Hell’s Kitchen,where Gordon Ramsay is so rough on his red and blue teams I think it would be apt to call them the black and blue gang. It is almost embarrassing to watch his tongue-lashings but many times,you almost want to see the contestants fold so that they would take their shenanigans elsewhere.

Television is meant to spiral down toward the lowest common denominator…. I get it. I get it. I have been a judge for two seasons on a fashion reality show. While we weren’t told to be nasty to the contestants,most bytes that were retained were the less-than-complimentary ones. And the winner of the show was invariably the one who grabbed the most airtime through sheer obnoxiousness. Reality television is like road kill. You are almost compelled to watch it as it gets uglier and ruder. What else could explain the fact that Keeping Up with the Kardashians has been running for six seasons — with a couple of spin-offs?

What bothers me is the spillover effect. The line between television and real life is blurring. And with the kind of hours we spend glued to our sets,it’s just a matter of time before everyone starts behaving like the star of their own show. Imagine the social chaos. It would be a free-for-all jostling of apes.

Strangely enough,the show that could be an advertisement for good manners is not being emulated. MasterChef Australia is hugely popular and has sparked off many variants,including MasterChef India. It also has the unlikeliest fans. Like me. I don’t cook,so food shows are a bit of a chore for me to watch — with or without the theatre and hype. But I am hooked on to this one. It focuses so beautifully on the food that you cannot help but be seduced. There is also the honesty and integrity of the judges,the contestants,and the challenges.

I have often found my eyes filling up during an episode when I see the participants go out of their way to help each other. I am so impressed with everything about the show that I am tempted to book a one-way ticket to Australia to live in a land where people are ­naturally nice.

tothemannerborn@expressindia.com