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Entertainment

Bollywood actress target of alleged racism on Big Brother (update: perfumes and quotes)

By: Santosh :+: Under: Entertainment
On: ⋅ January 22, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment
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Jade raises a stink
(Photo: via BBC.com)

Update 5: An Indian plant stopped production on a brand of perfume endorsed by Jade. Apparently the perfume stinks.

A plant in India which makes perfume bottles endorsed by British television star Jade Goody has stopped production following the Big Brother racism row.

The news came after Goody’s perfume was withdrawn from at least one UK chain last week following the row.

Update 4: Here’s some comments made on the show and in relation to that topic.

Jade Goody to Shetty: “You’re a liar and a fake. You’re a liar. You’re not in Neverland here, you’re not no princess here you’re normal. You are normal. You are normal Shilpa and learn to live with it.

“You need a day in the slums. Go in your community and go to all those people who look up to you and be real.”

Danielle Lloyd: “I think she should f**k off home.”

and

Goody: “I couldn’t think of her surname. Why would I be talking to someone like that, I don’t know what her surname is. What is it? Shilpa Cookamada, Shilpa whatever Rockamada, Shilpa Poppadom. It was like that, literally come out like that.

Update 3: In what turned out be a mandate on racist behavior on television, Jade Goody, the main culprit of those racist remarks targetting Shilpa was evicted from the house by the viewers.

Jade Goody, the big-mouthed tormentor of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother house on Friday night as millions of viewers turned the phone vote into an impromptu referendum on racism. Sources suggested that more than five million viewers voted after Chancellor Gordon Brown, on a visit to India, broadly suggested that a call to oust 25-year-old Jade would be a vote “for tolerance.” The response was overwhelming; with 82 per cent of voters choosing to throw Goody out after her attacks on the 31-year-old Bollywood star.

Update 2: The person at the center of this major media controversy has softened her tone on this matter.

‘I don’t feel that there was any racial discrimination,’ a highly emotional Shetty said on Channel 4, which had broadcast an episode of the Celebrity Big Brother show in which some of the participants seemed to be racially taunting the leggy actor.

This was a clear retraction from an earlier statement Wednesday in which Shetty, the first Indian actor to participate in the popular Channel 4 show, maintained she was racially targeted.

‘I think there are a lot of insecurities in (show participant Jade Goody) but that’s not racial,’ Shetty maintained.

‘I take that back,’ she said of her earlier statement.

‘I don’t like the way she speaks - that’s my only complaint against Jade. She does need to brush up on her manners.’

Celebrity Big Brother had drawn unprecedented viewership after a controversy exploded over alleged racist slurs and became a diplomatic issue.

Update 1: This matter has now reached the House of Commons. Time to get the popcorn.

Original post:

“Shilpa Poppadum”: This could possibly be one of many taunts thrown at Bollywood actress, Shilpa Shetty, on the show “Celebrity Big Brother” (Channel 4, UK).

Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has received over 2,000 complaints about alleged racism in Celebrity Big Brother against Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. The organisation said it looked set to be the most complained-about series of the Channel 4 reality show. Housemates Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara have been seen making fun of the Bollywood star’s accent. An anti-bullying charity said she is “definitely” a victim. Channel 4 said it was taking the matter seriously.

Looking at the other side of the argument, I’m sure an argument can be made on if making fun of someone’s accent is racist behavior. But of course, Shilpa is South Asian (100% desi from …. ahem …. Chembur, Mumbai) and the characters accused of taunting her (Jade, Danielle and Jo) are not. So an argument can be made for a racist element to the taunts.

Channel 4, after initially dismissing the incidents as a catfight is starting to take it seriously.

Channel 4 had described the incidents as “girly rivalry”, but on Wednesday said it was taking the matter seriously. “Big Brother does not tolerate bullying or racist abuse in any form. Big Brother is closely monitoring all the housemates and will take appropriate measures to reprimand such behaviour where necessary,” a spokesman said.

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