Column

The weekend rant
Last week, I chanced upon a reality dance show on a home-grown Bengali channel. And though the images of children thrusting their vocal chords and non-existent hips at the screen have become folklore, nothing prepared me for this show — which had an eight-year-old winking suggestively, smiling seductively and gyrating in orgasmic rhythm, Mallika Sherawat-style.

Of course, the show has big sponsors and attracts eyeballs, and is a super-duper hit in my homeland, but what struck me as odd was the collective approval of parents and the so-called guardians of society. All the response my outrage got was, “this is what kids like these days so, don't overreact”.

Agreed, “this is what kids like these days”, but then why not put them on a junk-food diet or pull them out of school — after all that's what kids these days, and every other generation before them, would like. The truth is, kids have, and always will, enjoy doing the fun, easy things. It is up to us to prod them along the desired path.

And here, too, I add, it is us — parents and so-called guardians — who prod them.
For instance, it is parents who encourage their children to participate in reality shows. No harm there, competition is always healthy. But maybe (this is a suggestion, not any moralistic rant) we must be discerning about what we let them compete in.

Do we want our kids competing over Bollywood dance, with all the skin show, heavy breathing and phallic symbols? Do we want to reaffirm stereotypes with little girls dancing to tuk tuk dekhe, dekhe aankhen phaad kai; mere hathon main nau nau churiyan hai or dola dola re, and little boys acting out macho Bollywood numbers from 'Krazzy 4' and 'Dhoom'?

Is it acceptable for children to realise their sexuality and gender roles so early in life? Do we then have the right to lament — “this is what kids like these days” — when they have grown up too fast?

The truth is we want our kids like THIS these days. How else can you justify the collective appreciation for such obtuse programming, where not talent, but stamina is important?

How else can you justify a reality dance show judge's 'off the record'
quote: “Classical dancers don't have a chance on such shows. Even if we give them full marks, they'll be out when the voting lines open.”
b_sanghamitra@dnaindia.net