Celebrity Worship..!!

Was just watching an edition of the Oprah Show on Star World. Wow...!! What a woman....She's been that beacon of hope to so many women ALL OVER THE WORLD who's not had it so easy. She also been the source of inspiration, a torch-bearer to so many issues. Well, the plight of America's soldiers...families coping with so many problems. Modern day dilemmas....Well each of these that has gained so much attention and close-view scrutiny...all Kudos to her work...!!

But one particular thing that caught my attention was this 'edition' (prefer to call it that..!!) Well this was on an extension into her family. Her 'new family' as she put it. She'd decided to buy/adopt a new pet (a dog) into her family, and the edition was on how she'd taken the decision and how at the end of it all..she decided to adopt three instead of two or one dog. The reason she gave for adopting the third one being that the keeper mentioned - she wouldn't want to adopt 'him' 'coz he has a weak (slightly misplaced) bite.

And there were all the music...the continous rants of the theatrical audience, loud applause..cries, everything that there is usually...of her shows. And ofcourse her bravery in still having decided to go ahead and adopt the third pet. Well, it doesn't end here. Then there's a video of her continuous getting up through the night to allow the dogs to poop outside her home. "She now knows how difficult it will be to be a new mother" ('Seriously, not undermining what a real mother does for her kids") WOW..!! Realisty Television is sure here to stay...!!

Celebrity worship on one-side. But crying excitedly at the stupid rants of celebrities...is just another thing. Well, no place is better. People standing in queues to meet a so-called celebrity. The Page-3 culture that's fed by this mass hysteria. of being seen at all the right places. Doing all the right things and sporting all the right labels.

And why am I picking on Oprah? Well, simply because she's one of those lovely ladies who'd once mesmerised me with her book reviews, the 'hard' stories she's narrated, Stories that have been such an inspiration to so many around the world.

Of having won-over middle-class as well as upper-middle class conventions of 'blacks' (excuse me for using this word) not being able to reach those echelons of public mind-sets. Who herself spoke against these also who made celelbrities out of lesser known people at the end of it all, on attaining the so-called 'celebrity' status, mimicking those very conventions she scorned upon.

Well, may be...that's what being a celebrity by 'convenience' is all about...!!

The 'Holy' Men

I ran a simple search on 'google'..."Saffron stands for...." and the results; both surprised as well as astounded me....Why..? I'll mention later...But for now...take a look.....

(Each of these have been copied and pasted..Verbatim)

1. Well saffron stands for integrity
2. Saffron - all people in our country is treated as same
3. Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation or disinterestedness
4. A widely held unofficial interpretation is that the saffron stands for purity and spirituality
5. Saffron Stripe : Patriotism, Courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation
6. The saffron color signifies the struggle and sacrifice of the people to achieve freedom.
7. saffron colour has always been identified with royalty

And you'd think it had something to do with violence...religious fanaticism or even forceful abjurations....?? So it's when you see the "saffron brigade" going around doing their 'thing'...of terrorizing lesser powerful mortals....to stand their moral grounds. Trying to forcefully desecrate works of art simply 'coz it doesn’t adhere to their moral standards........Preventing people from posting their views on social networking sites.....Going on to break shops and properties on "Annual Lover's Day" You sort of set out to compare the integral meaning of the connotations the colour could take.

Granted.....that a person cannot be affectionate 'coz he's named MOHIT or one may not become the 'ruler of Gods' simply by being named "Suresh". But at least co-relation of names and the bigger issue of portraying oneself to be something and being completely different....is another.

It's even considered a matter of pride in party circles to see their pictures making front page of dailies the next day......Pride..?? Hello....It's a negative story and not one ranting your accomplishments...!! (will someone tell that that..?)

Go ahead....do what you want....but why depend on symbolisms to make a point.....?? Kindly portray them as your own..!!

Happy Environment Day.......

I was on an 'Environment Day' shoot the other day and managed to get 'shouted at' and almost 'terrorized' by the cops. Yes.....on an Environment day story....and the reason...an illegal dredger next door thought we were out on a 'sting op' to expose his mis-doings. He called his' cops and asked them to get us off the place..!!

Trust me...Environment Day stories are the worst to do these days. Gone are the days when an environment day shoot used to be a simple day affair most likely a 'beat' next to Education.

Today you could be at the receiving end of the Land mafia.....of Goons calling you at odd hours...of the hand-in glove cops as well as the civic administration who wants you to 'mind your own business'

The reason...simple.....who cares for the environment anymore...? Make hay while the sun shines seem to be the mantra. Grab as much land as possible (while there still is some left)....Fill-up man-groves to make more land available....Cut trees to highlight hoardings...use open land to dump waste....dredge canals for more construction sand...dump toxic waste into lakes to avoid detection.......................................................................... ................................................................. The list just goes on and on....and things we do to prevent this...?? hahahahahahaha.....HAPPY ENVIRONEMENT DAY..!!!

PS: By the way...a few of my colleagues who handle the "crime" beat called up a few senior police officers and got us out of the Police Sub Inspector's 'Invitation' to visit him at his police station so that "he could personally explain us the need to speak to him before we video-shoot in his area"