Peter Parka

I don't expect most of you guys across the pond have heard much about this but it's been really big on the news over here and has set a record for the most complained about telly program ever. I'm referring to the current series of Celebrity Big Brother where a Bollywood actress is being bullyed by other contestants. Here's the full story from bbc.co.uk. I was wondering, do you consider this just bullying behaviour or has it streched to racism too?

How the Big Brother row erupted
As the outside world continues to debate the alleged racism in the Big Brother house, the celebrities inside remain blissfully unaware of the attention some of them are receiving.
The treatment of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty on the Channel 4 show has led to thousands of complaints being made to the broadcasting watchdog, Ofcom.
The housemates in the spotlight are Jade Goody, famous for appearing in Big Brother 3; Danielle Lloyd, a former Miss Great Britain; and Jo O'Meara, former singer with pop act S Club 7.

You don't know where those hands have been
Danielle Lloyd talking about Shilpa Shetty
But the first sign of trouble came when Jackiey Budden, Goody's mother, was introduced to the show.
She failed to pronounce Shetty's name properly and began calling her "the Indian" or "Princess".
House conflict
Since then, things have gone from bad to worse for the 31-year-old actress.
Goody, O'Meara, Lloyd and Jack Tweed - Goody's boyfriend - have formed a small group who appear to spend a lot of time complaining about her and mimicking her voice.

Other housemates have so far avoided getting involved in the conflict. However, one housemate - former Steps singer Ian "H" Watkins - has recognised there is a problem.
He has been seen crying, and admitted to Big Brother he did not like the behaviour in the house.
"There's a lot of name calling and petty things," he said. "It's clearly school ground behaviour. It's almost like bullying. It's really, really unfair."
Cooking complaint
Following a discussion the group had with Shetty about how long it took to cook a chicken, Goody, O'Meara amd Lloyd decided she had made them all ill.
"No wonder I keep getting the s***s," commented O'Meara.
Others complained that Shetty had touched housemates' food with her hands after she picked up morsels from people's plates.
Lloyd said: "You don't know where those hands have been."
Following another meal, Shetty poured left-over chicken soup down the Big Brother toilet - much to the disgust of the others, who felt chicken bones could cause a blockage.
"Why didn't it just go down the sink?" asked O'Meara. "She grates me so badly when she does things like that. What a stupid thing to do."
Tweed suggested Shetty should pick the bones out with her teeth, receiving the reply: "There's a lot more I want to do with my teeth."
Bad atmosphere
During a separate conversation, while Shetty was applying facial hair bleach, Lloyd asked whether the Bollywood star had stubble.
Later, Goody offered the opinion that skin lightening is common in India, where paler skin is considered desirable.
"She's a dog," said Lloyd.

Some fans have claimed Tweed referred to Shetty using a four-letter racial insult, which was bleeped out. However, Channel 4 has denied the word bleeped out was a racist term.
Shetty has been reduced to tears several times by the bad atmosphere.
In one late night conversation she sobbed after Goody told her she did not appear "genuine".
"I feel like I'm losing my dignity," she confided to Watkins on Sunday.
But, on Tuesday's show, the actress was seen telling Big Brother she was happy to have entered the house.
"This has really been like a learning curve for me," she said. "To actually be in the same house with people from a different culture altogether has been really, really hard.
"But it's cool now, once you get to know the mindset, once you get to know where the other person is coming from. "It's like a rollercoaster ride really."

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SilentEyz

I don't think it is Racism.. sounds like plain old bullying to me. Gotta love inmature people which is what it sounds like this woman is having to deal wirh.

robedwards99

It's not racism in my view but small minded, uneducated stupidity.

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What this world needs is less pointing of guns and more looking at boobies.

White2000GT

Definitely not racism. Racism is a word that is thrown around too easily these days. Calling her "the Indian" is not racist. That would be like me getting mad if Rob and Pete called me "the American". I am actually very proud to be American, so I would take it as a compliment, not an insult.
But.... controversy does wonders for TV ratings.

Peter Parka

Well there's other stuff going on which makes me think it's racist. Jo saying that Indians are so thin because they don't cook their food properly, for instance. They have also been having a go at her about her English which is ridiculous as she speaks very good English. Jade on the other hand dosen't and besides if she went to India she wouldn't be able to speak a word of their language. The situation's got so bad now that the government is trying to pull the show and discoraging people from watching it. Meanwhile Carphone Warehouse has ended their sponsership of Big Brother with imediate effect and the Perfume shop has withdrawn Jades perfume from their shelf and are refusing to sell it!

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White2000GT

I still think it is all getting blown way out of proportion.

sharpies

... & yet the number of viewers has risen by more than 1 million.

Controversy does not usually hurt ratings too much.

I thought some of the comments sounded a little racist, as well but I do agree with Whitey (you know, that American) that the term racism is bandied around a little too often these days.

Allan

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"To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to claim that Jesus was not born of a virgin."

-- Cardinal Bellarmine, during the trial of Galileo, 1615

robedwards99

I can't listen as I'm at work but this is what all the controversy is about...

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What this world needs is less pointing of guns and more looking at boobies.

Peter Parka

Apparently there's not going to be a crowd for tonight eviction for security reasons. Seeing that there's a 99.99% chance it's going to be Jade, I can see why!

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RecklessTim

I guess Jade was kicked out...

more...

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Mr President;
It has been reported that you are here to "lecture" us on democracy and human rights. But with a record like yours, you will not be very convincing.

Peter Parka

Yeah, she was. I don't think she's racist but is a complete thicko with a big gob on her who spouted a few racist things without thinking about what she was saying.

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Maulds

I've never watched an episode of any Big Brother show, but my take is bullying.