Archive for March 2006
Indian Idiots
I am fed up and I am sure others, who appreciate good music, are tired too. The practice of letting viewers vote out any talent-hunt contestant has crossed all levels of stupidity. People who do not have any understanding of music get to vote not only once but as many times as they wish to make their favourite contestant win. While nothing seems wrong in the concept of viewers’ choice, the execution is faulty as the people’s vote almost always goes opposite to the views of the learned panel of judges, who understand music more than the conscience-less bunch of mobile-wielding idiots.
A few hours back, when 18 year-old Antara Mitra was voted out of Indian Idol 2, my worst fears came true: that the voting audience is not interested in talent but only in seeing their favourite faces win, even if it means throwing a better voice out. Antara’s case is not the first instance. Sometime back, in Fame Gurukul, Qazi and Ruprekha benefited from viewers’ benevolence by prevailing over much more talented and versatile performers like Rex D’Souza and Arpita Mukherjee.
Seeing public’s insensitivity towards ‘sur and taal‘, one wonders why the contestants are made to sing. The idiots that they are, the voting audience would be happier to see them walk the ramp like international models than hear their voice. After all, they have to vote only on the face-value.
