`Big Brother’ contestant Jade Goody – not known for her diplomatic skills - has arrived in India. Go figure. All we know so far as that she’s there on a ``private visit’’. Damage control, perhaps? Maybe a PR visit? Naaah, I’m tipping another reason. Call me cynical, but the bottles for her perfume, called Shh, are produced at a factory in western Gujarat. Get my drift here?When Goody repeatedly insulted Indian actress Shilpa Shetty in the recent `Big Brother’ series, her crass behaviour prompted an unprecedented 40,000 complaints to the UK media regulator. In the wake of the racism row, the Gujarat factory, Pragati Glass, stopped production of the bottles containing Goody’s perfume.
Okay, let’s give Goody the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she isn’t there for a commercial reason. ``I've been made to feel very welcome so yes, it's been very good so far,’’ Goody told BBC.com. But if she does fly to Gujarat to make amends at the factory, she could be a bit glassy-eyed.
FOOTNOTE: No Bollywood auditions, Jane? Naaaah, didn’t think so.
9 comments:
Damage control, David....but for commercial reasons. Of course she would now have to suck up to the company in order to have her bottles produced. As cheaply as possible, of course. Otherwise she'd be having them manufactured in Europe, wouldn't you think? So, what conclusions are we to draw from all this? I think I'll stick to my theory that she has a touch of the 'memsahibs' going on...that perhaps since she's used an Indian company to produce her bottles she thinks that Indians= cheap labour= servants, and not social equals? Which is very good news for the Indians, David...how low would they have to stoop to be her equal?
You're so right, Lynne,
India, being the new economic powerhouse, has the upper hand here.
Goody has kicked sand in a few faces, and her damage control will have to be supremely skilful.
For someone who proclaims she is ``not racist'', she is doing more about-faces and twists than Chubby Checker.
Cheers
David
Hi David,
Here’s an email I just received from Shilpa Shetty’s official spokesperson. It’s unedited...
Mathures
Message...
"Shilpa Shetty is not interested to be 'used' as a PR tool to Jade Goody. Jade's purpose of visiting India becomes clear, as she has come with her agent Sally Andrews and PR Jazz Barton. Its obvious that she is here for media mileage. Shilpa is a genuine person and would not partake in any publicity stunt," said Dale Bhagwagar, spokesperson and publicist to Shilpa Shetty, reacting to 'Big Brother' participant Jade Goody's arrival in New Delhi, India.
However, Bhagwagar added, " India is full of very tolerant and cultured people and everyone is welcome. Shilpa doesn't hold grudges or animosity for anyone. That's the way she is. After 'Big Brother', she has moved on in life."
A Police complaint is also being filed against the UK-based Jazz Barton (currently in India with Jade Goody), who double-crossed Shilpa and was served a legal notice. It can be recalled that after receiving the notice from the Shetty's in Mumbai two weeks ago, Jazz Barton immediately fled India, never bothering to reply to the legal notice. On inquiring about a probable arrest warrant being issued for Barton, Bhagwagar said, "It is a little early to predict that". Barton had earlier falsely claimed to be Shilpa's manager, committed and signed deals on her behalf, apart from bad-mouthing the actress to the Western and Indian media.
Shilpa is currently shooting round-the-clock for Anurag Basu's 'Metro', simultaneously completing her dubbing for 'Metro' and Anil Sharma's 'Apne'. With a choc-a-bloc schedule ahead, she will soon be flying back to UK to honour her Western commitments.
"Shilpa will now be doing a balancing act between Bollywood and the West. 'Big Brother' hasn't changed her. Instead, its taught her, how important it is to be dignified in any situation. She remains the loving and affectionate person that she's always been," said Bhagwagar.
not so good goody made an ass of herself in the reality tv show 'big brother'.and shilpa,an underdog,showed quick thinking and smartness.cried on the screen,won the sympathy of the paks,bangladeshis and nris and romped home a winner. she even said jad goody is no racist.that was the height of 'gandhigiri'. and the indian govt rolled out a visa so that she can see for herself what india is all about.yes she has lots at stake and she hopes to kill a few birds with one stone. let us see the outcome.till then "shsh".
I didn't think it was racism from Jade Goody. In Jade's case I think it was a class thing.
SOmeone said to me once, "there's no such thing as 'posh', there's just good manners". Shilpa had them, Jade was brought up rough and ready.
I know the kind of estate that she grew up on. It's a suffocating atmosphere and you grow up with instilled "blinkers" on, a very narrow view of life. Anyone who doesn't talk like you is a "stuck up cow". It's like a huge chip on their shoulder or something.
Shilpa was successful, cultured. She grew up with everything she needed or wanted. That's threatening to someone like Jade, and there's a bit of jealousy in there too.
I know where Jade is coming from because I grew up on one of those estates, went to the local school, where under-achievement was almost a mantra.
I was constantly bullied and not able to be 'one of them'. The reason was this- my mum was raised in a convent children's home and spoke VERY well. So me and my brothers grew up "well spoken". We lived in social housing, never owned a car, never had a holiday and only ever owned one pair of footwear at a time. But we didn't fit in cos we "spoke posh". All of us were bullied, really badly.
Thankfully, we all got out, went to college, university, moved away.
But I'm 39 now, and STILL, when I meet someone with Jade's accent, they make assumptions about me based on my accent, and they turn.
I've worked all round the country and abroad, & never had trouble with people from anywhere else. Just people like Jade.
I don't think it was racism, but bullying, based on jealousy and ignorance.
The trip to India is for commercial reasons, damage control, I'm sure- it can't be for her own enlightenment- she went to India last year already and made a documentary there, although it has yet to be broadcast on terrestial TV.
Helena
Hi Mathures,
Always nice to hear from you. Thanks for sharing that email with us. I think it flies pretty close to the wind, legally.
I do hope Jade Goody can prove she is worthy of the country that nurtured her. I'm sure she will ...
Cheers
David
Hi Gopal,
Yes, there is certainly a lot at stake. And I'm sure Jade Goody will show the world that she is every bit as gracious as we would like her to be.
Always nice to hear from you
David
Hi Helena,
What a thought-provoking comment, on many levels. Thank you for your candour and the explanation based on your own experiences.
You have set me thinking about something. Let's just say you have got me onto an interesting project. Watch this space ...
Once again, my thanks for what is a tuly illuminating viewpoint.
Thanks for reading my blog and taking the trouble to comment.
David
and of course this is precisely what the producers of that TV show want: all of us getting excited about nothing at all! isn't that what "reality TV" is? nothing?
really, why is everyone so led by the nose when it comes to inconsequential media hype?
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