Shilpa Wins

Shilpa Shetty won the Big Brother competition. Since she's been living in the house in isolation, she has only now learned of the controversy and attention that resulted from her experiences with racism on the show. What a mind-fuck that must be.

Interestingly, another contestant on the show seems to have escaped such controversial treatment. Jermaine Jackson, older brother of Michael and Janet, was also on the show, and came in second to Shilpa. He's converted to Islam and has renamed himself Muhammad Abdul Aziz. He lives in Dubai and is married to an Afghan woman. Apparently he was a paanch-waqt namaazi on the show. I wonder why he didn't become the target of the racists instead of (or in addition to) Shilpa Shetty. I suppose we should count our blessings.

More on Shilpa Shetty

Shilpa Shetty continues to suffer in the Big Brother house - and now the New York Times has picked up the story too. Meanwhile, bookies are listing her as their favorite to win this season's contest - some (for example, Germaine Greer) are claiming that Shilpa is simply a good actress, and is trying to provoke her housemates to be racist and therefore get eliminated from the house. Personally, I don't think that's the case. No one wants to experience racist behavior, and it just seems too convenient for white people to "blame" their target for "provoking" them into being racist. Hey, if it's not in your head to begin with, why would it come out, even when provoked? (Michael Richards, anyone?)

You already know that the issue has come up in the British Parliament. Now it's become an international incident, with the British prime minister and chancellor weighing in on the matter. British chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown is visiting India, and was grilled on the subject by reporters. Meanwhile, there have been some protests in India, complete with burning effigies. It's almost as if they were protesting something that the Pope may have said - but that sounds unreasonable, doesn't it?

Shilpa Shetty Gets Rough Treatment on "Big Brother"

I'm a reality-tv junkie, but I've never liked one of the pioneers of the genre, Big Brother (UK). Maybe this is why. The show finally has its first desi cast member, in the person of Shilpa Shetty, Bollywood starlet. And almost immediately upon entering the Big Brother house, Shilpa was subjected to hostile, offensive, and racist behavior from other cast members. Her housemates have been mocking her accent (a REAL sore spot for us FOBs), complaining about her touching their food with her hands, and referring to her as "the Indian" instead of calling her by name - but as one account noted rather thankfully, earlier reports that Shilpa had been called "Paki" were wrong (I mean, that would be just awful!).

The regulatory body that oversees British television has received over 10,000 complaints of racism (the most complained-about series ever), and the issue has even reached Parliament. Stay tuned...