WLIFW (Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week), the five-day fashion fiesta held in New Delhi, consummated on Sunday, March 16, 2008. Like any other fashion festival, this one too was not unblemished by its customary accidents, read ‘slips and falls’.
The last day ended with a model named Priya tripping on the ramp while flaunting the designer Charu Parashar’s collection. This incident, however, given its due coverage (particularly on the self-acclaimed ‘sabse tez’ news channel Aaj Tak) was not exaggerated as much as the Friday episode, wherein a strap slipped off the shoulder of a Belgian model Debbie giving the audience a glimpse of her assets. Debbie, nevertheless, quickly pulled it up and completed her walk with confidence and finesse. The embarrassing moment of the poor girl was covered extensively in all the news channels, with her exposed part blurred though.
This Debbie episode came as a replica of LIFW (Lakme India Fashion Week) 2006, which faced two consecutive wardrobe malfunctions. On the one hand, model Carol Gracias’ top slipped to her waist, on the other, Gauhar Khan’s skirt zipper split. Such malfunctions, it seems, have become synonymous to the fashion carnivals. They come and go, each time triggering off the question, “Was it really an accident or just a gimmick?” It becomes a hot topic of discussion in parties, workplaces and get-togethers.
This question always leaves me wondering if any girl can actually stoop to this level to capture the public eye. Agreed, Carol owing to her wardrobe malfunction did catch some attention, and also bagged a few blink-and-you-miss scenes in some of the Bollywood movies and the reality show Big Boss, where she managed to make a place in the Top 3. Still it is hard to believe that what happened on the ramp was a calculated move. Why would an already known model like Carol, or a Former Miss India like Gauhar Khan, resort to such measures just for gaining publicity?
Nonetheless, when history repeats itself year after year, one is forced to reconsider if these are really ‘accidents’. As for the correct answer to this question, we can only conjecture without coming to a conclusion, unless we conduct a narco test on models or designers to get the truth out of them.
Amidst such ‘malfunctions’, however, there is yet another issue that calls for attention — Is it right for the media to exaggerate and spice up these happenings like the way they do? Five years back, when I was pursuing a course in journalism, we were always told by our professors that journalism is the search for truth and the only religion that a journalist should follow is Humanism. What truth are they trying to seek by featuring such incidents as the ‘breaking news’? And, are they really following Humanism as a religion? I’m not sure! On the contrary, what they are doing today has surpassed all human values. The ‘mishap’ occurs just once, but by playing and replaying the video clipping of the same over and over again throughout the day, they really rob the hapless girls of their dignity. Where are the laws of defamation?
There was a time when we were nagged by our parents to watch news. Today, we have to change the channel to make sure that the kids at home do not get to catch such stories. Where have we reached? And, who is responsible for it? Media? Or our preoccupation with controversial and ‘spicy’ stuff? Instead of sympathising with the poor girls, we discuss if they did it intentionally.
What we now require is a major shift in our attitude and some good journalists, who instead of victimising, stand by and at least retain the dignity of the victims. I remember, one of our professors often telling us of a journalist (whose name I can’t recollect now) who deliberately committed a minor crime only to be jailed and come up with a heartrending story on the plight of prisoners in Tihar Jail. We need such journalists and such meaningful stories today, not those of ‘slips and falls’.
A timely piece. Journalists, like most other professionals, are pandering to the demons of lucre. Where then is the question of ethos? But youngsters like you have a right to question, demand and even protest. Retain the spirit, Neha. Will you?
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Thanks for your encouraging comments, Suman! Yes, I'll try my best to retain the spirit!
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as we had discussed in the DB section last week - the media has become a D grade source of info... i am switching back to Newspapers... ugh! enough of the breaking news..
Happy holi dear
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What is worse is that instead of understanding the plight of the girl, they make us think if it was a calculated move. Really sick!
Thanks for reading!!!
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Well put. Journalism has been reduced to sensationalism and grabbing eyeballs and TRPs. (particularly TV).
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So true, Archana! And thanks for your comments!
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We live in such an attention-seeking age, and our TV channels are so sickeningly sensationalist that I have stopped watching news. I think the TV is on at my place for an average of 15 min a day.
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Lollllllzzz... 15 min a day, Irene? That's really great. Let me admit, at my place, the TV is OFF for an average of 15 min a day. It's really hard to keep yourself aloof of this "sensationalism".
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Well, I don't want to pollute the young mind, and personally find most TV fare these days very boring.
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Absolutely true, Neha. Even the newspapers are rife with explicit pictures. I am not a prude but you expect a certain level of dignity in a medium like a newspaper. Yellow journalism seems to be the order of the day now.
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Neha, well said
We have enogh doze of these celebrities every day w/o needing a few of them becoming 'super celebs' by a little gimmick...I make it a point to switch channels and watch whatever even 'krishidarshan' when such stuff comes on!
Another thing is the fondness of these channels for fuelling flames between celebrities...The Bhajji-Ponting would have remained on the sports field a few channels had not ensured viewershiop by fanning it...I too got caught up and wrote a few fiery blogs, but the second time they started the same thing ( tasting blood huh?) I switched off..Tasleema's case, and the recent attempt to make a controversy out of Anju Bobby George's innocent comment taken out of context abput PT Usha and Milka Singh...thank god nobody took it up but I expect that was again because it was NOT cricket...
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...thank god nobody took it up but I expect that was again because it was NOT cricket....Yup, no sport except cricket is news enough for these channels!
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Very true, Suneetha! Had it been cricket, media would have sensationalised this issue as well. Thanks for reading!
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Neha, you have really hit the bull's eye here on three main issues. Models stooping to low levels to get fame, irresponsible media gimmicks and degrading taste for cheap fun in people. I really wonder if journalists throw everything they learn of ethics into air just for getting that extra edge over others. I am proud to see a conscientious writer in young Neha!
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Oh! Thank you so much for your kind words, dear!
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Congratulations Neha, for writing such an excellent piece. I am glad that people like you still exist in this world, to question hypocritical attitudes. The fault lies not just with the media but also with people (many of us)who gobble up such hyped and spicy news! Keep it up.
Shail
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