Reality TV is about appeal, not sex appeal (Munshi has banned that) but viewers’ sympathetic empathy. That’s why so many contestants cry so much; that’s why most of the time they clap so hard for the other contestants. That’s why they smile and bow and scrape and say pretty thank-you even when they want to assault the judges for low marks or critical comments. You have to act the part of a good sport even if you’re really a crab “scuttling’’ as T.S. Eliot put it, “the floors of silent seas’’.

All good drama requires extraordinary situations or events — and reality shows are all about drama. Also vile, negative characters (ask Ekta Kapoor) who make unpalatable, statements (some of which are true). Thus, talent reality show always feature versions of Simon Cowell who are paid to be horrid (and sometimes truthful) and create conflict (another elementary feature of drama). The Indian shows picked up the idea, so you have the fisticuffs and the walkouts by judges on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.

Big Brother goes one step further — it features the good, the bad but banks on the ugly. Imagine if Rakhi, Ravi, Rahul was all sweety pie on Bigg Boss — would you watch them? No, there’s Carol for that.

In order to involve the public enough to make them vote you have to do what Salman Rushdie said about good novels — make them engage with the characters (NDTV 24x7) — love, like or hate them. Nobody tutored Jade to utter racial or sexual obscenities; but she was chosen because she can be obscene. Just as Shilpa was picked to play the civilised dark-skinned babe who’d make Jade see red, sorry brown. Just that Jade went too far and made everyone feel small about Big Brother.

... contd.