‘Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives’ and the dangers of mediocrity

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. There’s nothing wrong with a guilty pleasure. I watch many— many—television shows that I am somewhat ashamed of, yet I draw the line at the trashy reality show that is consumed for its own sordid trashiness.

A guilty pleasure is a guilty pleasure, certainly, but there’s a world of difference between sneaking a slice of cheesecake and, well, succumbing to crack cocaine. Reality television, particularly that strand of hyper-engineered, fame-churning dreck, has become a cultural addiction too potent and dangerous for casual indulgence. You know the type I’m talking about: shows that are about being famous—or infamous—for the sake of being famous.

Consider Bigg Boss (JioCinema), the Indian franchise of Big Brother, which escalates every season with manufactured spats and rivalries, expertly stoked by host Salman Khan’s provocations. A judgemental Salman pushes contestants to reveal their worst selves, prodding them to unleash ugly arguments for the sake of “entertainment". Show runners have even amplified the focus on controversy by featuring contestants with “troubled" or provocative backstories, knowing that viewers love celebrities being brought down a peg.

Bigg Boss is unadulterated exploitation, a zoo-cage trapping stars in a bizarre fame loop. Then there’s The Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives (Netflix) which typifies an aggressive mediocrity. It is about not the famous but the fame-adjacent, and, like somebody forced to do their own make-up without a mirror, the show is a disaster.