|
Simulations too real for Russian reality TV
May 30, 2005
Moscow - A raunchy reality television show hosted by Russia's first "it" girl
has aroused the wrath of Moscow's council, which is trying to have it banned on
the grounds that it promotes moral degeneracy.
Watched by millions, Dom-2 (House-2) is broadcast nightly and follows a group
of single young men and women as they build a house on the outskirts of the
city.
It is presented by Ksenia Sobchak, 23, a glamorous socialite who is close to
President Vladimir Putin.
The participants have a strong incentive to build relationships because the
finished house will be given to a couple picked by viewers at the end of the
season. Some of them have responded by stripping and simulating sex acts.
The council is appalled. Its members, who have already campaigned for
night-time curfews on adolescents and the imprisonment of anyone drinking beer
in public, have urged prosecutors to move against the program.
They believe that if it cannot be banned, it should at least be shown after
11pm rather than in its current 9pm slot.
"All of this is a form of luring young people into prostitution," said Lyudmila
Stebenkova, head of the council's health committee.
"According to the rules of the game, one of the couples should win a big prize,
and for that reason many participants imitate love and enter into sexual
relationships strictly for pragmatic reasons." The complaint singles out
Sobchak and the show's producers, accusing them of exploiting sex and of
organising a de facto prostitution ring – an offence punishable by up to three
years in jail.
Sobchak looks certain to weather the storm, however, not least because of her
impressive personal credentials. Her father Anatoly Sobchak, who died five
years ago, was the mayor of St Petersburg and a mentor to Mr Putin, his deputy
during his early years in politics.
Mr Putin has known her since childhood and regards her mother as a friend.
Sobchak – Russia's answer to Paris Hilton, the brash American heiress – has
become one of the most familiar of Moscow's new rich. An indefatigable
party-goer with a passion for diamonds and fur coats, she is a regular guest at
the top nightclubs and social events.
In the past she has been romantically linked to some of Moscow's richest men
but now she is engaged to Alexander Shustorovich, a Russian-American
businessman.
Sobchak was unperturbed by the criticism. "Deputies should thank us for our
program instead of criticising it," she said. "It's aired at the same time as
the evening news, which is mainly about problems in our country that deputies
are unable to solve. By watching Dom-2 young people at least don't hear about
them."
The Sunday Times
Comment on this story,
click here.
Copyright 1999-2004, AsianSexGazette.com. All rights reserved. No
content may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission.
Please contact us via the link below for re-print and syndication policies.
|
|
Russian
reality show accused of prostitution and pimping
5-25-2005
|
