There was a point when Roadies was the only thing on the mind of most teens in India, and featuring in it, was a dream that teens with a dictionary of a few choice words nurtured. The show was a hit in the 2000s, but has waned in popularity the last few years.
The Name
It’s called the Roadies X4, and it’s got a plethora of sponsors, “powered by”, “in association with” that would put even an A-list Bollywood star like Salman or Shahrukh to shame. It makes the viewing experience a little too frustrating with the numerous ads popping up on the screen.
Reality show minus the reality
The “reality” in “reality show” was just a description that was used as a pitch to the big bosses at MTV by the creators of the show, obviously.
Even more fake & staged
Yup, it ain’t very real. Most of what happens in the show is dramatized to keep the audience hooked. Take this for example – in a recent episode, one of the contestants had to cross a river as part of a task and her boat capsized. She was struggling and almost drowned, but was saved by the host, Rannvijay. No, not by a safety expert, but by the host, who jumped in to save her. What a hero!
Excessive profanity
Well, a lot of people began following the show because of the profanity, but now that all of us have learnt swear words to last a lifetime, it’s getting a bit boring and a little too excessive.
No Raghu and Rajiv
The bald-headed twins who swore more than any Irishmen and got eyeballs on the show are no longer part of the show. Their exit from the show means that we no longer witness malicious character assassinations and long tirades ridden with expletives. Such fun the old times were!
The Judges
An ex-roadie, an actress, a television actor and an Olympics winner (yes, you read that right, an Olympic medallist has to be part of such a charade) doesn’t sound like a competent team of judges on paper, and on screen, it’s just incredibly cringe worthy.
In-your-face product placement
What’s up with the interview in front of the Axe deo spray banners and contestants spraying themselves with Axe deodorant!?
Cars replacing bikes
A big change in the newest season is that the bikes have been replaced by cars. That’s a bummer for those who enjoy watching people fall of bikes (wait, didn’t we all watch it for that?)and fail miserably while riding.
Weirdos are even weirder
It’s no surprise that the weirder you are, the greater the likelihood of you being chosen as a Roadie. But, eating pubic hair and turning every line into a rap song is a little weird, no?
It’s 2016
There are more TV channels than you can watch, fast internet speeds and numerous websites to keep you entertained. Please don’t go back to 2006 and switch to MTV. Nothing has changed. Honest.
