Mouthshut has been a witness to countless controversies in the past, so I guess the present one thrown up by mb07(Mak) and compounded by he.has.a.point isn’t something unique. Yes, it is somewhat distinctive by way of the magnitude of insanity displayed by me, so much so, that you may actually question the need for such pointless audacity(that too for such a trivial issue!)
The issue isn’t that trivial. For many, Mouthshut.com is a second home. Because home is where the heart is. And in your home, you are supposed to live, dress and behave the way you like(of course within certain unwritten rules). So when your behaviour is suddenly questioned by someone whom you look upon as a close member of the family, you are bound to brood on it and sulk(or maybe do that in the reverse order). Mak did the same in his review. Probably egged on by his conscience, he raised a few contentious points which he considered valid, namely:
1. that some stars are preoccupied with the obsession of having the maximum number of comments on their reviews, and in that effort, indulge in tomfoolery that does no good to anyone.
To the best of my knowledge and belief, this is not true. Comments are an outcome of the bonhomie the particular member has among his peers, and if someone is gifted with a magnetic personality(which of course influences the number of comments pouring in), it is really neither anybody’s fault nor can the comments be curtailed. The comments section is really a reflection of social networking and positive vibes than anything else, and the inevitable fallouts include a sprinkling of tomfoolery that, if not enjoyed, should then at best be overlooked. Thers’s no contest going on and no party is being thrown at scoring a 200 or a 250. Holding grudges against such an issue is impractical.
2. that starwriters covertly influence both the content of reviews and the readership
Not true again. I too have waded through the waters here…and I can vouch for the fact that never ever has a starwriter approached me asking for a favourable comment or rating. The insinuation is too flimsy to merit any further discussion. I really don’t know how, but starhood has come to be equated with an ornamental decoration of sorts. As if it is the Bharat Ratna(as Ratna pointed out). Even if starhood had conferred a few fringe benefits like a 10% discount on bar bills or a free ticket for your spouse at the multiplex, it would have made sense….
*3. that starwriters mostly choose useless topics to write upon
*Really? Barring a handful of writers(summarised by flyingelephant in his comment to Mak), most starwriters write positive, useful and worthwhile reviews with immense consumer value. Those who don’t are beyond redemption….but at least they succeed in smoothening out knotted eyebrows and putting a smile across sullen lips…no mean achievement! Can you really imagine Mouthshut without psyxx, flyingelephant, zuludancing, walking_dude, sudipto33, the_reviewer, paulose, amateurabe, indian1969, sndaya, main_chup….and a few others of their ilk? Aren’t we missing shyamnambiar already? We were missing Mak too when he chose to stay away form MS a while back! Tell me, why do your eyes light up when you see a review from anyone of the above reviewers? Why do you instinctively hit the link and rush to occupy a place at the top of the comments section….?
See….we have to really understand this once and for all….all of us who make the MS community are not more than a 100 or 125 members. We write for each other, and not for doing any public service for consumers. Not to say that there aren’t any other reviewers for MS…many unknown, unheard of members have written and continue to write brilliant product reviews. And really, for the consumer looking for a product review, Mouthshut stands tall amongst all other websites. If I were a consumer, I would search for the relevant product, read 5 or 10 reviews, form an opinion and leave…without caring to become a dedicated member and without caring to rate and comment on a review. Most of the good product reviews have hardly a comment, yet the information they give is phenomenal. Only those poor few who have an outgoing personality and a flair for writing test the waters first with a few faltering steps, get hooked and end up as hapless starwriters. Spare them.spare them. Starwriters are as *bechaara *a breed as you and I…ahem!
4. Lotsa backscratching exists
So what. That exists everywhere. The society(any society, really) as such has an itchy, scorbutic back…and backscratchers are always welcome. A backscratchless society would be surreal and bizarre, something akin to sexlessness. Very few saintly people have pimpleless, laminated backs, and they definitely don’t descend from the heights to become mundane starwriters.
So…where do we finally arrive? Firstly, before I summarize…here’s an apology to all who were at the receiving end of my comments at Mak’s review. Some reviewers did read between the lines and realised that I posted no clear and present danger…my diatribe against starwriters was really ludicrous and shallow. Honestly…all the reviewers whose names I took are really close to my heart and I only took the liberty of bashing them up only to liven up an otherwise laggard discussion….thats the beauty of MS…only a star can bash up stars in his trusted circle….:-) The CURSE…really was CURSORY! Howsoever carefully worded and well intended Mak’s review was….the subtle insinuations were not too well guarded secrets at all…it was more than obvious where the finger was pointed at…and it really made no sense trying to hide behind half a lingerie of superficial modesty. Names had to be taken…if Mak’s review had to make any iota of sense….hence….
The truth is out there….somewhere……and it is really not that hot to handle.:-D
Just one parting mention of a hoard of promising newbies on the horizon….Mak….really hope to see you writing a review identifying 10 future stars…it would be immensely more worthwhile.
That’s it. A star bows out. Forever.