Reality television saw the beginning of an era that had individuals who were famous because they were famous. A tautology, yes, but one that powered a generation of stars in the west.
In Pakistan, reality TV came in the shape of crime re-enactment and talent shows. Not the following people around category, so the genre didn’t produce any stars here.
Social media changed that. With Zaid AliT racking up an impressive following of more than four million people, someone who hasn’t been on mainstream media to begin with was now more popular than many who were.
But the famous for being famous category has truly arrived with Qandeel Baloch. In her, we have a star who hasn’t come from the mainstream media (barring from a couple of appearances occasionally) and one who, as opposed to Zaid AliT’s comic gags, doesn’t have a specific talent. She is without an act, as it were. She can sing, yes, but that talent of hers is just passable. Far more talented singers are wallowing in obscurity, with Facebook profiles visited by family, friends and the occasional gawkers.
No, she is famous for her pout, crying about her headache and fever. She is famous for getting angry at the people who comment on her videos, but in her unique manner. And this fame of hers skyrocketed when she famously announced she would strip on video were the Pakistani team to win. She even released a risqué “trailer” video.
The rage that followed only served to make her even more famous. A large enough number of Pakistanis, who felt she was smearing the nation’s good name (that ship has sailed, didn’t you get the memo?) appealed to Facebook to have her page removed, which it was, but only temporarily.
What has made her so famous? Many would answer promptly that there is a demand for raunchy fare. But this is a lazy answer, because there are many girls out there, who would be ready to do the same, if not more. What separates Qandeel from the others is her innate understanding of social media. It is not a studied understanding but an intuitive intelligence about it. She understands virality and the nature of the content that can go viral. She understands the power of good copywriting, even if she’s shooting her lines on the fly.
It remains to be seen whether she can sustain this current high. She is being discussed across the border and when she says in her program with Mubasher Lucman that she was offered to be a part of Bigg Boss, the Indian reality TV behemoth, she just might be telling the truth.
Regardless of what happens, even if she makes way for another, even less inhibited starlet (remember Mathira, anyone?) she is still going down in the books for the first Kardashian-like star in the country. Famous for being famous.
