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Indians Arrange Marriages Via Reality TV
By Kevin Spak
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Posted Jun 27, 09 1:43 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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In the distant past, Indian parents arranged marriages with the help of relations and local priests. These days, they’re turning to Rupert Murdoch. News Corp’s Star TV has launched a daily reality show called Star Vivaah, or Star Weddings, a kind of video personals for prospective brides, grooms, and, of course, their parents, the Washington Post reports.
“Our program is the YouTube of arranged marriages,” said a Star TV vice president, boasting that it’s “a huge leap forward from four lines in a newspaper classified and a grainy clip on the internet.” There’s just one problem. The show often produces matches so perfect that they make for lousy TV. “My battle now,” the VP said, “is to figure out if my job is to play matchmaker or to entertain.”