While technology is expanding hard and fast with the web playing the most vital part in conveying information on anything, be it Twitter being used to break news of an earthquake, etc. There is however a shame that in certain regions of the world big shots will game on people’s lives. The reality TV shows have become quite a norm, challenging people to do the impossible but almost all of them have a very high standard of safety precautions to avoid any mishap. But they were sadly not available for Saad Khan from Pakistan who lost his life in all this. The 32 year old guy with four kids was given an under water challenge, where he lost control and could not be recovered. The game was sponsored by the big names in the corporate world, Unilever and produced by MindShare and despite their reputation they had no methods to save this young man and reports state he was under water for 6 minutes.
Of course this news is completely off the grid of what we cover at Startup Meme, but as a responsible person I feel it to be my duty to report this to the International Community and my fellow bloggers so that the authorities take due notice. What needs to be done is that there should be strict accountability on what exactly were the safety procedures and did they actually meet the standards followed by other reality shows? I fail to understand the lack of availability of the basic necessities and why it took them so long to provide medical aid to the young man.
Plus there have been reports of the original source being pulled down so that the news could be suppressed and not given the media coverage. I am not sure how they react to this, but I request all fellow bloggers to take a not of this and spread the word so that Unilever Pakistan is accounted for. I have attached the emails of Unilever’s Press Office in London and Main office in Rotterdam.
Press-Office.London@Unilever.com Unilever main office
mediarelations.rotterdam@unilever.com Unilever main office
fareshteh.aslam@unilever.com Unilever Pakistan
Please join the Facebook Group, Say NO to reality shows, For MUHAMMAD SAAD KHAN
Basic Info
Name: Say NO to Reality Shows
Type: Common Interest – Beliefs & Causes
Description: Reality shows around the media world have become very popular. In a quest to make thrilling, adventurous and exciting programs the producers, sponsors, directors, media managers, risk the life of un-trained & un-skilled participants.
This is a pure act of playing with a precious human life. This facebook page marks a start of a campaign against all such entities who organize and sponsor such events for cheap publicity & monetary kick backs.
http://www.facebook.com/share.php?appid=2530096808&src=box&tid=125880517398&u=http%3A%2F%2Fteeth.com.pk%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2F28%2Fsaad-khan-unilever-mindshare-accident#/group.php?gid=125880517398
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We will wait for a while and see how unilever responds to it. If they did go the legal way and did not bear their social responsibility we will start a boycott their products campagin against them by making comics on each of their products and making spoof ads of each of their products to help build the awareness and aid the boycott.
a small glimpse can be seen in the link below.
http://paksatire.com/2009/08/29/unilever-mindshare-clear-reality-show-becomes-cruelty-show/
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I badly hope an action is duly taken on this one and a policy shaped up to ensure that incidents such as these never occur and reality game shows are double checked for security issues before they are given a green signal.
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I knew him personally & he did not deserve this.
He was the sweetest man i know & my time with him was precious.
He was trying to make some $ for his family & to help his mother.
We were to meet up later this autumn & i will miss him dearly.
My prayers are with his family.
May they find comfort in each other.
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