Is reality television popularising porn?

The entry of adult movie star Sunny Leone on Bigg Boss 5 triggers a debate
Channels are pushing the bar when it comes to what constitutes entertainment, going all out to get provocative individuals to make an appearance on their shows.
It has come to light that the entry of Indo-Canadian porn star Sunny Leone in the Bigg Boss house has resulted in increased traffic on porn sites. One may argue that porn is easily available and accessible to all via the net, but now television is acting as a trigger to promote the same.
Dr Rajan Bhonsle, senior sex therapist, says, “In the last one week, I have had three cases where patients have divulged that the presence of a porn star on a TV show got them curious, leading them to search for her name on the internet. The search threw up porn videos and curiosity got the better of them, and they ended up accessing the site.”
Bhonsle further adds, “I am not slamming people for watching porn in private, but channels are creating curiosity, which can lead people to adult websites. In another case, an addict who had given up on porn went back to it after watching the show.”
While this is the first time a pornographic actor has made her foray into television, recently a popular adventure reality show had contestants stripping for a task. And while the channel was discreet enough to blur the images during telecast, the videos are still available online. In another incident, a contestant on the same show’s previous season had an ‘oops!’ moment when his pants were pulled down just for fun.
However, psychotherapist Dr Kurien S Thomas thinks it’s ridiculous to blame channels for promoting porn. “Adults should take responsibility for their actions. If they are accessing porn, it is because they want to. How can anyone say they watched a porn star on a show and therefore was tempted to surf for it online? If they see a murder on a show, will they be tempted to kill someone? If they saw adultery on a show, would they want to cheat on their partner too? I find such claims bizarre. However, I do think channels should have ratings warning people of the content, because reality shows are popular with kids and teenagers.”
Sunny Leone for Jism 2Mahesh Bhatt has taken special permission to enter the Bigg Boss house tomorrow, but not as a new entrant. The director wants to speak to Sunny Leone about his forthcoming project. “He approached the show’s producers and asked if he could enter the house to discuss Jism 2 with Sunny. And he has been allowed,” said a source, adding, “Since Sunny is also interested in a career in Bollywood, she might be happy to accept the offer.”