Desicritics Author: Mayank Singhania

France At A Crossroads

Mayank Singhania — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:30:25 EDT

It’s been a long time since I blogged, and I never thought I would be blogging sitting in Paris, France. Well I have to sit, as I have walked more than 10 km today. The walk was interesting and enjoyable, given the beautiful weather and the even more beautiful Parisian architecture to admire. But I did not walk the distance so that I can talk about the weather or beautiful buildings (there might be a post on that too, you never know). I was forced to walk to my college in Paris because of a train strike, which brings me to the topic I wish to address today.

Strike? In France? Isn’t France supposed to be a capitalist country? (Did I take some of our communist friends from Calcutta with me?) I had the same perception of France when I left India a month ago. I have been trying to understand French politics, its people and a bit of its history, and I am surprised that France has at all been capitalist. The people and successive governments in France have adopted socialistic policies. Unions in France are very strong; the right to strike, vacation, pension and social security are almost sacrosanct. Privatisation is a bad word, and people really don’t trust corporations. Perhaps the only thing capitalistic about France is that it recognizes the right to private property.

The French economy isn’t doing too well, and there are reasons for that. European integration has lead to free movement of goods, capital and people. Capital has migrated out of France in search of lower wages, people have moved into France in search of higher wages and goods have found higher prices. Unemployment and illegal immigration are just the tip of the iceberg of French problems. In order to solve the unemployment issue, France had adopted a rather, ahem, “interesting” policy of mandatory 35-hour work weeks for all employees in France. (While some employment was created in the process, the labour bills of many French companies shot up and they are struggling to be competitive today). Economic growth has been sluggish (hovering around 2%) and inflation is up, especially since the introduction of Euro in France.

France pays great retirement benefits to all employees, which are taken out of the taxes collected annually (France doesn’t have a pension fund). With an aging populace, fewer people are working every year (to pay taxes) while more number of people get added to the retired list (to enjoy pension and retirement benefits). To add to its woes, France also has one of the earliest retirement ages in all of Europe, and also allows earlier retirement (than the retirement age) in many jobs. This allows some people to pay taxes for fewer years than period of their retirement benefits. The retirement benefits have led to some fiscal disarray. To further complicate matters, taxation is a taboo subject in French politics. Being a part (rather a founder) of the European Union, France is obliged to exercise fiscal discipline, keeping its fiscal deficit under control. France needs to cut down its spending on retirement benefits.

Against this backdrop, the last elections in France were held. Nicholas Sarkozy, the current president of France won the elections with a slogan of “Rupture”, which was telling the people that we need to change our ways drastically, if we wish to grow. Any person would be forgiven for saying that Sarkozy could not have won the election. Sarkozy is the son of an Hungarian immigrant and his promises included taking away benefits rather than extending benefits to the people. Sarkozy promised sweeping reforms and gave slogans like “Work more to earn more” to the vacation-loving French. However, Sarkozy had proved his mettle as interior minister during the riots that raged through Paris last year. More surprising than his victory was the popularity- ratings that he enjoyed after the polls. Sarkozy had effectively managed to get the people of France to agree in principle that change was needed in the way things had traditionally been done in France, which by itself was no small achievement.

Sarkozy, along with his labour minister Xavier Bertrand have started trying to implement their promises, and the first task they took on was taking away the early retirement option extended to rail employees, firemen and electricity workers in France. This has led to the strike with which I began my blog. This is the first crisis for Sarkozy, and for the first time in ages, there has been an unpopular strike in France. How things shape up after this may decide the future course of French politics for years to come.

I had the option of skipping my classes, but one of the reasons I chose to walk to my institute was to show solidarity with Nicholas Sarkozy, for I believe he is a man who can set things right in France. I’ll be leaving France in December, but it is always great to see a politician strive hard and stick to his guns for what he believes is right for the country. I hope some Indian politicians are learning something.

Ball Tampering Controversy: Tragedy or Farce?

Mayank Singhania — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:47:38 EDT

Once more, the gentleman's game is surrounded by controversy. An umpire, Darrell Hair, with a history of accusations of racial bias, accuses a team, Pakistan, with a history of ball tampering of doing the same. The captain walks off with his team, which forces the umpires to award the match to England. ICC, too didn't take too high a view of the Pakistani team's actions, and has initiated action against the Pakistani captain. Inzamam returned the favour, accusing Darrell Hair, and the ICC of racial bias.

The Pakistani media, as expected has lashed out at both Darrell Hair and the ICC. But given the fact that senior Pakistani bowlers have admitted to regularly tampering the ball, is it possible to give them the benefit of doubt? Such things get ingrained in the sporting cultures of countries. It is not the first time the Pakistanis have been accused of ball tampering. These allegations have come from non white players as well. But then, the proof of ball tampering available is only as credible as the proof against Darrell Hair's racial bias. There are only historical actions and perceptions in either case.

Not that Darrell Hair, or the ICC for that matter, is free from racial bias. Darrell Hair's actions seem to personify the anti-Asian bias, with Hair having gotten into the hair of players from all Asian cricketing countries. Muralitharan, Harbhajan, Shabbir and Danish have all been accused of chucking. The evidence of ball tampering seemed grossly inadequate, and no camera captured any footage of ball tampering. Yet, he accuses the team of ball tampering and deducts 5 runs, at a point of time where the match was very exciting.

Inzamam's reactions too, were immature, leading his team off the field. What did he expect the umpires to do? Wait for an eternity, for the Pakistanis to make up their minds whether the want to play or not? Pakistanis could have continued playing, lodging a formal protest with the ICC later.

ICC has not been a saint either. Cricket was deemed to be the white man's game, and that the power has shifted from England to Asia, hasn't gone down too well with some of the whites. There have been racial comments about poor standards of umpiring of Asian umpires, but one can only look at the controversies created by the so-called 'elite panel' of umpires, to understand their standards. Steve Bucknor has regularly taken controversial decisions, many a times having match altering impacts. One of the reasons that Sachin hasn't been able to perform has been poor umpiring, some umpires just seem to be too eager to give him out.

And now the latest twist: Pakistan wants BCCI to use its muscle to help it. After all, Asians should stand together, they argue. But what has the PCB done to seek such favours? The PCB comments over Gavaskar's favoritism in the appointment of Shrinath as Match referee, haven't exactly endeared them to the BCCI. Indians have always helped Pakistanis, with Dalmiya changing ICC rules so that Shoaib could play in Australia despite the chucking allegations. But PCB has never been willing to share a reciprocal relationship. Ehsan Mani's comments over not have a major ICC event in India don't exactly encourage co-operation with Pakistan. Why then, does PCB expect help in cleaning up its mess?

The above events were unfortunate, and avoidable. But the immaturity from either side has turned the situation into a farce, with off-the-field events making more news than on-field events. Just hoping that the air clears, and we can get back to focusing on the game.

Temporary Patriotism

Mayank Singhania — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 00:09:24 EDT

So 15th August is approaching again, and we will complete 60 years of Independence from the British rule. No doubt a great day it must have been, to cast off the yoke of foreign rule. And to remember it, we have to go patriotic, at least for the day.

All of a sudden, one can see national flags being sold at the signals and in general, every product is showing the tricolour in its advertisements. Music channels have suddenly started showing patriotic songs. Movie channels have also jumped on to the bandwagon, and war and historical movies will be on display on Republic Day. Radio stations aren't left behind, and have planned an entire day dedicated to our Independence.

Every year, on the advent of the two national holidays, i.e. Republic Day and Independence Day, we see a spurt in our patriotism. It is almost as if being patriotic and feeling great about our nation is reserved for these 2 days. Only on these 2 days do we remember the symbols of our nations, our glorious past, and the great leaders who fought for our freedom, and the armed forces, which have done such a great job protecting us, both from external and internal security threats.

Simultaneously, these 2 days are also meant to forget what is wrong with the current state of affairs of the nation. On these two days, we tend to forget the problems plaguing the nations, and start prophesizing a glorious future for the country, completely and conveniently ignoring the challenges facing our country.

But how many of the things mentioned about our nation (be it the national symbols, sacrifices of our leaders, or the problems and challenges) disappear after the advent of the two national festivals? Then why do we reserve all our feelings for the nation for these 2 days? What stops us from having the same mindset all throughout the year? And why forget the challenges facing us on the 2 days?

If we really wish to see our country as a super power, we must realise that the first step towards it is believing that we can be one, not just on Republic/ Independence Day, but every moment. But we also need to keep in mind the challenges facing our country, and work towards finding solutions for these problems. We need to keep in mind that real patriotism is all about being practical, and not about being jingoistic.

Wishing every one a very Happy Independence Day.

The Missing Talents of World Cup 2006

Mayank Singhania — Fri, 9 Jun 2006 03:50:06 EDT

The greatest sporting spectacle, the football (soccer for the Americans) World Cup starts today. The sport is the most followed in the world. And there has been a huge build up to the sport, with all leading dailies in India (a country which hasn't ever qualified for the World Cup) dedicating a lot of print space to it. "All the best football and all the best contemporary players will be on display", they claim.

Well, I certainly hope for the best football, but the World Cup will definitely miss out on some of the greatest contemporary players. Some due to injury, others, due to non-qualification of national teams, and yet others due to coaches preferring younger players.

Wayne Rooney's injury has been much publicized, with Englishmen ready to cite his injury as an excuse for not winning the World Cup (Not that too many are betting on England to win anyways).But Rooney is an exciting player, and amongst the best strikers in the World today, and neutrals like me would love to watch him play (recent reports show that Rooney may be able to play in the world cup). Djibril Cisse, French striker fractured his foot in a friendly against China, which leaves him out of the World Cup. Other players on the doubtful-due-to-injury list include the mercurial S&M player Mateja Kezman, Euro 2004 top-scorer and Czech striker Milan Baros, teammate Vladimir Smicer, and more recently, the Dutch trio of Phillip Cocu, Van Bronckhorst and Wesley Sneijder, all limping off in a friendly against Australia.. Claudio Reyna, Roque Santa Cruz, Rafael Van der Vaart and Golden boot favourite Andriy Shevchenko are on the list too.

Aging players will also be missing, especially with teams whose coaches have a fetish for youth. Edgar Davids, Roy Makaay and Clarence Seedorf, all in good form, will miss the World Cup, losing their position to younger players. The Dutch coach Marco Van Basten has gone in for a young squad, forcing viewers to miss the talents of these players. Darren Bent, who impressed all (all but Eriksson) with his performance in the Premiership will also be missing.

Senegal, which beat defending champs France in the last World Cup, Wales, Colombia, Ireland are some teams which have not qualified for World Cup this time. Hence the talented players from these teams will obviously be missing. Which means the likes of Diof, Cisse, Keane, Rio Ferdinand, Cordoba, Moreno etc. will also be absent from the World Cup scene.

But the player I will miss the most this World Cup is arguably one of the greatest left- wingers in the world, drawing comparisons with George Best, and like Best, a player who hasn't played any World Cup. This was the last chance for this Welsh Wizard to prove his mettle on the greatest stage, but again, Wales couldn't qualify. Yes, I am talking about Ryan Giggs.

Ryan Giggs has been one of the stars at Manchester United, causing havoc in opponent's defence with his dribbling on the left flank. He has been the cause of many United victories, and even at 33 years of age, played a pivotal role this season in ensuring Manchester United a second place in the league.

The other players mentioned in this article have had their World Cup moments, or can look forward to playing the World Cup in the future. But Ryan Giggs will be one footballer who never got an opportunity to set alight the World Cup, the grandest footballing event, with the magic only he can unleash.

Anti-Reservations Protests: We Are Still The Land of The Mahatma

Mayank Singhania — Mon, 15 May 2006 13:26:10 EDT

Take a poll today, and you will find that there are more fans of Bhagat Singh amongst the youth than those of Mahatma Gandhi. Much of the youth feels that violence was more potent a weapon against the British than non-violence. " Maar do saale ko", shouts the latest blockbuster Rang de Basanti, in which a corrupt politician is murdered by the protagonists. The mass appeal of the movie, and the way it has influenced the Indian youth makes one believe that the present generation feels that violence is a valid form of protest.

And yet, when it comes to the real-life political issue that has got the youth of India protesting, i.e. Mandal-II, it is a pleasant surprise that all protests have been non-violent at the students' end. All violence that has occurred during the protests has been by the government machinery. It is the police who have lathi-charged the protesting doctors in various cities. There have been no instances of students being arrested trying to kill Arjun Singh, the perpetrator of the crime of dividing the nation on caste lines, as the protagonists in RDB did. There have been no instances of youth being arrested trying to bomb the parliament, even though they haven't received an iota of support from any political party.

But one definitely sees protest marches, similar to those against the Simon Commision. We do get to see non-violent protesters braving against lathi charges in the vein of Lala Lajpat Rai. And we see these young protesters, resorting to Bapu's beloved weapon, the hunger strike. Add to these new forms of non-violent protests that technology has armed them with. Online petitions, blogs, chain e-mails and SMS have all been an active part in their campaign against reservations. Humour has been used to good effect, with some e-mails suggesting a reservation in the Indian cricket team, where the opposition bowls at reserved category players at a lesser pace.

Brash, rebellious, irrational are some epithets commonly hurled at youngsters. But the decency and calm with which the youth of the country has protested reservations in higher education, just goes to show the maturity of the youth of today. They may adore Bhagat Singh, but are equally adept at using the Mahatma's methods.

Indian Assembly Election Results: A Snapshot

Mayank Singhania — Sat, 13 May 2006 06:47:16 EDT

The Assembly election results are out, and have surprised no one. In all states except Assam, the people have voted decisively in favour of one party or alliance.

In Bengal and Kerala, the Left has swept the polls. So did the DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu. While the results were as expected by psephologists, the magnitude of victory has surprised a few. There were a few reasons for this.

In Kerala (as in Tamil Nadu), it has always been seen that in every election, the alliance which is in opposition wins the polls. As the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was in opposition in Kerala assembly, it was bound to win owing to the anti-incumbency factor. Added to that was the fact that the national leadership of Congress didn't speak to much against the Left during their campaigns, as the Left was supporting the Congress government at the centre. However, the left (as always) continued to blast both the governments, the UPA in the centre, and the UDF in Kerala. So was the case in West Bengal as well.

In Bengal, added to the muted campaign by the Congress, the opposition was in a complete state of disarray. The CPM had effectively blackmailed Congress from staying out of the 'Mahajyot' of Mamata Banerjee. Budhadeb Bhattacharjee's work had floored Calcuttans, and for a change, Calcutta voted for CPM. CPM baiters had been crediting scientific rigging for the CPM's long stay in power, but even the worst critics were forced to admit that the elections this time were free and fair.

In Assam, Congress reached near the majority mark, which is an achievement in itself, as Assam has a history of voting out the incumbent government. Again the benefits of a split opposition were all too clear. The AGP had suffered a split, with former CM Prafulla Mahanta forming his own party, and neither tying up with the BJP.

In Tamil Nadu, the elections were expected to be too close to call, but the DMK-combine swept the poll. CPM and Congress benefited from the largess shown by the DMK, and won a large number of seats in TN. Amma was decisively voted out. A part of the loss could be blamed on actor Vijaykanth, whose party, the DMDK, ate seven percent of the AIADMK vote.

The Assembly polls show major gains for the Left front and major losses for Congress in Kerala and West Bengal. This would mean a more aggressive Left front, and a weaker government at the centre. The good results for parties like DMK will revive talks of a non-Congress, non-BJP third front. The Samajwadi Party and CPM have been dropping hints on the formation of a third front for quite some time. The BJP was a non-entity in all these states (except Assam), and nothing was expected from the BJP. However, the poor showing in West Bengal and Assam further weakens the BJP standing in national politics.

Children-Friendly Television Channels In India: An Evolution

Mayank Singhania — Sat, 6 May 2006 09:43:07 EDT

Kids these days are pampered with choice. Look at the TV channels available for their viewing: Cartoon Network, Pogo, Hungama, Animax, Nickelodeon and 2 channels from Disney (I hope I didn't miss any). Kids are a big market, and influence the choice of many FMCGs purchased (from biscuits to toothpaste), and hence these channels do great business.

When I was a kid, all I had during vacation was 2 hours of dedicated programming for kids on the metro channel of Doordarshan, called as Fun-time. That was before the private TV channels hit India. Even after that, there was little focus on kids, with channels providing time-slots for kids programming.

The first big step in dedicated children's entertainment was Cartoon Network or CN. CN also started sharing time with TNT, a movie channel. CN showed cartoons in the day, and TNT showed movies evening onwards. During that time it was believed that at primetime, children lost control on the TV. Soon Cartoon Network shattered the myth, by successfully becoming the first 24-hour channel for children in India.

Nickelodeon was launched at around this time, but it couldn't make similar inroads. Indian kids found most of the shows too foreign to relate to. So CN continued its monopoly on the Indian market, with no other Channels coming to the fore. To tap into the rural Indian market, CN gave the option between Hindi and English subscription. But CN realised that with its total emphasis on cartoons, it was missing out on the tweens and early teens' market. So CN came out with Pogo, a channel targeted at these age groups.

But in the past three years, a flurry of channels has come to India. Animax hit India with Japanese anime. Disney who till now, had been content with providing content to other channels, started two channels. Hungama was there, but it too spiced up its channel from being a non-descript, obscure channel to a prime competitor in the race.

And yet, the rural kids market is up for grabs. And why? Because of the same reason Nickelodeon didn't work in India. Rural kids found many of the concepts too alien. That's where Doordarshan scored with Shaktimaan. An Indian superhero saving Indians (and sometimes the universe), in locations they can relate to, with themes they are familiar with, speaking a language they understand. Shaktimaan became a huge hit all over India. No more marshmallow-chewing Americans saving the world.

TV channels have recently caught up to this trend. Disney has launched two Indian shows, Hatim & Aryamaan (which was on DD for some time). It plans to start an animated series, Hanuman (the movie that became such a hit with little ones). Pogo had roped in Shaktimaan a long back. Hungama also has its "Hero". Cartoon network has started Raja Hindustani on Sundays for showing cartoons based on Indian legends. But going by CN's previous ventures of Tenali Rama, and Akbar Birbal, CN tends to cast characters into western stereotypes, which is why they don't become popular in India.

With booming IT expertise, India has the potential of bringing about its own culture of animation series, just as Japan did so successfully. The success of Hanuman, the first full-length Indian animated film, has shut the naysayers up, who raised doubts about the acceptability of anime in Indian markets. Though technically not the most perfect animated film, Hanuman was able to do great business just because kids were able to relate to it. The children's entertainment industry should take lessons from this.

Atheism's Increasing Popularity

Mayank Singhania — Sat, 15 Apr 2006 09:04:12 EDT

Atheism seems to be ubiquitous. From Amartya Sen and Ananth Pai, to most of the bloggers I communicate with, everyone claims to be an atheist. This post isn't intended to comment on the validity of atheism as a philosophy. It is just an attempt by a devout, religious person like me (I hope I am not burnt at stake for this) to understand the reason(s) behind atheism's growing popularity.

Being an atheist is modern/cool.
Atheism implies rejection of God and religion, and with it the baggage of tradition that comes along with religion. So an atheist sets his own rules. He can go around shouting I'm a rebel like Aamir Khan in RDB. It hardly matters if he has a reason for rejecting a particular tradition. It is cool to bash tradition anyway.

Being an atheist is convenient.
In a world torn apart by religious fundamentalism, it is very convenient (especially for bloggers) to be an atheist. This allows the blogger to criticise fundamentalism in any particular religion, without having defend the religion indicated by his surname. It also allows him to choose the traditions and festivals convenient to him. "I will burst crackers on Diwali because I enjoy them. Why should one waste time on Lakshmi Poojan? I don't believe in God anyways."

Being an atheist is intellectual
That one is an atheist, automatically implies that one has the capability to think for himself, as one must not have rejected a widely held belief like God just for the heck of it. Being an intellectual, (and hence atheist) is especially important to all writers. Who will buy their books if the public doesn't believe that the author is giving them some independent thought?

Being an atheist is secular
In fact, the dictionary meaning of secular doesn't leave much difference between atheism and secularism. Considering the Indian definition, which means equal respect for all religions, atheist show equal amount of contempt for all, and hence fit the secular bill.

Being an atheist is rational and scientific
The concept of God implies something all-powerful and supernatural. Both these concepts are beyond scientific rationale. Hence God and religion automatically become unscientific and irrational. Acceptance of God requires the humility to accept that there are things beyond human comprehension. Rationalists and scientists are trying to comprehend all the mysteries of the world. Hence a rejection of God is but natural to them.

It would be easy for anyone to dismiss atheism as pop-culture, but atheism has survived for centuries, and I have no doubt it will last as long the concept of God does. After all, there are so many advantages of being an atheist.

Waking up to Minority Appeasement

Mayank Singhania — Thu, 6 Apr 2006 08:32:37 EDT

For most of the Indian media (especially English journalists), Indian Muslims have been holy cow. Most journalists and columnists bend over backwards to prove their "secular" credentials. Anybody who spoke about minority appeasement and reforms in Muslim personal law was a Hindu fundamentalist. Even after the Parliament attacks and Mumbai bomb blasts, no one spoke about Islamic fundamentalism in India. However, recently, some of the same columnists have changed sides, and are asking the Muslim community in India difficult questions.

The trend was started by Vir Sanghvi. In his editorials to the Hindustan Times, he repeatedly asked why the moderate Indian Muslim is silent. Vir Sanghvi argued that the strongest criticism to Hindu fundamentalism came from within the Hindu community, but the silence of the Muslim communities over Haji Yaqoob's prize offer was seen as tacit approval. Vir Sanghvi further went on to say that if moderate Muslims chose to remain quiet, the rest of India should speak up, so as to isolate such acts of fundamentalism.

One of the staunchest critics of the Saffron Brigade, Jug Suraiya joined in. In his article, Islam Agonistes, Jug Suraiya states lashes out at reactions of the Indian Muslims on the Danish cartoons. On the political reaction to the UP Hajj minister's offer, Suraiya comments, "That he is walking around scot-free suggests a form of self-censorship, a self-composed timidity of response (the Hindutva brigade would call it appeasement) where Islam is concerned."

The latest addition to this list is Swaminathan Anklesaria Aiyar, noted economist, whose column Swaminomics has cult following. Known rarely to write on non-economic issues (or social issues without economic nitty-gritty), Aiyar attacks the virtual silence in India over the proposed execution of Abdul Rahman (The sad silence over Abdul Rahman). He goes on to state, "But I hear no outcry from moderate Muslims, or Hindu intellectuals who normally wave the secular flag. None of the major secular parties seems interested in deploring the horror."

What in the past few months has changed so much, that columnists are condemning the Indian political and social reaction to Islamic fundamentalism? As Vir Sanghvi himself explains, Islamic fundamentalism in India was, until recently, seen as an insecure reaction to Hindu fundamentalism. However ever since the extremist Muslim in India has started associating himself with the cause of global Islam, there is a growing sense of insecurity amongst Indians. The recent protests, whether against prophet caricatures, or the visit of George Bush, were on issues that hardly affected the Indian Muslim. And yet Indian Muslims turned out in large numbers to join the protests.

It is a clear case of double standards on the parts of the so-called moderate Muslims, as well as the Indian politicians. But at least, some of us have learnt to call a spade a spade.

Fashion Weeks and Wardrobe Malfunctions

Mayank Singhania — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 04:07:49 EST

It's that time of the year again. Another India Fashion Week has got under way. So it will be more designers strutting their creativity on more models on the ramp once more. Does the average non-page 3 really care? Does he see anything that one can wear? Why then the hype and glamour surrounding the fashion week?

For any average person, fashion week just means an opportunity to ogle at gorgeous models. Both men and women are more interested in what the models are not wearing, rather than what they are. Most of the dresses on show are completely unwearable for the non party-goer. Would you wear a sheer dress to your office? Or go to the mall wearing a long feathered hat? Who are the designers kidding?

A regular feature of these fashion weeks have been wardrobe malfunctions. The Lakme India Fashion Week began on the 28th of March, and in the past three days has already seen two incidents of wardrobe malfunctions. The term "Wardrobe Malfunction" caught public attention after the Janet Jackson fiasco at the superbowl. But in the Indian context, it becomes more important.

A few years back, Negar Khan had a wardrobe malfunction on the ramp, where she got noticed by a music video maker. How, after that she went on to become the queen of music videos and item-numbers, is history. So, for any model looking to tread this path, a wardrobe malfunction is an easy way to get noticed. A model who can keep her cool after her dress falls off, is certainly not shy at exposing, hence ideal stuff for item-numbers. Also, these wardrobe malfunctions have provided the fashion week with free publicity as well.

However it does not mean that all wardrobe malfunctions are engineered. There is some merit to the fact that there is little time between successive appearances on the ramp, which allows any model little time for change of costume, make-up and hair. So an accident is always a possibility which cannot be ruled out.

And anyway when the interest of the majority of the audience is in what is not worn, a wardrobe malfunction is always a welcome thing!