Have you been watching Popstars? You know, the show about the making of Australia's own version of the Spice Girls, currently screening on Channel 7. For those of you that haven't tuned in yet, you're missing the biggest perve-fest dressed up as prime-time TV since Fox's recent and extraordinarily brilliant 'Who wants to Marry a Millionaire.'

Popstars is a thirteen week excursion into the making of a modern pop band, created specifically to sell, sell, sell plastic music product to the teenage market.

For the first four weeks, viewers have been treated to the constant auditioning and whittling away of thousands of young women hoping to be the newest Spice on the block. We, the viewers, saw them all, from the fatgirls fighting for fatgirl rights (they HAD to know that they'd never be picked), to the grown-up JonBenet's schooled to deliver whatever could get them everything their mothers ever dreamed of.

What I want to know is - how can the producers, presenters and broadcasters of this show live with themselves, encouraging young women to go through this crap. Take the Dick With The Mo (who really needs to wipe the drool off his chin) for instance. Where the hell does he get off, threatening hopefuls with advice like "You're going to have to give up your life, your friends and your family in order to make it. Everything else has to come second."

This sort of shit is really irresponsible. Why? Because telling young women that they have to sell out to the industry is wrong. There are ways to express your talent and not have to sell out. But yeah, the cynics say, you're not gonna make any money. Well, money might make the corporate world go round but it doesn't necessarily make it even slightly chilled or happy. Telling millions of young women that they have to fit in a certain image to be 'someone' is just bad, bad, bad.

The slogan on the front of the popstars website flashes 'Creating GirlPower.' Yeah right - more like Money. Why doesn't the show just be upfront and say "Hi, we're selling sex. Would you like to be one of our five pop prostitutes?"

Making Money is an art. Some people are very good at it. It is an ability with the potential to be greatly respected. However, I have a problem with people who use Creating Art as a guise to Making Money.

The manufacturers of Popstars would have us believe that the five girls chosen are indeed individuals and that they'll be allowed to showcase their own personal style. What - as much as the Spices did? Posh is struggling with an eating disorder, Scary is suffering an ugly divorce, Baby has disappeared off the face of the planet, Ginger is tragically bitter about the whole thing, and Sporty, the 'one with the good voice', has been so schooled into 'being an individual' that she's become Tattoo Queen in the ultimate 'Alternative' alternative to corporate branding. I'm sure that over the coming weeks we'll see our five own Popstars being 'individualised', but I'm sure that this won't include any say over what they sing, how they dance or even what they wear.

Now, I'm sure our five popstars will insist that they know all this and they don't care because it's a great launching pad etc etc etc....but I tell you what, I can hear the editors of Woman's Day chomping at the bit in anticipation of an embittered ex-Popstar giving a tell-all interview about life at the factory. (See Geri - An Autobiography).

Mind you, the girls that did get in, even from what little we've seen of them, appear very talented and I'm happy that they're getting their five minutes of fame if that's what they want. But you know what? I bet you deep down that that's not what they want, what they really really want. They want to be heard and seen - they want attention. They want to express their great talent. I'd bet my last block of chocolate sitting in the freezer that they don't want to be used to make money for someone else.

This no way an attack on pop as a genre. I'm a pop slut. At its best, pop is catchy, cool and great for dancing to. But at its worst......what can I say. Aqua.

I dunno, I suppose if you have to make money, your product might as well have perky tits and a great arse. Perhaps though we should make it law that they have to be your own. That way, no one is exploited except yourself, should you chose to play...... - Neriman Kemal

Popstars, Channel 7, Sunday, 7pm