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BACK ISSUES | JANUARY 2010 | CURRENT ISSUE
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Special
Tisy Jose, UMI
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Mediacracy rules today's satellite-age. Unlike democracy it upholds three 'P's: Pleasure, Permissiveness and Profit. Walking hand in glove with the market, it commodifies human beings, manipulates reality and distorts truth to make them saleable. The television industry is a narcotic firm that supports the rule of the media. It keeps adding new flavours to the soap dish by beaming so-called 'reality shows' that first make the audience weep with the victims and finally turn them into a bunch of blind leading the blind. Shows like Sach ka Saamna (now mercifully banned), Is Jungle Se Mujhay Bachaao, Bigg Boss, Raj Pichle Janam Ka, Roadies et al turn viewers into voyeurs, peeping Toms and sadomasochists.
When we began with aping American Idol and tailor-made it as Indian Idol to tap Indian talent, it indeed vibrated a motivational appeal. Ankita Mishra (Class XII, Science) of Mariampur Inter-college, Kanpur, who made to the third position on Indian Idol attests to this truth. However, somewhere along with Indian Idol our media over-stepped, grabbing American reality shows that were soaked in obscene voyeurism for Indian consumers.
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A MAKE-BELIEVE ‘REALITY’
‘Reality’ is that which exists in its unalloyed form. However it can be flashed in a make-believe format and put on sale at a high price. And that's exactly what reality shows are doing. It's but naïve to conclude that letting old skeletons tumble out of one's cupboards is the best method to free one from the guilt-trap. When reality shows beam bitter truths, better truths seldom get a chance. As Shakespeare said, "There is a method in madness". Disrobing one's dignity and self-respect, dismantling the trust of one's life-partner, throwing the time-tested values to the wind, shattering family, embarrassing and misguiding the young viewers with abominable deeds and then the bid to shed one's sins by open confessions etc, are no signs of a progressive society. The naked truth about reality T.V. is that it is least interested in beaming reality. They dish out only stuff that damages an individual's self-esteem, poisons his/her mind and breaks relationships. This so-called reality T.V. cannot get away from answering a pertinent question: while you throw up issues do you provide viewers with a remedial package? If not as Shiv Khera bluntly puts it, "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem". I would say here 'you are the whole problem’. You run a Global School for Scandal. For, no child who sees an audience clapping to a man's infidelity to his own life-partner on T.V. will shy away from such behaviour himself as an adult. "If the viewer does not like a show he/she has every freedom to turn off the channel", is a simplistic argument of self-defense oft-heard from the producers of reality shows. Interestingly it sounds akin to dishing out a chocolate pie to a child and giving him/her the freedom to eat or not to eat!
QUEST FOR QUICK MONEY
What good can come out of these much-hyped celebrity reality T.V. shows? They fatten the pockets of their producers and T.V. houses. These shows, dangerous as they are, tell you not to take people by circumstances. They make you vary of trusting strangers who sit beside you while on a journey or in a meeting. They remind you to keep your head on your shoulders and not to fall prey to your base instincts or the tidal waves of passion. Their vanity warns you not to sup with the enemy and lose your sanity and sanctity. In the alarming backdrop of the shattering sacred institutions of marriage and family, the growing value-conflict, consumerist mindset and irresponsible and promiscuous sexual behaviour, the parents of Indian youth and civil society in general can afford to endorse disgusting reality shows only to the peril of Gen Next in whose hands the destiny of India lies shivering. Indian youth awake. Save your beloved motherland from the poisonous wind being send out by worthless reality T.V. Turn it off once and for all for the greater common good. |
EXPERT SPEAK
TELEVISION by far has been the greatest influence on the morality of viewers, as they tend to match their own judgements of what is good and bad with the value system created by TV programmes. This in turn creates moral and ethical conflicts especially with reality TV as it may be perceived to be more ‘real’ than other TV programmes, having stronger effect on the viewers' attitudes and values. This definitely causes a lot of emotional stress and tension between teenagers and parents who often view these shows together but always have difference of opinions. Reality TV is also largely responsible for encouraging voyeurism and exhibitionism in society. As studies show, it is the intrinsic tendency of all humans to revel in other people's miseries and misfortunes; voyeurism is the dark side of a person's nature, buried deep in each and every person. Exposure to such events through reality shows can impact the psychological growth of a teenager, leading to the loss of sensitivity and the basic sense of humanity in him/her. No doubt, reality shows offer opportunities to the common man to gain instant exposure, fame or money. They might also help in increasing one's confidence level and self-awareness. However, very often the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. The central message that most reality shows send out is invasion of privacy is not a crime and is normal. Many a time these shows also cause social moral and ethical conflicts in the viewer.
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Dr Anjali Chhabria