Let’s make a tenuous assumption that we are all not idiots.Now let’s switch on the idiot box at home and surf through the great potpourri of channels available to us. Let’s carry out this activity at different times in a day.
It’s 8PM, what do we see? Our biggest entertainment networks are busy showcasing soap operas. Soap operas that defy the whole concept of wholesome entertainment. A tyrant mother-in-law scheming against her oh-so-daftly-innocent daughter-in-law who is bound by culture and tradition to obey every command of her almost Nazi mom-in-law.
It’s now 9PM, what do we see? Indianised versions of world famous game shows and reality TV shows, which are a combination of the original game show idea and rating boosting staged drama and histrionics.
It’s 10PM, what do we see? More soaps! A certain channel begs to differ on weekends. It showcases an old man, who uses cheap hair color, and his team which includes a pudding head solving criminal cases in the most fallacious manner.
It’s 11PM (we’re now losing hope), what do we see? Still soaps and even worse, re runs of these soaps!!!
One may argue that these soaps are entertaining for those who follow them but few realise that these soaps are straining our relationships, narrowing our outlook and retarding the growth of what is potentially India’s brightest generation. Our TV and entertainment industry, today, is nothing to be proud of.
I am not belittling the pool of talent or the effort that goes into making these shows which are ostensibly illogical to a person with average IQ. I am simply highlighting the plight of growing up in urban India. Yes, we aren’t denied education or food but we have problems as well. One problem being, we are denied food for thought.
The “chota and sukhi parivaar” (small and happy family) we Indians were once proud of, seems like something from the times of Jesus Christ. Social networking websites, online games, chat applications etc have been blamed for distancing our youth from the rest of the family. How often do you hear your mom call you a Facebook/Youtube addict? And judging by the number of friends I have online right now, I wouldn’t say that your mom is entirely wrong. The travesty we have on our hands is that we, the youth, need addictions and we don’t have too many others right now that are as safe as Facebook.
High time the guys managing these TV networks woke up and tried to win back the market they lost to social networking. We, young urban India, like watching TV. We just don’t like what you have to offer! Or how else would you explain the fervour with which we watch entire seasons of American/British TV shows in one day?
I’ll sign off for now leaving you to ponder over this thought. Cheers.
