I've been thinking about writing a post titled 'Beware of the MTV culture'. MTV makes violence seem to be ordinary. Alright, you might argue that they condemned the physical violence on Roadies and on Splitsvilla, but why should they show fights and arguments as the "highlights" from the next episode. I like to watch these fights, I must confess. But that does not mean I condone such blatant display of violence. No, the MTV culture must not be allowed to propagate.
Which brings me to my next point. I am NOT engaging in moral policing. What happened in Mangalore is absolutely abominable and I support the Pink-Chaddi campaign (not that I sent Pink Chaddis to Muthalik, but still generally). What happens with Raj Thackeray and the mockery on each Valentine's Day is absolutely condemnable too.
But let me ask you this: When you see couples in Lodhi garden showing a Public Display of Affection (PDA), do you support it? Do you support Akshay Kumar getting unbuttoned on the ramp? I mean, I still think that the person who filed a PIL against Kumar is wanting attention. But I still feel that what Kumar did was not right. I don't want him to apologise. I just want him to know that it was not right. Alright, your brand is called 'unbuttoned', but if you show Kumar unbuttoning on stage, do you mean to say that people who wear that brand of jeans should be unbuttoned? Oh come on, there are better ways to sell your wares than to engage on obscenity.
I have always opposed aping of the west. But unfortunately, that is what mostly happens. Why should we compare Bollywood films to those from Hollywood? Why not judge them on their own merit (or the lack of it, if you ask me)? Does somehow have to speak English the way the Americans or the Britons do? Since we are the largest English-speaking community in the world (or at least second), why should we not have our own distinctive style of English. But you know what, we actually do. We insert expletives (the really dirty Hindi ones) in our English sentences to make it more 'effective'. What is wrong, people? Are we losing faith in our language that we need to put in expletives to make our point more effective?
Perhaps we're already on a path from which there is no return. We're denegerating and there is no escaping it. But every big movement begins with a small step. And so shall a reformation.
5 comments:
THANK YOU! Although I agree with most of what you wrote here, the part I specifically want to comment on is the so-called MTV culture.
I hate it.
It sucks.
MTV is leading the brigade of channels which have launched horribly amoral shows like Splitsvilla, The Fast and the Gorgeous, G-Talk, and Roadies (althugh to be fair, not THAT they deserve any fairness, Roadies is the lesser of all these evils).
All that the producers of these shows see is that in the West, shows like Punked, The Real World, Big Brother, Yo Mamma, etc etc rake in the TRPs.. and so they make up all these Indian counterparts and thrust it on an unsuspecting audience.
AND OF COURSE WE'LL WATCH IT! Very few of us are able to keep our eyes turned away. I myself, while surfing, land on MTV, and get stuck. I watch the whole show in some sort of twisted trance, and the moment the show ends, I literally just get up and walk off with a bad taste in my mouth and glazed look in my eyes. And yet I'll be back the next time the show is on air.
Now I'm not a fan of ruthless censorship, but something needs to be done here. Because clearly the Indian audience is too weak to to take a stand in their living rooms.
OH and PS- CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR AMAZING RESULTS!
In case I didn't congratulate you earlier,
It's great, really. :) You clearly worked hard, and therefore you deserve it. :)
@ Anwita: That is the precise point ... and really, it is a dilemma too ... if the audience is lapping up these shows as shown by TRPs, then should we really challenge that?
I mean, as long as there is demand for these shows, I guess they'll just continue. It is very hard to think of grounds to oppose it on ... :(
How about the ground of MORALITY... and CONSCIENCE?
I'm no SAINT... but seriously.. there are guys running around in thongs in my television set.. and I'm seriously uncomfortable with that.
Arre, Anwita .. the point is that morality is a very subjective thing na .... something moral to me may be immoral to you and vice-versa. Who decides? Who has the power to tell something as immoral?
See, these are questions we need to sort out before we can put a check for such programmes on television ..
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