Offensive language in TV and radio shows

Mass media like television and radio reach a huge audience and therefore, the impact of these media on the public is great. Any such tool that is capable of possibly influencing the thoughts and actions of people has to be monitored carefully. The reach of these media has to be leveraged to promote a positive mindset.

There might be an argument that such offensive language and behavior is bound to appear in reality shows, which are claimed to be reflections of the society but such language and behavior on popular shows only tend to make it look “cool” to youngsters. It is also an undeniable fact that youngsters of today are the adults of tomorrow. Their normal vocabulary will consist of foul words, which will be passed on to their children.

One comes across a lot of such programs. Reality shows, in which the participants hurl vile words at each other just for the sake of the prize money and to boost the ratings of the channel, are so common these days. These channels repeatedly show such behavior in snapshots, during the promos of such shows, to get more people to watch it. They are cashing in on the general human tendency to lean towards the darker side.

Common people no longer think about what they are going to say, on radio or on TV. The idea nowadays seems to be, speaking without thinking is speaking out one’s mind. Such shows portray thinking before speaking as a sign of weakness, by creating an image that words spoken spontaneously are those that come from deep within. That might not be the case always. Such “spontaneous” speech is more often a reproduction of the constant garbage that is hounded on them by the radio and TV shows.

On the other hand, interviews with real people, with real troubles – people who do not frame their speeches are educative in the sense that they show the public what their fellow human beings are going through. These programs create awareness, a gratitude for the position that one is in and the wish to reach out and help those in suffering.

Censorship of television and radio programs should indeed be there, in order to remind them of the great responsibility that they have. Censorship should be to the extent that the basic idea behind the program does not get affected. The intent behind the program (as to whether it is for entertainment/education/news/awareness creation) should also be kept in mind during the censor process. Programs which contain unnecessary amounts of offensive language or behavior, which might harm the public mindset, might as well be scrapped, since they add no value to the audience.

To be or not to be....heard!

Who has not heard of the tower of babel...? This expression is often used when people want to describe a place with a lot of confusion and noise. That is exactly what I am reminded every time I watch talk shows or discussions in most of our news channels.

Politicians clamoring to grab a chance to make their point, journalists
shouting at a higher pitch, in order to be heard over the din... A picture that
is quite common these days. What ails these people? Don't we teach kids at
school to not shout and to be polite and attentive to their opponents,
irrespective of how unreasonable that person's argument might be? Haven't we
seen teachers rebuking students who cannot maintain silence in the class?

I sometimes think that, the very concept of journalism has changed these days,
when TV channels are racing against each other, to prove and establish their own
surveys on which is the most widely watched channel(point to be noted - we do
not know how true the survey is, because every channel claims to be the most
acclaimed. By whom, I wonder!) The popular notion seems to be, get a celebrity,
say a politician(the poor devil is the easiest target, since he has always been
easy to question...Since we know there is a common perception that to be a
politician, one has to be corrupt in every possible way.). Prepare all the questions that one could think of, and keep shooting them in regular intervals.

The most important tip that seems to be given to these "journalists" seems to be, "Do not allow the other person to make a valid point. Even if he does, ignore it. We do not want him to talk or be heard."

No matter what the other person wants to say, the tone of the interview and its outcome is predetermined(by whom, I know not). If that person is low on the popular vote(determined by whom? how?) then the journalist keeps talking during the entire span of the show, leaving people like me wondering as to what was the point of inviting the other one to the show!

I have often felt that these shows are more like Interrogations(only the questioning part though. Answers are not expected.) and less like Interviews, though that is the name given to them.

If it is a movie star.... The scenario changes drastically! The "guest" might be a person with not a clue about what he/she is speaking, but, we are not concerned about that. The guest is a star...more people would tune into our channel...so just let them speak whatever they want to...Who cares how insensible or pointless the chatter is?! The "star" keeps talking of some personal travail and the "journalist" listens to it as if it is the most important issue that ails the millions in this country.

I am personally irritated by these kinds of shows. What is the point of journalism, if everything that happens on a news channel is preconceived and done with some motive other than the sole aim of bringing to light the urgent issues that demand our attention as a people?

The flash news - Breaking news like a famous celebrity couple(not even married yet, his 3rd girlfriend...her 5th boyfriend) breaking up.... I have often wondered at the pointlessness! Do the anchors themselves find these so called "news" worthy enough to be mentioned on national television?

Where is responsible journalism, one that does not blow things above their appropriate proportions, one that does not keep harping on the same news and digging further and further into things that are best left unnoticed, one that does not display irresponsible and over curious and sometimes manner less poking into other people's lives? When will they stop people from killing themselves to escape the cameras? When will they stop playing the same horrible videos just because there is nothing else to cover the time? Is there any hope of reviving the honor that journalism once had?

I hope good times are around the corner!

Cinema – a discussion

I had quite an interesting conversation with a friend recently. We were talking about the need to convey a message through cinema. Is it correct to expect cinema to convey some message, does it really have an impact on people, if so, on what section of the population etc.


We first started discussing about when people feel the need to go to watch a film. Often, it is boredom. Also, nowadays, it has become sort of a habit for people to go for movies. Just like the way we go to the beach, park or the shopping mall, cinema is one of the time pass destinations. The theatre is one place where one can spend 3 hours, seated comfortably, in a make believe world populated with beautiful people (actors). We get lost in their travails and tend to forget our real life tensions for some time.


Do people really imbibe something after watching a movie? Does cinema affect them? Should it?


Cinema, according to me, should provide something people can relate to and take back home... Something to cheer them up, inspire them, something to think about, or something to seriously change in themselves. The common perception is, that cinema is taken seriously only by the middle and upper class population but I feel that when an uneducated person watches a movie, it has a greater impact on him because the movie is one of the very few sources of exposure for him.


One more issue remains and that is – Is it correct to try to convey a message through cinema? Will a film maker be doing something right by trying that, or will he be leading people from one wrong thing to another? After all, what is correct from one point of view may be wrong from another.


The conclusion that we came to, after discussing was that human beings generally have an illusion in their minds that it is something outside them, that influences their moods and actions, whereas in reality, it is their mind that changes and governs their actions. Most of us are used to reacting to the various stimuli that we come across everyday and thus shaping our lives. So, when that is the case with the majority of the population, when a film maker takes a film that provides a stimulus for people to stop something bad or encourage something good, then so be it!

The Economic or emotional slump???

Being a software professional during these times of “economic slump” is perceived by a majority of the population as a huge risk. The same profession that was considered “the best” by the same people just a few months ago is now considered a gamble.

I hear many people saying that the trouble in being a software engineer now is that we are expected to be proactive, trying to push ourselves further and come up with innovative ideas. I say, is that not something any professional has to do during the entire span of his/her profession? I do not restrict the statement above, as one applicable only to software professionals. Any one, doing any job… Is not the value we add to our job or hobby or service, the factor that sets us apart from others? Do we not look for the best person to stitch our dress, the best maid to clean our house, the hotel that offers our the most sumptuous dinner and the transport agency that takes us to our destination faster than the others?

When we expect the best from others, don’t we have to stop and consider the fact that others also, would naturally expect the best from us? True, no one can be perfect, but we all can strive to be better than what we already are. No one can stop others from firing you, but you can make sure that they accept you in some other company. No one can stop your unfair manager from showing favoritism, but you can definitely focus one’s energy on things that will hone your skills. That definitely is more worthwhile than cribbing about your manager over whom you do not have control. True talent and sincerity can not ever be ignored for a long time nor will it go unrecognized.

Finally I believe that whatever an individual truly wishes, heart of hearts, is what happens to him/her. If one says aloud, “I want to be the CEO of a great company” but inside you also think, “Me..CEO?? (sigh) I am not even able to get my energy recognized by my team…how do I become a CEO?”….. That is what you truly think…you believe that you don’t deserve to be the CEO and you don’t become one. Finally, people end up saying that nothing is fair in life

Let us start each day positively and progress towards our moments of glory, with an alert and eager mind. I believe “Tough times never last, but tough people do!”

Hurray

This is to share with you all the happy news that I have won the first prize for my article "Monday Morning Blues", in the blog contest conducted by sitagita.com.

U can check out the article from the archives in my blog or check it out in the following url : http://sitagita.com/blogcontest/winning.html

I welcome your comments.