Sunday, February 3, 2008

Reality TV and kids

Can we please put a stop to "talent" shows for kids. Put an end to all talent shows, yes, but as of now, no kids shows puh-lease.

They are endless in number. Every popular channel and regional channel takes one show to its credit. Theoretically, there is nothing incorrect in looking for children who are talented. But the current format of talent hunt shows makes this exercise deeply reprehensible. Small children, hardly 5-6 years old, breaking down and weeping in the middle of the show, and the camera going into tight close-ups while mournful music plays in the background. Disgusting!

Moreover, the kids are made to live away from family, school, friends. In order to get them "trained"! Why don't people realize that the kid will undergo changes in the future as they grow up, that might not be suitable for an ideal playback singer. The kids don't understand half the things in the concept. They pull nice audience and get decent TRPs yes, but on the cost of what? their childhood? The children taught to beg for the votes that determine their shelf-life; They be told to work on their image, as a public figure, fan-following; Playing with their innocent emotions by teaching them the dirty tricks of the world; Pulling them onto the stage n eliminate them one by one; Torturing them until they break-down. The kids undergoing through all the trauma, why? To live their parents unfulfilled dreams? Or get some big-shot channel producer all the ad money?

The makers of the show surely need some psychologists out there to explain to them the long-lasting images that may remain in the kids conscious. Why not keep all 10-15, make them sing/dance/act/paint/recite/talk in different rounds, and chose the best? [without public voting n other nonsense please]. But this wont get them to cover what TRPs demand. Emotional melodrama.

Edit the tried and tested formulas, make more shows. But this is the manipulation of the most unethical kind. And its something we can all do without.

6 comments:

Soham Chakraborty said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Express said...

OK, so u don agree with me. cool. Ive said what i wanted to, n so have u. Firstly, thank-u for your comment.

Secondly, The kids talent gets recognition. Thank you very much. And the "concept" doesn't suck. I have problems with the implementation part. Here are my defensive retorts.

1.Public voting is a plain simple money-making policy. But creates drifts in the country AND the deserving doesn't necessarily gets chosen as the best.
2. They need to stop cheap gimmicks!!!close-ups, sad music, are a big no-no. Why? They bring out the "reality" in the show. But that can be avoided cant it?
3. You did not speak about the Non-elimination technique suggestion. :-|
4. We, the people who see the show, tend to have favorites and rate the kids. That i think ain't fair, coz just according to 1-2 performances, u cant rate a musician.
5. The kids are supposed to decide what they wanna speak and do. Why keep script-writers n etc etc. and work on their "image"? Or rather, what they speak/do shouldn't make any difference what-so-ever. Its a musical contest and thats what it should be.

See, All i wanna do is pull attention towards this matter. Its too sensitive an issue to comment on. They are all genuinely talented. But the concept is harsh on them and the show is inconsiderate. TRP is priority and im not saying its wrong. These matters effect everyone, but more-so on kids. Well we both can keep fighting all our lives n its gonna make less difference.

Also, You might be anyone. You neither have any authority to ask awkward question nor does your curiosity matter to me. Do not jump to conclusions about anyone till you personally know them.

Lastly, Commenting on and criticizing others blog is lot easier than writing posts. You must've realized.

Thank-u for the comment. It helped me cover all the points i missed out on.

Express said...

the comment is larger than the post! LOL!

one thing i missed out on. We categorize the kids and assign them numbers. 1st, 2nd etc. It is neither necessary that they are of that talent-level nor that they would remain in that level all their lives. Why people forget that music grows and the peak of music is independent of age. Also, a performer never remains on the peak forever. Not peak of all the singers, peak of personal performance.

I know this is gonna cause controversy. I might have messed with the words, the idea remains the same.

C ya around!

AG said...

heyaa
completely agree with u on this one
these shows hamper thr noraml growth n they r pused into the so called entertainment business too young and taken full advantage of

keep the good work coming gal
:):):)

Unknown said...

You have expressed just my views, except I'd like to stress some points here:

Psychological changes: Does this mean that the child would learn that presenting yourself, wooing people, and making money is more important than their talent or music?
Because I feel that this is the main issue against these shows. They are creating popstars, not musicians or professional singers like Sa Re Ga Ma (the original one) used to do. That show was true to itself.

I have nothing more to say. That public voting is disastrous is evident itself from the results of these shows. Judges like Anu Malik who know squat about music decide futures (There are good judges too, as I have noticed). The show focuses more on emotion than talent, and as you say, kids aren't capable of handling this, though some of the do it exceptionally well.

I guess, the best example would be a scene from a recent recent episode of "Chote Ustaad", where a mother got angry over the judges because her daughter's "social image was tarnished"!, whereas the daughter said that all that matters to her is how she sings. I felt like going and giving her a big hug to be a more mature person than her own mom.

Express said...

Haha! you keep track of all that??!?!?? Good 4 u..

Well, all said and done, neither of us can change the scene, but the blood boils. :-)