The Evolution Of TV serials and their Portrayal of ‘Indian Values’ - Page 7

Originally posted by: BrhannadaArmour

I don't recall seeing any content from 2007, but if such a study were done in more recent years, I suspect that it would show the opposite.

When the audience constantly sees the good mother slapping her son/daughter for saying something, the good brother being told to control his sister's social life, the good father throwing glassware or setting stuff on fire because the family honour has been damaged, the good mother-in-law telling her daughter-in-law to go hungry, the good husband yanking his wife out of bed on suspicion that her pregnancy didn't end naturally ... and no matter what they've done, a beatific expression on every face at the pūjā the next day ... wouldn't the audience think that violence is just another way to communicate emotions at home?

When every character says, "I only want a baby girl. Only girls hold the family together," why wouldn't the audience think that it's socially acceptable to talk about sex selection preference? The character says he only wants a girl; the viewer says he only wants a boy. Imagine if characters said instead, "Girl or boy, we can afford either one because we both have steady jobs. Let's just pray for a healthy child and that we take good care of whatever we get." Indifference to daughters/sons as a symbol of socioeconomic status could be aspirational.

Full disclosure: I oppose laws that ban embryonic/fetal sex selection because they are back-door efforts to restrict a woman's reproductive autonomy, and their effect is to trap women with their female children in abusive families. Nevertheless, I support propaganda that we should appreciate the wonder of not knowing who our children will be, and finding out as they discover themselves.

I completely agree with you on how tv shows have constantly telecasted weird kinda regressive content wrt girl child vs boy child. It has increased more since 2018 i guess when few channels finally stopped telecasting progressive shows coz other channels were competing with them by telecasting and adding more filthy and regressive content to their regressive shows. 

It’s a pattern —- how a channel starts a progressive show then turn it into something that gives you the max level of cringe.. something you don’t even want to look at..

it is so pathetic that there are few shows that are broadcasted on prime time with the most regressive content. 😡😡😡 I don’t even need to name them lol

And what’s most astonishing is the fact that they garner the highest TRPs and gives channel the most of the business thus making it difficult to go off air eventually.

Because ultimately it’s business for them.

Slapping is a type of physical abuse. It’s considered an assault and/or battery. I don’t like how ITV has normalised it! There are certain characters who get slapped almost every week and it’s pathetic! Why use your hands when you can use your big loud mouth??? 😉😉 Scream all you want on top of your lungs, but for the sake of sanity.. stop showing people getting slapped around so casually then behaving as if nothing happened. I don’t want the people to think that this is something that they can do with any consequences! What i dislike the most is that they make the victim/the person who got slapped say a dialogue like “You’re elder than me, so you’ve a right on me , so you’ve right “to treat me like an absolute piece of trash”. 

More dialogues: “you did it for my own good”

in hindi: “aap ne jo kiya wo mere ache ke liye kiya”🤓🤓🤓👏 

nice values teaching moment! absolute shame! 

Originally posted by: Srijeeta06

And what’s most astonishing is the fact that they garner the highest TRPs and gives channel the most of the business thus making it difficult to go off air eventually.

Because ultimately it’s business for them.

I think most of the tv audience doesn’t even watch them properly lol coz that’s the exact time people do homework or talk over tea and snacks lol or have dinner 🤣🤣🤣🤣 with their TV on lol we’re the only ones who watch it and analyse it lol🤣🤣 i mean the online audience 🤪

Originally posted by: NayaNehaD31

Slapping is a type of physical abuse. It’s considered an assault and/or battery. I don’t like how ITV has normalised it! There are certain characters who get slapped almost every week and it’s pathetic! Why use your hands when you can use your big loud mouth??? 😉😉 Scream all you want on top of your lungs, but for the sake of sanity.. stop showing people getting slapped around so casually then behaving as if nothing happened. I don’t want the people to think that this is something that they can do with any consequences! What i dislike the most is that they make the victim/the person who got slapped say a dialogue like “You’re elder than me, so you’ve a right on me , so you’ve right “to treat me like an absolute piece of trash”. 

More dialogues: “you did it for my own good”

in hindi: “aap ne jo kiya wo mere ache ke liye kiya”🤓🤓🤓👏 

nice values teaching moment! absolute shame! 

Abuse is an abuse.

Be it verbal, physical, psychological, emotional or mental.

But unfortunately, elders saying anything and everything without filter in their mouth or sense in their brain is considered okay and normalised because they are elder and are to be respected.

I remember my school teacher telling us once that we are elder to you because we were born few years ahead of you. But that doesn’t give us the authority or the audacity to demand respect from you and tell you anything and everything by playing the card of being elder.

Respect and love are 2 emotions that one must earn come what may.

Originally posted by: NayaNehaD31

I think most of the tv audience doesn’t even watch them properly lol coz that’s the exact time people do homework or talk over tea and snacks lol or have dinner 🤣🤣🤣🤣 with their TV on lol we’re the only ones who watch it and analyse it lol🤣🤣 i mean the online audience 🤪

I am not sure if they watch or not.

But since online audience comprise mostly younger generation, they tend to criticise when illogical stuff is dished out.

But unfortunately there is a section of youngsters especially teens who think that it is okay for the male lead to be possessive of the female lead and behave in the certain way that they are portrayed as in the show.

I remember a show called IPKKND, the lead character used to be so rough and mostly manhandled the female character.

But still people go gaga over the show and the male lead which in my opinion is not cool at all.

Originally posted by: Srijeeta06

I am not sure if they watch or not.

But since online audience comprise mostly younger generation, they tend to criticise when illogical stuff is dished out.

But unfortunately there is a section of youngsters especially teens who think that it is okay for the male lead to be possessive of the female lead and behave in the certain way that they are portrayed as in the show.

I remember a show called IPKKND, the lead character used to be so rough and mostly manhandled the female character.

But still people go gaga over the show and the male lead which in my opinion is not cool at all.

Yes, they even have a name for it “angst”🤓🤓🤓🤓
In their path of liking for the dashing/handsome actor hero they forget to distinguish between what’s real and reel! 😃 

**Long post alert**

Generally as things age, we say things have evolved over time. Exception to this is perhaps, Television.

Have said in many discussions, things have just changed over time and we cannot even say for the better.

1. Earlier, the resources were limited, creativity was top class and efforts were visible. Today, production value is high, creativity, well, less said the better and everything is transactional.

2. The number of channels and the need to run a 24/7 channel, the need for a "breaking news", means, there is need for a factory of recycled content.

The array of topics, concepts, ideas and content earlier was huge where you had a Shanti, Swabhimaan to Udaan, Sea Hawks to Zabaan Sambhal ke, Dekh Bhai Dekh to Surabhi, Bharat ek Khoj to Ramayana, Mahabharata, Shri Krishna.

Socially relevant and sensitive topics were handled firmly but delicately. There was a high degree of realism and respect for values and emotions.

3. The shows were limited series which allowed for crisp, clear start and End definitions and abundant research. While the need today for long running shows means heavy compromise on content quality. There was patience in building the suspense to watch the show once a week for 30 mins v/s 30 mins 7 days a week.

Cut to today where the plot is simple:

1. There is a HUGE family, usually a LARGE Joint family. They run a number of business and only talk in crores although none is shown as working.

2. There is usually a vamp who has nothing else to do but scheme. Everyone has easy access to goons except the police.

3. No fear of consequences Of any actions/crimes.

4. People come out of death at will.

5. The sacred institution of marriage is taken for granted with multiple marriages.

6. There is the female lead who is ALL consuming and ALL bearing bechari.

7. No clear explanations on age old practices indirectly inducing superstition.

8. Age old stereotypes about regions, casts which we cannot seem to break. It is a pity even after such globalization, we don't seem to know our own country well enough.

Well, the optimist in me will wait for a change.

When I first started watching indian tv series I loved them for the escapism but as the years have progressed I watch less and less to the point that this year am not following one single show

Poor storylines...always meant to be new and groundbreaking but you get the same old twists.

Villians that are there just to fill a quota but make no sense and lack justifiable reasons as to why they hate or are as evil as they are.

Spoilt rotten bad characters that never learn from their mistakes but somehow always come out on top. I really hate the fact that the evil people sewm to always win or are easily forgiven.

Wierd love angles...so many shows with young girls and older men. Too many stories of forced marriages, too many shows about the same thing.

Lack of logic and too far removed from reality. If am watching a fantasy show or science fiction fine...but if am watching a show set in 2022 in a family thats meant to be well educated lives a modern life etc you can not then disregard that setting just to put masala in your story.  

Unrealistic female leads that endure all sorts but always continue to love their abusive spouse, disrespectfull relatives and downright evil kids (Anupama). These devine female figures with patience and virtues of gods who lecture about good manners and sanskar. Talk about being strong and standing up for the truth but will coverup the missdeeds of others and let themselves be walked all over in the name of family and sanskar. 

Useless ML who always gets the girl regardless of what nonsense and humiliation he puts har through. 

Predictable.....like all the shows have a patter. Hate turna to love, misunderstandings, rival appears, someone gets injured or memory loss separation, leap, reunion and happy for 2 sec...then do it all again.

Take all that mix it up in and you have summes up all the current starplus shows

Originally posted by: NayaNehaD31

Yes, they even have a name for it “angst”🤓🤓🤓🤓
In their path of liking for the dashing/handsome actor hero they forget to distinguish between what’s real and reel! 😃 

Wait, I thought the "angst" label meant that the story would have a prevailing mood of sadness, obstacles, and suffering! Angst would be similar to the mono no aware of Genji Monogatari, I thought.

Is it really code for sexist fantasies like Gominī from Daśakumāracarita, Patient Griselda from Decameron, and so forth?

When I noticed an author on Wattpad saying that she writes erotica and "aghast," I thought it was just a funny typo, but maybe "aghast" is a better label for the Eliza-where-are-my-slippers stories inspired by this fandom.