ARTICLE
TV and its ‘dumbing
down’ effect
I
t was only recently that I came across an article by a
fellow writer that reflected on musician Ali Noor’s tweet
on how “audiences were getting dumber” in Pakistan.
This was in relation to Taher Shah’s rather mindless second single ‘Angel’ that became a viral sensation overnight in comparison to a plethora of credible, exciting
music that gets lost in all the distraction caused by social
media gimmickry. Like the writer, the thought also stayed
with me but in my case, the focus was on how relatable
the statement is to all other mediums of entertainment
in Pakistan, particularly television. However, after much
contemplation, the only question that kept lingering on
my mind was whether it’s fair to blame the audience if
the content is dumb in itself?
There are no two ways about it. Local television seems
to have completely lost its plot in a rat race for ratings,
relying heavily on sensationalism and propaganda. Most
dramas follow a predictable, hackneyed approach showing men as gullible, women as weak without much of a
backbone to stand their own and MILs (Mothers in Law)
as desi versions of Cruella. Scenarios may differ but it
seems character sketches have been written in stone
with little room for change. The worse, however, are the
many morning shows that, though pitched as avenues to
participate in reality, are in fact dramas unto themselves.
Morning shows, by virtue of their airtime, target a chunk
of women and homemakers who are usually taking a
breather from the rigmarole of their daily lives at that
point in time. Ideally this should be a golden opportunity
to educate them, empower them and engage them in a
valuable social discourse that they otherwise may not
get exposed to. Instead, they send a very convoluted
message regarding what our priorities are as a society: spending lavishly on weddings (can’t afford? Then
you are likely to fall prey to inferiority complex), having
fair skin and a petite figure (body shaming at it’s virtual
peak) and losing every bit of self-esteem to get one’s
hands on a free lawn jora.
Sadly, it does not end there. Earlier this year, a handful of these popular breakfast shows became breeding
grounds for husband-wife conflicts. Internal matters and
compatibility differences were brought to a public platform and the hosts acted like marriage counselors while
the viewers savoured on the gossip. What it merely did
8 | BOOM