a gift, a curse

I went missing again, didn't I? I gotta stop these disappearing acts ... this is not good for my loyal blog readers ... OK who am I kidding! :) It's not like I haven't had anything to write about. I just got stuck up on this one thought and couldn't quite figure out how to go about it (psst : "this guy thinks he's writing a big-ass novel or something. it's a bloody blog, so cut the crap and get to the point!")

I have stopped watching TV in the last few years (I catch hold of the odd comedy show on TV and l download some Indian comedy shows). But I just cannot bear the news channels and so-called 'History' channels that show documentaries about the 'truth' (agreed that documentaries generally show only one side of a story, but they can do without the dramatization). There is no dirth of TV channels in the US; and it seems the same applies for Indian television in the recent past.

The great Jerry Seinfeld sums it all up in a statement of amusement : It's amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world every day always just exactly fits the newspaper. The same is the case with TV news, that everything happening in this world just exactly fits the 30-minute or 1-hour time slot. For once, I'd like to see a half-blank page in a newspaper, just a whole block of white space. I'll even frame it and keep it as a souvenir! For once, I'd like to see the news show which ends early because there's nothing new to report. A news show which has no headlines because on that day, the world was a normal place .............. Wait a second ... this is too much to ask, isn't it?

My disgust is not directed entirely at the news show itself; I have it reserved equally for the makers and the viewers of the show. Last I heard, news was supposed to be a medium for information and important happenings, not a f***ing tabloid. So why are the people behind the show willing to telecast such news-drama? Or is the education system to blame because it might encourage them to cater to the corporate needs? Is it a forgivable offence if they do it to feed themselves and their families? And why are the viewers willing to watch such crap? Is it the education system's responsibility to enlighten them about what the media thinks of them? Worse yet, if they know it is crap and unworthy of television, will they stop watching it or will they continue watching it in the name of 'entertainment'? ............... Questions, questions, questions .... and not a single answer .... (if you have an answer, please enlighten me)

So the title of this blog entry is 'a gift, a curse' - what's all this leading to, you ask. This is going to require a lot of courage on my behalf because I'm not capable of something so cheesy ... but if I've come this far, and I might as well. So here goes .... A great man once told Spiderman that "with great power, comes great responsibility." This was his gift, his curse. The way I look at it is we all work (or will be working) at jobs which affect other people's lives. There are are two ways about it though : choosing to affect their lives in a positive manner or in a negative manner. Let's not undermine ourselves, I don't want to : we are all share-holders of power in our own way; it might be a very small, teeny part, but we're in it. I'm not willing to accept that what I do today is not going to affect somebody I don't know. Just like the people working for the media cannot ignore their responsibility to the people watching their 'production,' I cannot ignore the fact that my deeds are responsible for some part of an unknown entity's life. I am responsible.

(phew ... I don't know if all that made sense ... you're free to comment)

The following is a link to a post-match analysis of an India-England test match (back in February I think). Expertise in cricket terminology is not required to understand the goings-on; note the tone and language used in the show. This was telecast on a major news channel in India. It's just a snippet of what the media is turning into.
Part I - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5dyM8qa57g
Part II - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuqzdbS3ZvI

The following is a link to an interview of Aamir Khan, who appeared on a show called on India Questions. This one is also quite old, back in January. But worth a watch, nonetheless. Aamir Khan is one of the few 'celebrities' to speak out about the current state of the media. Is anybody listening?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5XBZtOJZ_U
http://www.bollywood.com/archives/2006/03/media_has_becom.html