Saturday, August 13, 2005

Reality TV: Are we too stupid to know which one is good or bad?

While reading my daily news paper today, I saw an article titled “Rais: Fear Factor, Sex in the City not suitable for Malaysian”. Datuk Rais, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister as I quote

Speaking at the launch of courtesy campaign by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud here Friday, Rais cited the “Fear Factor” reality program which required the participants to eat worms to be able to get US50, 000. “We don’t have to eat worms here. There are other ways to earn a living in Malaysia,” he added. He also said programs like the “Sex in the City” and “Six Feet Under” were not suitable for Malaysian viewing as they contains the negative elements.

Daily Express: 13 August 2005


Certainly, most of Malaysians know eating worms in public television show and earn money prize is not a way to earn a living. It just like joining a contest and win money prizes. It hard to understand why he make any assumption that Malaysian is stupid enough to think eating worms can make you richer by hundred thousands. This is an insulting statement made by his narrow minded perspective and understands of the entertainment value and world culture perspective in generally.

Many Minister and Intellectual person such as Prof. Diraja Ungku Aziz said in recent interview express his worries about the effect and impact of reality show such as Akademi Fantasia and Malaysia Idol that could bring negative value and wrong expression to the young society. Yes, in some certain part if we look if from the Asian value perspective. Many does not accept the reality part of the show which shows the unfairness of the judgment to the participant when popularity is greater than quality when the votes of successes given to the viewers. Still, we have to know that this is a competition and some is not really judges according to the fairness but rather according to another specification and the rules discussed and agreed at the beginning.


Again, I might agree in certain point that there is negative element form this reality shows. What I’m not agree that most of the disagreement reason is all of this come form western culture because not all of them were positive and suitable to practiced in the country as I quote

Abdul Taib said Malaysians should not emulate blindly the western culture because not all of them were positive and suitable to be practiced in the country.

Daily Express


Abdul Taib trying to portraying the Malaysians as low mentality in person and didn’t have achievement to strive independently, and ability to judging by itself to know which one is good or bad or maybe as many like to said retarded. So, do we need government or other hypocrite Minister to be told and teach about which life that we should follow and not to? The comment by some people in public media such in news papers and television really sound more like an insult rather is awareness to the society.

In the real scenario, there were many of negative influences exist inside the country rather than outside itself. Rude Malaysian, Lazy Malaysian, Bribery, Gamble and Corruption by Ministers and the mentality of special help from government to the Bumiputras are among the negative value that I presume not from the western culture but rather cause by the all time long pampers by the government. There are more negative values that exist in Asian Value rather then the western culture that exist long time ago such as the discrimination of women in workplace and society, the fanaticisms of religious value that resolves to killing and bombing civilian in masses and many more.

So, I believe the Malaysian know which is good and bad for themselves. And yet, I not against any comment or opinion about some issues that involves the importance of the community moral values without any biases or hypocrisies and insult to the Malaysian especially. If one has its mind opens wider, he will see more good values comes from western rather the eastern or might one say Asia Culture.

2 comments:

yowkeat said...

deep stuff
i agree with you..he's plain shallow

Vivien Dumpangol said...

hi. good point of view you have there. and nice blog too.

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