Monday, September 24, 2007

daily soaps: not that bad!



I have been thinking of writing on this since a long time..All of us (specially the housewives) are familiar with the "K serials" that fill up all the prime time slots everyday. Well let me confess after avoiding these soaps for years I have myself become a regular of atleast 2-3 of them. Thinking of what drew me to them I could come up with 2 v "feminine" reasons - one the get up of the females and two my own boredom! In between I always get to read how these shows are a real waste of time and how unrealisitic and vague is the story line of each.











The amount of critcism that these shows recieve should have successfully created a wave of protest and dislike for them. But the truth is these shows go on and on and on undettered and the list of "K" serials has increased so much that every channel you switch on you find some woman dazzling in a saree plotting and scheming and what not...but i have a different point to make..


I think there is indeed something positive about these shows that keeps them going. Atleast "something" has to be nice about them -

  • They keep the women engaged - I guess if a survey is done among housewives who are alone all day, the prevalence of depression in them would be found to be reduced drastically as compared to the times when there was no Balaji Telefims or other such production houses!

  • They act as reminders of our festivals- Now this is something I really appreciate about these shows. Even small festivals like teej (which is slowly losing importance) is depicted with such fervour and excitement that one feels like being a part of the festivities.

  • Sitting at home you can know what is the latest fashion!! :))

  • It has given employment to so many people who otherwise may have struggled and struggled and then got disillusioned with their lives.
  • This is also a boon for the behind the scene workers who have guaranteed work and meals now.

  • ???!! Can you think of more?


I am not here for some advocacy campaign FOR the "K" serials but the whole point was to make you see that nothing is without a purpose. If these soaps have been sustaining themselves for years there is definately something about them that keeps them going.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

I agree on most of your points,as long as there is demand for such shows,the show continues.

What is intriguing to me:
1. Why is there a demand for such shows?
2 Why the demand is still insatiable with different channels showing more or less similar "soaps"?
3.Does their exist any substitute(s) for such shows?

Apologies if this sounds like a digression from your main theme. cheers