The House the Media Built

well my point is that now when its time of cable TV one click on ur remote control can give u anything happening anywhere in this world. so wat one doesn`t get here can get anywhere else. But i agree with ur argument that we shall demand quality but as a matter of fact if u r talking in terms of dramas i will agree with u otherwise in terms of talk shows and such other things we`ve imporoved. on Geo, Indus and such other channels are producing Better shows than we had a few years back, till we had only one or 2 channels (PTV n STN). Secondly if we can tolerate these shows on Indian channels y can`t on our channels. my point is that if there is audience for these kind of soups, keeping in mind the literacy level of our country and the fact that these indian soups have got a large viewership in Pakistan, they shall aso be there but certainly we need More Serious shows and even soups.

Re: # 15
Omar...
im not equating basant with the NRA...firstly basant doesnt have a figure head like charloton heston promoting it across the region!!
anywya in all seriousness i was equating the need for people to insist that guns are a good thing even though school children use them to open fire in secondary schools just because they were lonely, were ostrasized or just had a lot of pent up aggression.
i dont undersatand how people can callously use metal wires and not even think about the consequence being so dire and so unnecessary. ofcourse thousands of children in pakistan are victimise dother ways too, theres sexual abuse, rape, murder, kidnapping, human trade, slave labour,accidents,physical handicap,begging pimps and whatnot but just because we have all those factors to blame does it justify that we cant blame the use of metal wires in kite flying as something that should be stopped.
i liked the idea of this guy on TV who said ``the only way the pak govt (supreme court) can ban the use of metal wires effectively is buying them all out``. lets see the govt do something radical and effective for a change. i dont think basant should be banned i dont think its unislamic or any of that.celebrate christmas, groundhog day, hanukkah and chinese new year if you want, just dont do it with things that can actually kill someone at the expense of your enjoyment.
somebody posed a question in dawn recently, should the death of someone by say my kites metal wire allow me to be accussed and tried for murder in the court? grave question.

i agree with kaptain on the ``street-vacating`` quality-tv of the early 90s but even PTV has failed to produce quality stuff lately

being a ``very avid`` tv watcher for at least a decade, i think that the pakistani tv is progressing in the right direction, albeit with a few objectionables

everything is not right but it has never been and can never be.....

it all comes down to the fact that the only thing that will sell on tv is what people want...... i, for one, am fine with everything except for those spastic STAR PLUS-esque soap operas being shown on pakistani channels.... i don`t know why don`t the biggies of our media industry understand that the only reason why ppl (read women) watch these mind-numbing operas is because they don`t get quality tv on pakistani channels, not because they approve of these soap operas

u only have to see 10 minutes of any bloody soap opera (and when i say any, take ANY... they are all absolutely the same crap) on goddamn star plus to realize that it simply ridicules the cognitive abilities of the watcher....

1. every lead character dies and reincarnates at least 4 times
2. most people marry (or ``tend`` to marry) at least 13 times
3. every lead character has at least 2 look alikes
4. every ``sati sawitri`` female lead has at least 3 illegitimate children from her 7 extra marital affairs
5. every family has a multi-trillion rupee business and still at some given time, they are in need of alms
6. surveillance cameras follow people and can show what`s inside the cupboard placed in another room

even though, the above might lead to an understanding that i`ve seen a lot more than 10 minutes of these soap operas..... but then..... i`ve been known as a keen observer ;)

P.S. pointless post this one is.... but gives me a chance to vent my anger on those !&%#@$ soap operas

In the past 10 years, a total of 38 people have faced Shahaddat running after Kites compared to over 1800 morons throwing stones at their God. Are you people suggesting that the Hajj should be banned because of the yearly stampede ritual?

I think Zainab Ji is reinforcing my point that as long as it is Wahabi, Camelized influence, we are all for it, but God forbid should we make an effort to preserve and promote our indigenous customs. What the hell does Indonesia have anything to do with Pakistanis? Hello?

Zainab Ji… trust me Hira Mandi is totally dead. There were at least 80 maestros in Lahore until Zia banned all the fun. Today, most of them (who are still alive) live in the US (over half in New York City).

@omar-metal wire emanates from..? bananas..? the kites of course..

ask the bloody lahoris to abandon the metal wire and give the glass industry some respite..or get out of city for fun and frolic but not at the cost of some child.

Agarchay Masjid Hai Bohot Duur..
Chalo Ek Rotay Huway Bachchay Ko Hansalein..

na key us ka bhai baap cheein lein..
for the sake of PKR 2 paper i.e. kite..the supreme court is moved..wot..on earth..kitnay faarigh hein..lahori..

zainab please stop equating the NRA with kite flying in pakistan -- the problem is not basant (unless you think it is, and in that case you should clarify that) but the metal wire --

kulahree, i beg to differ.
Of course i do agree that we have Arab influences upon our culture,but that is more so because of the one main common factor, religion as well as a closeness in cultures as a result of migration patterns and inter-marriages. I myself am of arab descent so i have nothing against the nation or its people and didnt see the need to go blue in the face trying to defend them against the generalisation of ``camelized`` people,because as is true for every nation, be it pakistan or anywhere else we all have our gaping faults and defects and i dont want to get into a accusatory discussion of what all is wrong.
the burqa again being seen here is due to the middle eastern culture being adopted by the re-born religiois zealots, the women who attend farhat hashmis lecture or are taking quran classes and whatnot. the abaya is far more fashionable than any form of burqa pakistan has seen,therefore its increasingly popular,not to mention the indonesian jilbob.
anyhow, im sorry to disagree....heera mandi is still very much alive, it was inevitably going to degrade into what it is today as the intellectuals and poets and writers and performers of yesteryears are no more.as for basant.im horrified you can blame the government for banning a festival which is taking lives. this is like saying the anti-rifle lobbies in america are crazy because theyre infringing upon a persons right to have a rifle, even if those very rifles are abused by people in the midwest in schools, on farms over personal disputes.
come on, keep it in perspective. metal wires killing kids by slitting thier throats on the street or kite flying for the sake of celebrating basant which is more an excuse to show off male egos, drink and smoke up. make the choice.

When we talk about foreign influence on our customs and culture (either thru TV or in other forms), how come no one mentions the increased usage of Abaya (black chador that Arab women wear) in Pakistan? And about Capri Shalwars worn by Beardo weirdos? Aren’t these Arab influences popping up in Pakistan? In the 80s one could walk in Anarkali Bazaar Lahore and would rarely see a woman walking in a black tent. Today, the bazaar appears more like a place out of main street Riyadh.

Zia killed Hira Mandi, the artistic center of the Indian sub-continent. Today (March 12, 2006) 1400 people were arrested in Lahore for flying Kites on the holiest of Lahori days (Basant) - because guess what, celebrating Basant is now outlawed. We kill everything that is fun and has been part of our culture for centuries, and we wake up 20 years after the fact and ask ourselves, why can’t we preserve our culture? We have our heads deeply buried in the Arabian sand.

Re: # 11

kaptain mian,

..... do you understand the concept of free markets and what drives them ? ......... how can you say that the era in which we had one state run television channel was better than now, when we have a dozen or so to pick from ? ........... do you want to go back to three hours of tv a day with half an hour of ``high quality`` dramas and the rest filled with unadulterated government propaganda and ``educatoinal`` garbage ? ......... commercial television is in business to make money and if viewers don`t like the product they are selling then, sooner or later, they will go out of business - it is that simple ........... you, the consumer, have ultimate control with your remote control - use it

p.s. it is another story if you are a bonafide professional critic and can actually change public opinion - in that case the tv wallas will listen to you ......... otherwise, as ahmedmadani would say, ``it is sheer lufangebazi``

profiteering and exquisite presentations doesn`t complete the circle of quality..

its not long ago; people from across the border and the locals emptied the cities in the evening to watch the Pakistani dramas in the eighties; even though it was Army rule era. simplicity defined the rule and norms.

what has crept in through these channels are vulgarity..obscenity..fashion competition which is less-of-awareness..

Dramas like Dhoop Kinaaray..Tanhaayyaan..Raiza Raiza..are some of the favourites still today..the material of which is absent from the ubiquitous flow of crap..we see today..

Anwar Maqsood..
Moin Akhtar..
Tariq Aziz..
Dildaar Bhatti..
Uncle Sargam..
are the veterans who have gone out of the scene and one of them is deceased..but still remembered and their product is legendary still today..

competition brings and gives health to the competition and the product..GEO and ARY seem to be at loggerheads always..producing dramas adding to number of input / month rather than viewing number..

crap of media exists because..there is viewership all over the place..t.v`s all there from the dhaaba to the home..from the mountains to the ports..
thus a crap sells..so y buy an expensive quality drama..from an expensive and seasoned writer..and pay the expensive price tag for the renowned actors..

1.what is needed is little government supervision..
2.nextly..Universities have Mass communication departments..ARY and GEO should collaborate with departments like these..(collaborate financially as well..) and research can be initiated and meaningful logic can be given to media..
3.erstwhile PTV used to air some educational programmes..which are commendable..although the ads during the eids..were again a whole of written cheques it direly needed and still needs..

Quoting 30% of literacy..from the user..which is far more exagerrated..

4.programmes like - Languages - English..German..French etc..can be encouraged and can draw..much public..as there was the language aired by a near relative for deaf and dumb..
Universities can play a monumental role..professors..budding students..(NCA..PU..IQRA) can jump and offer support..

all is needed is to brush off the notion / fear of anti-acceptability..and innovate against-the-trend / unique-in-trend..system..

talent is much abundant but needs tapping..and encouragement and exploitating of the same..at the best..
No wonder..ours dramas can compete for international awards..

of course this is to fall on deaf ears...
even the writer can muster up the resources and ideas are rife..and continuous..

another ailment in the media is to paint the picture rosy and red..SUB THEEK HAI attitude by the media as if the situation is perfect..
GEO started off with a rubbish programme covering the prices of local vegetables and aired like STOCK OPTIONS programme..

Although..social ills..the daily problems..the people face in our society can easily be projected..and GEO and ARY have the necessary power of expression as well..and power to remain unchallenged..a well..but homework is ignored..

Music industry seems to be like Sultan Rahi and Company..come with a bang and exit like nothing existed...

Mr.Hamid - going with the flow doesn`t necessarily mean the accepted trend..although one of the interactors has confessed watching t.v for 15 minutes maximum..
is this how the media gets the profit..just out of 15 minutes..

even the news are painted rosy..for e.g.

SHAHBAZ MEETS BENAZIR - STRESS ON RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY..(what the hell)..he came all over from England just to say this and then close the door behind him..and Allah Hafiz..?? (u r fooled again..)..

MUSHARRAF MEETS SHUJAAT HUSSAIN - DISCUSS DEMOCRACY..(fooled again..)

ALTAF MEETS PRESS IN LONDON - DISCUSS DEMOCRACY and OPPOSITION TO KBD..(fooled again..)

what about the water..electricity..gas shortages in out of karachi..lahore..etc..the dilapidated road..
Alas we have learnt to live with SUB-CHALTA-HAI trend..

......... sigh !.......... it seems that pakis have turned into a nation of whiners, complainers, and hand-wringers who stand around and bellyache and moan, snivel and groan about this or that ........ first it was people complaining that we don`t have enough entertainment, then it was the bearded mongoloids who complained we had too much, and now we have zainab bibi griping about the quality and moaning about the loss of our identity ........... what the heck is this identity anyway and why is it so important that we hang on to it like a hindoo hanging on to his dhoti ? ..........

........as far as i can tell there is nothing wrong with paki tv - begum nawashish ali khan is a breath of fresh air and hamid mir can teach a thing or two to that fat tim russert fawning on nbc every sunday ...... the music videos are just fine (although the women need to show a little more skin as the genre demands), and even that idiot pretending to be shahrukh khan and gushing all over al-lah and his favourrite bedouin is a lot better than many a drunken evagelist on the 500 club ......... so zainab bibi, what exaclty is wrong with the tv?...... how do you expect the dozen or more channels to provide ``quality`` 24 by 7 progamming .......... if you don`t like the garbage, why don`t you exercise your rights as an adult and use the remote control ? ............ just stop whining, you are giving women a bad name ...................

Zainab Ji, if it is good enough to be shown to Indians, it should be good enough for Pakistanis as well. We used to be one afterall. Who is one to decide what is good for our people and what is not? You think our people are that dumb that they need to be told what to like and what not to like? It’s upto individuals and families to decide for themselves what they like and what appeals to them. In Pakistan, we need to have a Ministry of keeping its mouthshut. To get the hell out of our lives and let us live the way we prefer to live it. It’s not the end of the world. In absence of other quality venues, TV is the only outlet left for Pakitanis to relive some fantacy. All movie theaters in Lahore have been converted to Al-Madina Shopping Centers (that’s what Camelised Brainwashed Jokers do to Movie Theaters). There are little places of entertainment in rural Pakistan. So let people enjoy a little bit of what is left in the Islamic Republic.

Zainab you write (The truth is when you have too wide and vast a space you have to fill it with something and when quality supply is limited, one can’t help but compromise and settle for space-fillers. That’s what most of these soaps and dramas, not to mention ‘anyone who can afford to make a music video can afford to have it aired’ trend is doing, it’s filling space on the countless TV channels that are mushrooming out of the woodworks.)

This perhaps sums up the malady that afflicts the production of TV programs these days. Secondly a lack of mechanism that can reward (monetary and in terms of encouragement) a good program prevents producers from venturing into quality software. Where mediocority (perhaps even this word is too gracious to describe the state of our TV programs) is encourged to flourish, there is little hope for improvement. We tend to rely on personalities to gauge the worth of a TV program. A quality production in terms of script and direction will not fetch its value unless it has celeberities. Hence, the empahsis shifts to having celebreties (or if that is not possible a degree of `enlightened moderation`) while ignoring the quality of script and direction. With this trend (and there seems to be no realisation for change) can you really expect the media to `shape up`. Madam we appear set to drift on the path of mediocority for the forseeable future.

#6 by xeneb <<< well again you cant seem to refrain from personal attacks. kulharee made a generalised assumption and thats his/her opinion >>>

How come his ``genralized assumption`` that tens of thousands are ``camelized`` becomes an opinion and my calling him and tahmed (2 people) ``khota-ized`` becomes an unforgivable personal attack? What kind of subjective nonsense is this?

Further you write <<< as for assuming that i know nothing about the media,again im just thoroughly appreciating how you are solidifying my case of how media is disturbing our minds >>>

Ignorning the part from my earlier post that you have re-garbled as your own, I cannot be your case study for your TV based study, simply because I hardly watch any TV, 15 minutes of it is the most I can take. Now get off my case and write something meaningful.

well again you cant seem to refrain from personal attacks. kulharee made a generalised assumption and thats his/her opinion, if you feel its unjust for him to call all mid-east living pakistanis camelised then give an alternative arguement. everyone has opinions form obervations and experiences they have had,you cannot just attack another`s viewpoint and come down to a personal level.
as for assuming that i know nothing about the media,again im just thoroughly appreciating how you are solidifying my case of how media is disturbing our minds,ostracising us from each other,creating fury and dissatisfacion in our lives and minds and instead of bilding tolerance its giving us more reasons to find differences and attack each other.
well done.

#4, xeneb writes <<< masadi....i think your offenseive remark towards kulharee is uncalled for..whats the use in personal attacks when we`re discussing how the media is brainwashing us? >>>

Yes I was discussing the media, something you are quite crudely unaware of. The last part of the post was in response to Kulharee calling tens of thousands ``camelized``, as is evident from his posts he tries to insult an entire group based on his `slave of the white masters mentality`, so I called him a khotaized moron, him and t ahmed and you pick up on my insult but conveniently gloss over his. A good demonstration of the modern media`s hypocrisy and you reproduced it, as an good example in the micro for all to see, thank you.