The 'serial' killer

A killer is at large. Killing in broad daylight daily with thousands of witness; still reamining scot-free. The target of destruction are mostly young children; yet, both the parents and the police, are unaware of the destruction being wreaked upon their wards. More so, they even unwittingly await the arrival of this serial killer with eager with their eyes glued on to the idiot box. Yes! we are talking about the television serials.
Look at the kind of muck that goes into each one of them. All of them have a vamp or a villain trying to debase the hero or the heroine or the entire family. The most disgusting part is that the villanous character is also shown as a member of the family. To cite a few of this highly rated tamil serials are Sorgam, Avargal, etc..
A recent study carried out by the Centre for Media Studies has revealed some alarming findings with regard to television serials and children. Gone are the days when one's teacher was the role model that every kid vied to be; or even its father or a historic hero. Today, its the TV serial characters (mind you, I am talking about the characters and not the stars) who are the role models of our children!
With most children watching only serials or movie-based programmes, whose themes are built around debauchery, deceit and violence, what is the moral that we are conveying to them? That one should deceive one's own brother for money, that one should resort to mean methods to achieve his ambitions, and that one should resort to berating, beating and killing one's own people if they stand in the way of one's goal?
No wonder that there is a rise in violent activities of today's children. There have been more complaints from the kintergarden teachers that the students of these classes are now more into fighting than learning. To get things done in their way, their tongues don't speak anymore, its only their hands.
Can't the serial makers think of any fresh and interesting themes rather than debasing one's own kin? Doesn't Balaji Telefilms, especially, have any new story idea apart from projecting the heroine as sober, quiet and toiling woman with a vamp-like relative hurling all kind of accusations? Why have the story writers run out of ideas and why should they stretch a short story to 400-episodes?
"Because that's what sells," is their retort. "Look at the high TRP ratings for our "emotional" serials (if u may call them one) and that's what the masses want," say they. So now, who is to be blamed?
Though most elders and housewives argue that "TV is their only source of entertainment", can't they at least act responsible in desisting to watch all such stupidity along with the kids. Knowing that all these muckish serials are murdering the morals of our children, should we continue to sit like idiots before the box?

Comments

Tulaja said…
What about the afternoons? Remember those days when neighbors used to chat over their fences after sending the kids to school and the menfolk to work? Remember those times when housewives used to visit their relatives during the day or run errands to the tailor, the grocer, or may be, just take a walk to the nearby temple? Whatever happened to the fine arts of embroidery, knitting, sewing, beadwork or reading? Nothing happens now-a-days thanks to these soap-serials. One of the daughters-in-law who visited Chennai with the fond hope of catching up after 3 years abroad was so disappointed that her in-laws (and parents!) were glued to the box even during afternoons. These were the very same group of people who, 10 years before, were cursing the Oliyum Oliyums, Rangolis, Chitrahaars and Chitramaalas of yester-years. A generation seems to have lost the feeling of family, community and neighbourliness.

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