N.B.T.C. Effort To Improve Thailands Notorious Soap Operas: Comment

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE

NBTC effort to improve TV soaps misguided

Pravit Rojanaphruk

BANGKOK: -- The vernacular Daily News newspaper on August 13 reported the alarming news of the latest move by the broadcasting regulator to "improve" the country's notorious soap operas.

Thais and even some foreigners who have been here long enough know how many of these popular TV melodramas are "committed" to over-dramatisation and stereotyping of characters.

Jealousy, class discrimination, chauvinism, exaltation of wealth and power, violence, typecasting and reinforcement of prejudices against people like housemaids, ethnic minorities and transvestites prevail in these television series. In recurring soap storylines, protagonists often can't seem to do anything wrong even when they commit some wrongs.

While I admit that a good number of these soaps exert a negative influence on some viewers, the cost of trying to socially reengineer - known in Thai as jad rabiab, or making things organised and putting things in order - may do more to harm Thailand in the long run.

Daily News quoted Supinya Klangnarong, a member of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), as saying guidelines will be issued to TV and radio producers addressing the negative aspects of Thai soaps in the hope that the industry can regulate itself. While such a code of ethics will be non-binding, a warning will have been given and the future granting or renewal of permits by the NBTC to produce TV and radio content will be conditional on a review of soap-opera content, she said.

Supinya, who chairs the committee for the promotion of self-regulation, was quoted as saying that she is aware that Thai soap operas are like sweets.

"The more you eat the more delicious they become. But if you eat them everyday you will become fat. So [the challenge] is how to imbue Thai soaps with morality that will cultivate the hearts of viewers."

While I share Supinya's concerns, I do not think this semi-coercive approach being taken by the NBTC will be beneficial to Thai society in the long haul.

Direct or indirect censorship, as well as the social engineering of soap opera content, is based on the belief that people as viewers and readers are not mature enough to be able to tell right from wrong and may emulate bad examples that appear on the screen.

The NBTC and people like Supinya, a former free-media advocate, should recognise that the responsibility to analyse and be responsible for exposure to possible negative media content should not be taken away from the public and entrusted to the nanny state. In the short run, such a policy may reduce negative imitations of "bad" characters portrayed by soaps, but in the long run, it will induce more immaturity among viewers and the public as they, willingly or not, concede more of their personal responsibility to judge things by themselves and pass this very crucial element and responsibility in a democratic society to the nanny state.

Instead of encouraging greater media literacy, the NBTC is apparently seeking to mould Thai soaps into moralistic tales "friendly" to children and adults, but at the high price of taking away the people's right to analyse and judge things by themselves.

Another parallel is how authorities here try to ban the sale of alcohol within a certain proximity to universities because they're concerned that students will become alcoholics, while at Oxbridge, each college has a wine cellar on campus selling booze at subsidised prices.

This writer can't help but wonder if Thailand will really become a "good" society if all TV stations air moralistic soap operas, along with religious programmes and mini-dramas extolling the virtues of the monarchy.

Perhaps it depends on how you define a "good" society. I am concerned, however, that people will become increasingly unable to shoulder responsibility and apply common sense by themselves - and this can't be good.

-- The Nation 2012-08-22

[Thai at Heart]

Please sort these ridiculous shows out.

[Reasonableman]

Let them eat soap. Another opiate of the masses under threat? No way; many people seem to enjoy the nostalgia of Thai TV being stuck in the 1960-70s timewarp, and these shows surely must cost almost nothing to produce. A win-win for producer and consumer alike.

[LennyW]

I've always been bewildered at the Thai media standards..... they pixalate out alchohol and tobacco advertising during football matches or foreign movies, yet the Thai soaps are chock full of people waving guns about, women getting slapped around, kidnappings, beatings, mafiosa types, .......

[RickBradford]

I don't think they cost 'almost nothing to produce' -- many of the leading actors are very well paid, and there's even overseas location shooting.

For example, a current show called 'Rak Khun Thao Faa' ('Love You As High As the Sky') is about an airline pilot who flies around, with a girlfriend in each airport lost-luggage office, and there have been scenes in Paris and along the French coast.

Plus, it contains 5 'big' stars -- 'Ken' (the pilot), Ploy, Chompu, Cherry, Nok and Ay, his various love interests.

It's all about ratings and advertising dollars. I'm not sure many Thais take it seriously -- any more than Westerners take Neighbours as a model of how to live.

I mean, it wasn't the Thais who invented reality TV, so if we're talking dreck, we have to look somewhere else to lay the blame.

And if they really want to transform Thai TV into a moral educational tool, they would have to take off virtually every program except the midday news.

The dramas are very silly and tedious, but the notion of going round 'improving' people by raising the quality of the TV they watch seems to have so many things wrong with it that it's hard to know where to begin.

[noitom]

I don't think they cost 'almost nothing to produce' -- many of the leading actors are very well paid, and there's even overseas location shooting.

For example, a current show called 'Rak Khun Thao Faa' ('Love You As High As the Sky') is about an airline pilot who flies around, with a girlfriend in each airport lost-luggage office, and there have been scenes in Paris and along the French coast.

Plus, it contains 5 'big' stars -- 'Ken' (the pilot), Ploy, Chompu, Cherry, Nok and Ay, his various love interests.

It's all about ratings and advertising dollars. I'm not sure many Thais take it seriously -- any more than Westerners take Neighbours as a model of how to live.

I mean, it wasn't the Thais who invented reality TV, so if we're talking dreck, we have to look somewhere else to lay the blame.

And if they really want to transform Thai TV into a moral educational tool, they would have to take off virtually every program except the midday news.

The dramas are very silly and tedious, but the notion of going round 'improving' people by raising the quality of the TV they watch seems to have so many things wrong with it that it's hard to know where to begin.

Very sensible POV.

[zydeco]

Every channel will look like MCOT 98 and 99 on Truevisions. Thrilling!

[Greer]

Rick you are spot on! Thai soaps are notorious for being silly and not realistic, but they are simply copying some stereotypical western show, but with a Thai viewpoint.

I work in the media (not here), and I am horrified at how bad the shows are, but they do have decent budgets - a freind of mine is a director and has worked on some of the local productions.

The old joke is that after a while here, you will have seen all four story lines, and of course the standard group of around 10 or 12 core actors who do almost everything, are well known to almost every Thai, and recognisable to many long term expats too.

In a country of over 60 million, my question has always been "Why so few principle Thai actors/actresses?" - compared against say the UK with a similar poulation, there are many thousands of talented people in the industry there...

[RickBradford]

In a country of over 60 million, my question has always been "Why so few principle Thai actors/actresses?" - compared against say the UK with a similar poulation, there are many thousands of talented people in the industry there...

Greer,

Is it not the case that there is a huge actor duopoly held by RS and GMM -- if you're not signed to one of those two, you might as well go and sing karaoke in Lad Phrao?

So perhaps there are very few opportunities for young acting talent to 'break through'. (I'm no expert, simply asking).

[Woodcaulk]

I would miss these shows .....I get so much entertainment tormenting my girl over them. Just when I see her getting really into the show I'll start reciting for her what the next actions/dialouge will be or alternately telling her the beautiful thai guys she is daydreaming of as she watches are all gay and probably cross-dressers......sends her into a tizzy every time and results in her sending me out for beers alone

[hanuman2543]

It is all part of the big brainwashing program. Panem et circenses.

[Reasonableman]

It is all part of the big brainwashing program. Panem et circenses.

turgid, turbid waters

[chainarong]

They are pretty badly produced, I like the girls, they scream and scratch their way through a mountain of boy or some lover problems , reminds me of a Chinese opera or a cat sliding down a tin roof, the acting can only be described as third rate, extremely terrible and the Thai's think it's bloody marvelous, good eduction system , they ain't a worldly lot are they..

[AleG]

...

The dramas are very silly and tedious, but the notion of going round 'improving' people by raising the quality of the TV they watch seems to have so many things wrong with it that it's hard to know where to begin.

The only sensible thing to improve people would be to encourage them to turn off the danged TV.

Can't be too bad to stop wasting hours upon hours watching idiotic dramas and whitening cream commercials (taking roughly 45/45 of total airtime).

Pfff... never mind... they'll turn off the TV and immediately get zombified by their phones.

[membob]

Leave the programmes - if people enjoy them then let them watch them, it's up to them. But I think they should be on less often and not running for 2 hours. It would be good to see them pushing the boundries and throwing a bit more planning, production and budget at these programmes.

In the west we have programmes like Shameless, Breaking Bad, etc.. These are also gritty in our own way. If Thai's starting creating these styles of programmes imagine the outrage!

The only thing I ask for them is to please improve the sound quality. I don't watch them but I'm often sitting there with my gf while she's watching them and all I can hear is this terrible sound quality and audio editing. It gets worse when they go offsite and even worse when they go to another country. You can normally hear the russle of the leafs more than you can hear the actors. There was a few episodes about 3 months ago in Europe where they camera man was constantly shaking and the audio wasn't controlled.

I do believe TV influences people. But if they're dumb enough to change their lifestyle or be prejudge because of what they've been told or see on TV then I have no time for these types of people - leave them to it.

Edited August 22, 2012 by membob

[Katipo]

"Direct or indirect censorship, as well as the social engineering of soap opera content, is based on the belief that people as viewers and readers are not mature enough to be able to tell right from wrong and may emulate bad examples that appear on the screen."

Judging by the number of real people who act in a similar fashion, I really have to wonder if they can, or even want to. Just read the daily newspapers for the worst examples.

Using TV to help introduce/reinforce positive social norms cannot do any more harm than the endless stream of the absolute garbage that are Thai TV soap dramas, and in my opinion, if done correctly, can definitely do some good.

[shanahan]

How these shows can be taken at all as being able to model anything in any form baffles me, considering the extremely poor standard of acting. It's neither natural or credible. However I guess it depends on the audience.

[bigbamboo]

Every country gets the television it deserves..

[drdoom6996]

How will our children learn to be the upstanding politicians we have today????????????????????????

[baboon]

Replace the actors with professional wrestlers. The standard of acting and dialogue would improve a thousandfold overnight.

[SICHONSTEVE]

I've always been bewildered at the Thai media standards..... they pixalate out alchohol and tobacco advertising during football matches or foreign movies, yet the Thai soaps are chock full of people waving guns about, women getting slapped around, kidnappings, beatings, mafiosa types, .......

I agree!! When they pixalate out a cigarette, just how many people think that they might be putting a crab stick in their mouth that creates smoke just afterwards, or when something in someones hand goes bang and then someone falls down with blood pumping out of them might actually be a table tennis bat!!!!

Absolutely ridiculous!!!.

Also, as you have pointed out, this only seems to happen with foreign films and is unadulterated in Thai soaps - so it must be the case that westerners are teaching them bad things, whereas it is OK for Thai's to be seen doing these things - you know it makes 'Thai' sense.

Edited August 22, 2012 by SICHONSTEVE

[belg]

flush the crap, but thais love it...

poor way how rich people behave, as someone said

the bad thing is, the poor people are copying the poor behaviours of the crappy rich soap actors

[Reasonableman]

Replace the actors with professional wrestlers. The standard of acting and dialogue would improve a thousandfold overnight.

Right! Add to that buxom ladies, skimpy bikinis, and a paddling pool of pink jello. I think we've got a winner here...

[TackyToo]

It is all part of the big brainwashing program. Panem et circenses.

I like this part the most:

…as viewers and readers are not mature enough to be able to tell right from wrong and may emulate bad examples that appear on the screen.

But isn’t that exactly what politicians hope for when they ask these people to vote for them?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I think this is just further fallout from the recent episode with the bare breasts painting gal on the TV show, although that wasn't a lakorn.

[baboon]

Replace the actors with professional wrestlers. The standard of acting and dialogue would improve a thousandfold overnight.

Right! Add to that buxom ladies, skimpy bikinis, and a paddling pool of pink jello. I think we've got a winner here...

...Not to mention the threats. You know; `Stone Cold` Suchart beating his chest and yelling "Man, I`m gonna rip your ass right out it`s socket," when defending the heroine`s honour...

[dean999]

Ooooooooh, there soap's, i thought they were reality shows of the so called hi-so.

[tony5150]

For me I really don't see much of a difference between Thai soap and North Amarican soap. The story lines are just as flimsy, the acting is just as bad and the Thais substitute sex with violence. The one difference that I have seen, and this is a big one, is the use of slide whistles and old cartoon sound effects to reinforce specific feelings the actors have. I layed in bed with my Thai girlfriend all day as she watched this stuff. I was hungover and bewildered but she seemed to really enjoy it. I watched with one very red eye open and had a chuckle. In my opinion all Thais t.v is bad and seems rather childlike, except for the news, then you see some very hardcore stuff that would never be shown on western t.v.

[silsburyhill]

Who is this fool Pravit Rojanaphruk? I'm presuming that whilst at Oxbridge quaffing something from his own wine cellar, he missed the lecture on propaganda. Idiot.

And how well I remember calling at a Thai friend's house to see her watching some guff which portrayed two whiter than white protagonists in some Thai soap on the Skyrail surrounded by brown skinned people (obviously 'green screened'). 'Oh look!' says I 'There're some Thai people in this!' to which my friend gave a sidelong sneer.

And yes, I am aware that some Thais have lighter skin than others. However, never seen a Caucasian couple as pallid as those two.

Edited August 22, 2012 by silsburyhill

[vijer]

And if they really want to transform Thai TV into a moral educational tool, they would have to take off virtually every program except the midday news.

What?!? You can't get an education from Thai news, I learn more about the goings on in Thailand here on ThaiVisa then watching the news. Not to mention Thai news completely ignores the world outside of Thailand, unless a Thai travels to another country, then they might mention something trivial like the PM went to China.