TV show could be overstepping the bounds of decency: Thai editorial

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
TV show could be overstepping the bounds of decency
The Nation

Boosting ratings by courting controversy is an obvious tactic, but the public may react negatively to extreme cases of tastelessness

BANGKOK: -- A man who evidently has mental difficulties triggered controversy recently after competing on a popular reality-TV talent show and was ridiculed. This is not new on television, and it's not the first time content-producer Workpoint Entertainment has been in hot water. Last year an artist used her breasts instead of brushes on the same franchised programme, "Thailand's Got Talent". The strategy of deliberately fomenting controversy is nothing new either, especially since it's proven effective in garnering viewers' attention.

Last year the breast-painting scandal made headlines globally: "Thailand's Got Boobs" was one sensational quip. Investigations determined that the segment was staged - the "painter" was a performer hand-picked for the stunt - but viewers seemed to care little that they'd been lied to. After gaining massive publicity, the show carried on as usual. Season 3 has just started with another loud bang, and a perhaps even more sensitive issue.

Contestant Sitthata Emerald clearly looked like an oddball from the beginning. He addressed the judges strangely and refused to wai or end his sentences with the usual polite "khrap". Challenged on this, he declared that morality is more important than etiquette. As it turned out, the man could barely sing. Two judges walked offstage, leaving the third to sit and listen. The audience ridiculed the man mercilessly. Among the questions immediately raised on the social media was whether the man was autistic - or perhaps another patsy set up by the show just to raise a fuss.

Boosting ratings via controversy confirms that morality and ethics mean little in an age when TV producers face cutthroat competition. Child and family advocates have called on the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to look into the ethics of the show's producer. They condemn Workpoint Entertainment for "failing to respect human dignity".

The company issued a statement claiming Emerald is not a special-needs person and went through the usual audition. Few people were convinced. Chulalongkorn University lecturer Pirongrong Ramasoota, mother of an autistic child, said she could spot the signs of the condition immediately: the lack of eye contact, speaking in a monotone, lack of social skills, blunt talk and self-absorption - all indicative of autism. She is among those who trust their own eyes rather than the company's assurances. The public is also suspicious about how a man who couldn't communicate well, let alone sing, could pass the audition in the first place. Even Emerald's mother voiced surprise that he made it onto the show despite a "mental disability" (about which she didn't elaborate).

The real issue here is the producer's ethics in allowing a contestant to be ridiculed on the show by the judges and studio audience. Workpoint's wilful disdain of personal feelings and dignity in the interest of commercial gain would appear to be just the tip of the iceberg in the fierce competition for ratings. Controversy sells, and it the social media serves to amplify it. The more criticism, the more attention the show receives.

The NBTC is examining the matter, but promises no early decision on a complicated case. The agency is overloaded with work, especially with the upcoming bidding for digital TV concessions. And Commissioner Supinya Klangnarong has cautioned that proportionate means are needed and all aspects must be weighed. If Workpoint is deemed negligent and a penalty is to be levied, it could be a monetary fine or an adjustment of the programme's rating. In the meantime Workpoint has received a strong sanction from the public, with consumers complaining online both individually and via interest groups.

Regardless, the "ratings first, morality later" attitude is likely to remain in the TV industry, and sadly it could get worse with the arrival of more digital channels in an already-crowded sector.

The NBTC has a tough task ahead overseeing a boom in TV content. It's to be hoped that consumers and interest groups will exercise real power of their own and play a major role in eradicating bad practice. First and foremost, viewers need to stop watching unethical programmes, thus denying them the publicity they crave.


-- The Nation 2013-06-12

[Thai at Heart]

Could be?

Ridiculing a handicapped person on TV? Classy.

[bigbamboo]

I don't see how being barely able to sing on a Thai talent show should spark unnecessary ridicule.

[Ianatlarge]

How about no one watch no tv? It is all a load of crap (that is farang crap, not Thai). I woke up surly this morning.

[arthurboy]

'Contestant Sitthata Emerald clearly looked like an oddball from the beginning. He addressed the judges strangely and refused to wai or end his sentences with the usual polite "khrap". Challenged on this, he declared that morality is more important than etiquette.'

It seems that this 'oddball' has a far, far better take on Thainess and right and wrong than most politicians and other ill-assorted folk in the LOS.

Edited June 12, 2013 by arthurboy

[Thai at Heart]

'Contestant Sitthata Emerald clearly looked like an oddball from the beginning. He addressed the judges strangely and refused to wai or end his sentences with the usual polite "khrap". Challenged on this, he declared that morality is more important than etiquette.'

It seems that this 'oddball' has a far, far better take on Thainess and right and wrong than most politicians and other ill-assorted folk in the LOS.

Indeed, this sort of rebellious behaviour will be the downfall of the country. "Morality is more important that etiquette?" The boy deserves a gong.

[DocN]

Ridiculing disabled people on Thai- TV?
What is next?

Laughing if someone has an accident?

Booooooooooiiiiiiiiiing....huuuuiiiiiiiiiiii.....boooiiiooooiiiing!

[swifty5x5]

How about no one watch no tv? It is all a load of crap (that is farang crap, not Thai). I woke up surly this morning.

You are right farang tv is crap and Thai tv does not even make it to the crap level.

[rubberduck]

Television in LOCS is one big show of fools, really nothing interesting. Most news presentors have highly annoying voices and lack any sign of integrity, and very an unpolite way of presenting more like preoccupied with their hungry ego then signs of respect for the audience.

Heard once that most TV stations are owned by a few very influential families with the motto 'keeping the people stupid because stupid because stupid people are more easy to control', like churches worldwide used for a long time. Not sure if true but could be very well.

But it's not just Thai. Just not to compare with non-commercial public television in e.g. England, Germany, Netherlands which are amongst the world best.

Third world - third world tv, whats strange. But the people are force feeded with stupidness and have no choice then not having a tv, and that's quite worrying for the countries future.

I want to see a consumer tv which investigates everything and make public who are the people behind jetski scams and other corruption, which shops fool customers with poor service, which people scam others, which food is bad for you. Naming and shaming and informing the people with truth, that's what they need and should have the right to. But telling the 'truth' is not done, like in China, Iran, America. Everything is controlled by big powers. How pathetic.

[hellodolly]

Well one might say the Thai soap operas belittle the watchers.

[fakename]

Wow! Thai midgets have been laughed at for years. More programs have midgets than not, or have a big fat person to kick around.

I think I seen the program in question, and it seemed the guy could sing as well as most others, although he did act quite strange.

[cup-O-coffee]

There is such a thing as pushing the envelope of science, industry, technology, learning, enlightenment, etc. This is what intelligent people seek to pursue.

There is also such a thing as pushing the envelope of safety, decency, well-being, self-control, self-restraint, responsibility, etc. This is what feeble minded people do.

I think, for the most part, that Thais fall into the latter category.

[doctorproc156]

Let the people decide and the ratings go low enough for the network to cut the show themselves. I'd rather have no government censor boards meddling with any of the media.

[JetsetBkk]

The real issue here is the producer's ethics in allowing a contestant to be ridiculed on the show by the judges and studio audience.

I thought that was the whole point of the show.

[OzMick]

Please stop the PC crap. Watch a Steady Eddy gig (especially his earlier stuff) available on youtube and tell me he is not funny.

[USNret]

I routinely see people with Downs Syndrome on Thai comedy shows. People thing it's funny. One of them appears to be famous & routinely paraded on stage. My normally compassionate & enlightened wife sees nothing wrong with this.

[ronrat]

The majority of reality and talent shows, both contradiction in terms, are indecent. It started with Big brother and went downhill. The sooner the worlds tv programmers are put into a spacecraft and sent to another planet the better.

[drdoom6996]

"Boosting ratings via controversy confirms that morality and ethics mean little in an age when TV producers face cutthroat competition"

This is not limited to TV. The PTP and the Police do it all the time. I am convinced that Morality and Ethics have no place in Thailand as a whole. And the examples of this are ENDLESS.

[drdoom6996]

Please stop the PC crap. Watch a Steady Eddy gig (especially his earlier stuff) available on youtube and tell me he is not funny.

IMHO he's not funny. Up to the person I suppose.

[JeffreyWitty]

Ridiculing disabled people on Thai- TV?

What is next?

Laughing if someone has an accident?

Booooooooooiiiiiiiiiing....huuuuiiiiiiiiiiii.....boooiiiooooiiiing!

YEAH!

or - printing pictures of someone's corpse at an accident site?....oh...wait...

[tragickingdom]

If only the Nation was so concerned when they beat up women in soaps, treat their staff like dirt and show virtual rapes every ten minutes the concerns about decency were looking a little bit less hollow. The Nation overstepped the boundaries of decency a long time ago when they said that they were independent the Nation is a big lie.

[bangon04]

"Boosting ratings by courting controversy is an obvious tactic, but the public may react negatively to extreme cases of tastelessness"

Obviously this does not apply to most entertainment programmes on Channel 3 or Channel 7, which usually have to include laughing at an uglyKatoey, laughing at a fat dwarf, laughing at a "retard" and lots of really childish fart jokes, all accompanied with annoying random sound effects to tell the audience when to laugh.

Obviously this Farang cannot understand the Thai concept of Tastelessness

[Johnnie99]

Morality?

[hellodolly]

"Boosting ratings via controversy confirms that morality and ethics mean little in an age when TV producers face cutthroat competition"

This is not limited to TV. The PTP and the Police do it all the time. I am convinced that Morality and Ethics have no place in Thailand as a whole. And the examples of this are ENDLESS.

Well to just push the envelope a little farther. this is an age where people are drifting away from each other. In stead of talking to people on their phone they text message them. The internet has made it possible with web sites like Facebook to converse for hours on end and never even see each other.(or say anything) I know people I can talk to for hours on face book but if I send them an e mail they won't answer it. They know that it might be some thing important like I am having my leg cut of tomorrow can you help me.

[stockholm1995]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppg-nYbYwXU

[SOTIRIOS]

..it really reflects Thai society.....full of hypocrisy.....

(...like the temples performing abortions....so wrong...in so many ways...)

don't kill an insect...but get banged up...married, underage, whatever....and come and secretly dispose of the fetus....at the hands of a Buddhist monk...)

....probably for a fee....