Thai's and Their Shoot Em Up's

[monk213]

I have to question why on most popular TV network channels during the week at prime time, so around 5-9pm, there are a lot of these soap operas that all ages are able to watch and that are so full of shootings, gangs and mafias? I mean, I bet that I could find more gun fights in a couple of soap operas tonight than in the Matrix.

In my home country soap operas were about every day life, of course they need to have subject matter so real life situations come into play, but they are all something a family can sit around and enjoy without a gun fight ensuing every 5 minutes. Here it is either an annoying love story with the same facial expressions and lines throughout, or a mafia type figure being tracked down by some hero and his crack team (including a hot lass of course).

What does this teach the nation? It teaches that this is every day life and ok? It glorifies guns and shootings that's for sure, but also the love soap operas seem to suggest that love and passion is something so vital it is worth going crazy over? In my opinion this needs to be looked at but it may have gone too far already and is deeply embedded in Thai culture.

[Costas2008]

I will pass your suggestion to the General in due course.

At the moment he is too busy looking after the happiness of the people, so it can take a little time to act.

But rest assured your recommendation will be given a priority status.

Joking apart, I have exactly the same queries like you, monk213.....hope somebody will put an end to that.

[Eddy B]

I totally agree. I can not stand to watch this rubbish, luckily though my wife understands English well so we can turn that crap off and watch shows from the UK and US. Thailand's soap operas are terrible and have pretty much the same plot depending on it's genre absolutely boring.

[monk213]

I am not exactly a fan of TV anymore, in fact I only watch Aljazeera if I do but I just use the internet to watch things. But, of course the other half does like to sit and watch these soaps when she comes home from work, also considering one of her sons has been an extra in quite a lot of the 'shoot em ups'

[Swamp Thing]

I thought the General was going to personally rewrite the soap opera scripts.

Hasn't he got 'round to it yet?

[monk213]

I thought the General was going to personally rewrite the soap opera scripts.

Hasn't he got 'round to it yet?

So more guns and shooting I would assume?

[Rooo]

Moved Expats , Pub.

[AlexRRR]

Quality of tv is pretty much the same the world over....

[monk213]

Quality of tv is pretty much the same the world over....

I was not stating that TV is god or bad in that sense (and no c'mon, you have to see the acting in these things)! But, I was referring what the content is doing for society.. Prime example right now on Channel 3 that my girlfriend has on, guns, explosions, gangs, wealth etc etc. Anyway as I stated earlier I don't watch TV myself anymore, it has gotten to the level of brain destroying.

[sdanielmcev]

Take up a hobby, like cat juggling, to soothe yourself, and take your girlfriends' attention away from the TV.

[maidee]

poor people like to see rich people acting bad

but with 2 brain cells, many will copy the behaviour

[jacko45k]

I am not a doctor but I play one in the bedroom.

I advise you not to watch Thai soaps.

[slipperylobster]

The term is "Pandering"

Blame the high dollar advertising industry for paying millions for a minute or two of advertising.

The more popular the show, the more profitable it is for Networks to earn money.

One step further...entertainment, since the Roman Gladiator times, has not really changed much.

Many of us are reviled by violence, but for the majority viewers, especially in less developed countries,

violence is exciting. They get a kick out of taking out their frustrations by rooting for an underdog, who

then reenacts the viewers' social frustration by riddling a crowd of antagonists with bullets.

Catharsis.

Edited January 28, 2015 by slipperylobster

[islandguy]

" with the same facial expressions and lines throughout"

this is the thing I always notice, when I briefly watch I usually comment "crying scene number 3"

I think they all have the same drama coach. As a business, it's hard to argue with their success

[saroq]

There was more portrayal of violence on TV during 5-9pm when I was a teen than there is today. Apparently the change had to happen because certain sections of the community were to stupid to realize that they were watching TV and not real life. That section of the community remains stupid and today there is more violence in the community even though portrayal of it on TV has been regulated.

[ggt]

The Thai soaps are a reflection of the lack of intellectual maturity of the Thais...they love children level programming because the majority of the adults are still mentally children...

[In Search of Space]

I thought the General was going to personally rewrite the soap opera scripts.

Hasn't he got 'round to it yet?

So more guns and shooting I would assume?

Love, peace & happiness

[recycler]

This is to instruct the general public on how society works... when you are rich you can do anything and get away with it, when you are poor you shut up and do as you're told to. Violence is a solution for everything, shout, beat, shoot, knife, whatever... it's all in a day's TV.

Thai television is detrimental to mental health and social behavior, but I'm afraid that in many western countries it's not much better by now.

I praise my self and our kids extremely lucky that my wife has lost all interest in TV, it may be turned on once a month when a sister is visiting. Looks like that the content that they can choose themselves is winning over the content that is served, so I see Youtube and movies used in stead of the TV.

[rickirs]

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Quality of tv is pretty much the same the world over....

I was not stating that TV is god or bad in that sense (and no c'mon, you have to see the acting in these things)! But, I was referring what the content is doing for society.. Prime example right now on Channel 3 that my girlfriend has on, guns, explosions, gangs, wealth etc etc. Anyway as I stated earlier I don't watch TV myself anymore, it has gotten to the level of brain destroying.

Sounds like channel 3 has a lot of Thai reality shows.

[maximillian]

Since the year 2000 I am not watching TV any more. Not in my home country, far less reason to watch in Thailand.

Offer me the biggest and most expensive TV set for free, I will decline it.

[Docno]

The OP is obviously not an American.

[curtklay]

The Thai soaps are a reflection of the lack of intellectual maturity of the Thais...they love children level programming because the majority of the adults are still mentally children...

Exactly. That is why the soaps are not just harmless, fun entertainment. They are a dangerous influence on their simple minds as they watch them in a near hypnotic state.

Please add your own "boings" and other sound effects to this post.

[baneko]

I agree 100%....They wonder why the young team go shooting, fighting and raping. Its glorified every day on the box. The ghosts as well terrify the kids.

[lucifer666]

A frequent conversation with my other half, " Honey, you download new movie?" Me, " Yes, but you won't like it". Her, ' Why not ?", Me, " Well, Nobody dies, gets shot or blown up and all the vehicles remain intact". Her " Oh, ok, 'll watch another then"

[marko kok prong]

When are the going to stop using tomato ketchup as blood?

[CrummyJuggler]

Television is an escape for the masses. Nobody wants to watch real life on TV, too boring, too much suffering. bad guys, good guys, cops/robbers, sexy ladies and a whole lot of drama. This is television all over the world. Good for you for recognizing it but the masses love it anyway. So give 'em what they want. I feel the same about the 5 different channels showing every football match ever played. It's anesthesia for the masses. thailand is in no way unique in this regard.

[KhnomKhnom]

The debate about the possible effects of television on people has gone on for a long time. The people who make tv shows world over defend themselves and their violent shows by saying that "it hurts nothing and is what viewers want." There is big money to be made in those shows. Those same people also make money from tv commercials, which they claim are very effective in selling products, and thus effective in influencing viewer opinions and buying behavior.

It is, thus, an odd claim that the shows have no effect on viewers, but the commercials mixed in have big effects on viewers.

Personally, after studying this phenomena for over 30 years, I find that ALL of tv, Thai and otherwise, has the overall effect of encouraging a consumerist life style, a making more course daily life, and a general making more cheap the values on human life.

Consumerism is promoted, obviously, by the commercials, but the clothing, cars, and free activities of the show contents also promotes buying the latest thing and encourages the idea that all people live high like the people in the shows, or should live high--like in the mansions shown.

The factor of making life more course, cheapening and making simplistic, relates to the general devaluing of the pleasure of ordinary life events, even the smallest ones like hugging your child or watching a sunset. This factor occurs due to exaggerated drama in the shows.

With the many acts of violence (and, gasp, children yelling at their parents, etc.), the lesson is that life is cheap and also that one is always in danger--creating free-floating anxiety and fearful personalities.

All this makes a person wonder if the freedom of expression is worth the trade-offs for the distinctive negative effects. However, even modern television sets do have OFF buttons.

[monk213]

It is, thus, an odd claim that the shows have no effect on viewers, but the commercials mixed in have big effects on viewers

^^ This is something to consider very much so, what a contradiction that is huh

[ableguy]

You are one hundred percent correct, and your point is ? .?

Myself I hate it and will not be in the same room when it's on, however with the low level of education here coupled with any artistic appreciation ( here I am talking of the masses ) what would you expect ? Very easy to run. These people down on their viewing habits. However in Japan with a superb education set up they still love the slap stick comedy and quiz GameStop win a bloody microwave as the star prize, go figure .

[Commander Tamson]

Most posting on this thread miss the point completely. It's the crazy censorship in this, and other SE Asia countries, that is totally messed up. If some bird has a slightly low cut dress on and showing cleavage or a couple kissing each other on the lips, then it's pixelated out. But show numbskulls kicking shit out of each other, or some jackass beating up his wife, GF or even a kid, then Hey! That's all right then?