Monday, August 20, 2007
Here's what i wrote for media and society's first assignment.
Television causes the erosion of culture in today’s society.
The debate on whether television (TV) is beneficial to society has been dragged on for countless of years, even before the debate on the internet which is mainly due to the fact that the internet was founded years later. Both sides of the debate have reasons and evidence to support their stand which led to the creation of the populist-elitist model. The populists’ support the stand that TV should be showing shows that are wanted by the mass audiences be it informative or not. However, the elitists believe that TV has a responsibility to ‘contribute to a better society and a refinement of the culture regardless of whether the media attract large audiences.’(John Vivian (2008))
I believe that TV has a responsibility to both educate as well as entertain the mass audiences. This is where my concerns regarding the television industry in Singapore comes in. Due to the effects of globalization, Singapore’s culture is slowly slipping into the shadows. Although I must laud the efforts of the government for coming up with unique and interesting ways to try preserve our culture, I fear, they are fighting a losing battle.
TV is one of the most widely viewed and used media in Singapore. Almost every household owns at least one. Although shows are regulated, screened and censored by the TV stations as well as the Media Development Authority (MDA), it is impossible to censor and change some of the most basic messages of every show. For example, the hit series Desperate Housewives, it is simply not possible to change the actors and actresses as well as the settings to reflect our society. Thus, it shows the viewers in Singapore that perhaps the grass is greener on the other side and that their culture, the Western culture is indeed superior to our own culture. This unfortunately is not the only case. Even shows such as Ugly Betty, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy have become hits in Singapore which subtly increases Singaporean’s perception of the superiority of the Western culture.
Based on the North-South Hypothesis which states that the flow of information is vertical whereby information flows from the north which constitutes the more developed countries to the south which constitutes the less developed countries, this clearly indicates that the more developed countries which are mainly western have a great deal of influence over the less developed countries. This is theory proves that slowly, our culture is slowly fading into oblivion as the western media continue to exert their subtle influence over other country’s media.
The effects can be seen easily. Every single time a western star visits Singapore; his every move would be shadowed by the paparazzi as well as many of the locals. However, a local celebrity can easily stroll into a public restaurant and have a meal undisturbed.
MDA’s efforts to influence media content have been quite successful. With support from MDA, local shows such as Phua Chu Kang, Under One Roof and Living with Lydia have become hits in Singapore as they cater to both the elitists as well as the populists. The shows poke fun at the lives of over-dramatic Singaporeans which caters to the populists but it also has underlying messages such as the importance of family to cater to the elitists.
However, I feel that more needs to be done. Even though MDA tries to preserve our traditional Asian values, their efforts have yet to bear fruit. Most Singaporeans have already become tired of local comedies that have been aired on Channel 5, the main English local TV channel. Perhaps, the local media should follow in the footsteps of other countries in creating our own media content that can become hits.
An example would be the regional media giant, South Korea. After the passing of the Korean Broadcasting Act and Regulation, TV stations have to show native films in at least 146 days of each year. That is almost half of the year. This new ruling forced the local media to produce new shows to be shown to their viewers. Competition amongst the local media there has forced the quality of TV shows produced to improve by leaps and bounds. The result is clear. Dramas such as Princess Hours and Winter Sonata have not only become local hits, they have also become favourites in Korea’s neighboring countries such as Japan, Taiwan and even Singapore.
The success of Korean dramas have given rise to the K-Wave or the Korean Wave where legions of fans have fallen with almost all things Korean, from Kim Chi to boy bands such as DBSK. This has ensured the preservation of the Korean culture simply due to several factors. Firstly, the high quality of the Korean dramas that are produced has ensured that the dramas become regional hits. This creates a sense of pride amongst the Koreans which in turns causes the Koreans to believe in their superiority of their culture.
Although many may argue that the K-Wave is just another example of cultural imperialism and is no different from the Western media’s influence, I believe that they are different. The main difference is that the K-Wave is actually a response to the cultural imperialism from the west. It is a means of retaliation with the original purpose to protect, restore and enhance the Korean culture.
Other countries have also followed suit. Taiwan for instance, has produced its own brand of TV dramas that have widespread popularity such as the hit drama, Hanazakarino Kimitachihe. Indonesia also has its own brand of dramas called Sinetrons.
With the case study above, it clearly illustrates the need to galvanize the media in Singapore to protect the local culture. With so many imported dramas from neighboring countries, there is an urgent need to produce our own brand of quality TV shows that portray our unique and distinct local culture.
I feel that now, more than ever, there is a need to protect and promote our culture amongst the locals in the face of globalization. The way we respond to the media development from other nations will show if our society is truly prepared to defend and be proud of our own culture or if we truly believe that the grass is truly greener on the other side and that our culture is inferior compared to others. It is now time for us to step up to the plate.
Nathaniel Iman sprouted nonsense at