Miles to go

The “biggest star” of the Emmy Awards was the elephant in the room as host Colbert, the presenters and the winners trumpeted Donald’s name endlessly (a poor joke but mine own).

“Everything is better on TV! Turn on any channel — well, except the news!” trilled Stephen Colbert (Emmy Awards, Star World). Ne’er were truer words ever sung: The news is almost invariably bad, otherwise, as we’ve been taught at journalism school, it isn’t news. Surprised Colbert didn’t add that the news is a joke. Especially, when he and other talk show hosts like John Oliver, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Samantha Bee, Trevor Noah, et al, to say nothing of Saturday Night Live, make merry (and a mean living) by laughing at what passes for news — just as his song did at the opening of the Emmy Awards. Back to them in a moment.

Suppose Indian television had awards like the Emmys, the award for the best comedy show would go to.why, the 9 p.m. AK 47 pow wow on news channels, of course! Don’t you think? Many viewers consider these the best entertainment shows on TV — now, if that isn’t a joke, what is? There are exceptions. CNBC TV18, ET Now, BTVI are taking the state of the economy seriously. On Monday and on Tuesday, CNBC TV18 and ET Now analysed the poor growth figures and/or wondered if there was need for a fiscal stimulus. Mirror Now highlighted farmer suicides and the “cry for help to #SaveOurFarmers”. And NDTV 24×7 took itself off to the Rohingya refugee camps near Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh to assess the humanitarian crisis — and not just the “national security threat” debated at great length on Times Now, India Today and Republic. “Gently, gently throw them out,” advised Arnab G, softening his tone for the express purpose of “gently” throwing out 40,000 Rohingyas (Republic).

Speaking of tone, possibly the worst TV commercial currently, is the White Tone powder one for “gora nikhaar”. This is not funny, it’s an awful colour prejudice our cosmetic industry promotes and reinforces, shamelessly. In comparison, a really progressive ad is the Axis Bank one in which a mother tells her groom-to-be-son that since he is to be married, he needs to buy a home for himself and his wife — as opposed to living with his parents.

Oh, and by the way, “Kya chal raha hai?”. “Fogg chal raha hai”. If you got the connection between the question and the punch line in this ubiquitous ad for “bina gas” male body perfume, you deserve to get it — and use it. Now, where were we? Oh yes, chasing the news as it set off on India Today’s “Honey hunt” in “hot pursuit” of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s confidant (CNN News18). Alas, instead of the lady in question, all we could see was an empty highway stretching beyond the horizon. Obviously, there were “miles to go”.

Nimki Mukhiya (Star Bharat) continues to be amusing and guileless — recommended for everyone who enjoys a good lark. That it is also a social commentary is almost beside the point. And Saam Daam Dand Bhed is reaching the point when it could become seriously interesting as a political crime thriller out for revenge as good guy Prabhat is shot by crooked Pankaj after he kills innocent Ragini. Please note that when the bullets pierced Ragini, the blood did not spurt out of her as from a hose pipe gone berserk but stained her clothes gently — ah, that adverb again. A small detail but important to point out at a time when what is normal has become so unusual it has to be highlighted. The “biggest star” of the Emmy Awards was the elephant in the room as host Colbert, the presenters and the winners trumpeted Donald’s name endlessly (a poor joke but mine own).

It has become the norm in the American media to talk about the US president, criticise him, critique him, lampoon him, defend him, decry him. There’s no end to what they do to the man in the White House. The Emmy Awards rather, like the Oscars before them, were no different. At the moment, American TV without Donald Trump is like Indian TV without patriots — impossible to imagine. Why doesn’t Indian television have an Emmys of its own, or even national awards like films do? Because our television is just not good enough. That’s why.