When the answers lie within

BENGALURU: Four days, 58 lakh views, 4 lakh likes. That’s the extent of the reach of actor Kangana Ranaut’s Twitter post warning Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to watch out for his arrogance to crumble. And this is just one social media platform. Only a few of those responses would have come from media persons. So you see, the problem is not the media. It is not Bollywood vs media. Or left vs right. The problem is us. It is our sense of discernment vs our sense of voyeurism.

Not so long ago, when mindless Hindi film dramas were panned by critics for dumbing down the audience, the movie fraternity was quick to jump to its own defence, saying this is what the viewers want to see. Cinema mirrors society, was the favourite explanation. 

Well, TRPs reflect people’s choice too. 
And this has been out for everyone to see for a long time now. It was apparent when Karan Johar’s all-sparkle-no-soul K3G became a cult Hindi film. And when Ekta Kapoor’s all-sparkle-no-soul KG2K became a cult television soap. The ones watching such creations with glee were no anomalies. They were you and me, our family members, neighbours, and colleagues.

The same people who today are watching the media mayhem in the evening, and criticising it in the morning. Who watched and retweeted Kangana’s video in which she addressed Thackeray and hailed her for her bravery (it’s another matter that tum or aap don’t exist in the vocabulary in many Indian dialects, and tu is used with as much love and respect), and then trash-talked about Sara Ali Khan. Or the other way around, depending upon which side of the argument we are on. We only give slanderous names to others’ daughters, don’t we? 

Yes, it’s all of us who stand by the window and listen intently when loud voices rush in of the couple living next door having yet another fight. Who stand in our balconies and watch as new neighbours move in, silently judging them by their furniture. We are the ones who lower voices and the guard when talking about a cousin’s divorce, or a friend’s extramarital affair, in their absence, of course. 

And we don’t need the media for any of that. Instagram accounts of celebrities, with their millions of followers eagerly lapping up their every gym look, and more so, their beach look, are enough evidence that the paparazzi culture in some of the western countries thrives for a reason.

It’s easy to lampoon the media for showing what Rhea Chakraborty was served for breakfast in the jail. But try scrolling down your Facebook on a Sunday morning without coming across a friend’s post about “enjoying” chhole-bhature or cheese omelette. 

The level of discourse has fallen in studios of news channels. But can you blame the media for that when the people using foul language against opponents are eminent politicians, ‘subject experts’ and even writers? 
And they are no gentle souls on their social media platforms either. Neither are the thousands of people responding to their posts. They are people among us, driving the discourse – and the TRPs. 
In a democracy, we get the government we choose. We also get the media we make.