Are our soap operas a good influence?

What kind of values do South Indian soap operas impart?

Among Singapore Indians, there seems to be a love-hate dichotomy towards South Indian soap operas. These drama serials, from Metti Oli, to Roja to Kolangal to Vamsam etc. often run into hundreds of episodes, sustained by millions of homemakers in South India. They have also found a captive audience among a select group of Singapore Indians.

 

Interwoven into the plots and storylines are themes such as in-law relationships, rivalries between families, matters of familial pride, marriage harmony, domestic abuse and other domestic squabbles. The storylines themselves are not particularly edifying but more black-and-white presentations of good vs evil, with doses of villainy, wallowing in misery, evil schemes and perpetuation of gender stereotypes.

 

While many Singapore Indians cringe at the vacuousness of these drama serials, they have also found a captive audience among a select group of SG Indians.

 

These soap operas seem to be a showcase of the worst of humanity and pettiness. And to top it off, an endless sequence of overdramatic reaction shots when there’s a new development.

 

However, are we being overly judgmental and exercising double standards? After all, Western soap operas are not that enlightened also, if only better in production quality.

 

Comment on this Topic

4 Comments

  1. Too much of drama and negativity! Waste of time and energy watching them! Moreover the dramas can affect a person emotionally too! May also instill unwanted ideas or thoughts in a person’s mind!

  2. Different people have different tastes / derive their pleasure out of different things. We have to learn to respect others’ way of lifes

  3. I agree. They promote jealousy, pettiness, disunity, vices of all kinds, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law rivalry, gangsterism, etc. This thought process becomes part of our culture and promotes disunity. We should be watching shows that encourage good values and behavior.

  4. All the soap opera are negative influences as, they get the audiences hooked. The time is wasted on negativity which, affects the brains. Instead, the time can be spent on more positives and more beneficial activities. Moreover, it is addictive.

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