Infotainment shows fails to give tasteful entertainment
Infotainment shows fails to give tasteful entertainment
Joko E.H. Anwar
Contributor
Jakarta
We often heard about how hard it is for journalists in other
countries such as in the U.S. to dig stories about personal life
of celebrities.
Such stories could be worth a lot of money if being sold to
the media since most celebrities would likely try hard to keep
their personal life to themselves.
However, it is very different in this country where public
figures who work in the entertainment industry seem to be more
than willing to tell everything about their personal issues to
the media.
Gossips on celebrities can be interesting stories.
If the local gossip shows, which called themselves as
infotainment programs, only manage to feature those who do not
have interesting life or personalities, the programs would become
very dull.
The high number of so-called infotainment shows on television
covering lives of so-called local celebrities is a proof that
both parties really enjoy their mutualism.
There is not a single day here without infotainment shows. In
fact, some TV stations including RCTI and SCTV could have more
than one infotainment show in a day.
RCTI has Intips (an acronym of Information and Tips which can
also be translated as take a peak) Cek dan Ricek (Check and Re-
check), Kabar-Kabari (Telling News), and Buletin Sinetron.
SCTV has Bibir Plus (literally Lips Plus), Hot Shot, Poster,
and Halo Selebriti (Hello Celebrities).
Go Show (Gossip Show) and Selebrita are aired by TPI and KISS
(stands for Kisah-kisah Seputar Selebriti or Stories of
Celebrities)by Indosiar.
Most of these shows are broadcasted more than once a week.
Unfortunately, these shows end up being even worse than
voyeuristic entertainment. They often become offensive to viewers
who respect intelligence.
"It's intellectually insulting. Why do they think people would
want to know about lives of so-called local celebrities which are
not that interesting anyway," Dedi Iswanto, 26 year-old IT
manager, told the The Jakarta Post.
For some celebrities, it seems that it is not enough for them
to keep appearing in countless TV series they also want to throw
everything about their life on the table.
Viewers can witness how celebrities would not hesitate to
reveal their troubled marriage to infotainment show crew who
accidentally bump into them on a wedding reception of other
public figures.
They would even declare in front of the camera that they were
looking for suitors, complete with criteria that they would like
in their future spouses.
The programs' producers and the celebrities who are featured
in the show seem to be the only parties who enjoy the show the
most.
Actor Anjasmara who regularly appears in infotainment shows
even said to a media that he planned to produce his own
infotainment show which he would also host.
Broadcasters, however, still find infotainment shows
profitable for the afternoon slots.
Press and Media Relations official of SCTV, Uki Hastama, told
the Post that all four of their infotainment programs received
rating between four and five with viewers share reached almost 30
percent.
"This figures are pretty high for afternoon slot," Uki added.
Like other locally made programs including countless sinetron,
infotainment remain as a question why poorly made programs could
still get a high rating.
Exclusive stories are rare in local infotainment shows.
Crew of these infotainment shows would mostly cover stories at
the same events with other crew from other programs. As the
result, even though there are many infotainment shows on
television, most of them would tell the same stories.
Worse, when it comes to heavier issues, most of these shows
would only tell one-sided stories.
Exception would be for Cek dan Ricek which is aired three
times in a week by RCTI.
While the show still presents its stories in the same dull
fashion like others, the show tries to give balanced stories by
presenting both sides of the stories. Most of infotainment shows
are also presented by annoying, low-talented hosts who take
themselves too seriously.
Gossip show KISS which is aired by Indosiar three times a week
used to be one of the most watchable infotainment shows due to
its intelligent host Indra Safera. Eko Patrio who replaced Indra
also managed to bring to show to a very entertaining level.
However, most viewers would find Eko's two successors
irritatingly annoying.
The only infotainment program which serves its purpose as a
decent gossip show is TPI's Go Show which is aired every 9 a.m.
on Sunday.
The show which is presented in a quite inventive way always
manage to keep the audiences interested without feeling insulted.
The program's two talented hosts, Tamara Geraldine and Edwin,
also succeed to amusingly present the show with tongue firmly in
cheek.
Unfortunately, other infotainment shows fail to give the
audiences tasteful programs.
Those who keep watching the shows may consider the shows as
some kind of guilty pleasure to watch, but it must be more for
the guilt than the pleasure.