'Perempuan' talk show expresses women's perspectives

Perempuan (Women); 'Metro TV': From Monday to Friday; at 2:05 p.m.- 3 p.m.

JAKARTA (JP): Do you want to understand what Indonesian women think and feel about certain issues?

You don't have to be like Nick Marshal (Mel Gibson) in the movie What Women Want. Just turn on your TV and switch on to Metro TV which airs a talk show titled Perempuan, (women).

The talk show, which has been screening from Monday to Friday between 2:05 p.m and 3 p.m. since last January, discusses a myriad of issues from family, health, and fashion to even economic and political issues as seen from women's perspectives.

The show offers solutions, advice, and information on women- related issues and other in-the-news topics. "Aired live from the Metro TV studio, the program presents the points of view of women of different ages, professions and status about various topical issues ... This is Perempuan", says a male presenter in the blurb.

The show, probably inspired by the famous Barbara Walters' talk show The Views, is tailored in a discussion and interview format. With two or even three guests, the show is usually set in a luxurious living room decorated with an expensive sofa and other chic interior items. This setting suggests that the program is really intended to cater for women from the middle and higher income brackets.

The selection of the topics to be discussed confirms this assumption -- the use of credit cards, beauty treatments and other issues that rarely touch on the problems faced by Indonesian women from the lower income brackets.

The hosts of the show come from different age groups, and educational and professional backgrounds, such as Dr. Utami Roesli, Nadira Alatas, Desi Anwar, Meidiana Hutomo and Sophie Nafita and are expected to provide different opinions on the subject being discussed.

A number of prominent guests with expertise in various fields are also invited to enrich the show and to provide the audience with comprehensive analyses on related topics. This may be the program's strong point.

Perempuan is also set as an interactive show to make it more lively. The audience is invited to take part in the show by asking questions and giving advice on the topics being discussed.

Lina from Pamulang, south of Jakarta, asked the following question of singer and music teacher Bertha, who appeared in a show last week entitled Perempuan dan Musik (women and music):

"I have a daughter. Is there any age limitation for a child to start learning a musical instrument and to take singing lesson from a professional?"

"There is certainly no age limitation", Bertha replied adding that she has a 13-month-old student in her music and singing class.

In many of the episodes, the audience often find themselves perplexed, especially when it comes to the show's presenters. Some people say the show is too crowded by presenters who sometimes appear unprofessional.

Take one example, in the episode entitled Mengenal Spa Lebih Dekat (Knowing More about Spas) on April 13, 2001, host Meidiana Hutomo was asking guest actress Dian Nitami, an avid spa-goer, about how much money she spent on spa treatments.

Before the latter could answer the question, the co-host Desi Anwar also asked a similar question of Dian. Suddenly, Meidiana interjected, "That was my question, not yours."

There have been some interesting topics discussed on Perempuan. The episode Komunikasi Seks yang Efektif (effective sex communications) attracted a large audience, both male and female.

It is unfortunate that Perempuan mostly talks about leisure activities. It would be better if it is widened to cover more substantial issues such as the fate of women workers, women in politics, women and the professions, and the various down-to- earth problems faced by the majority of Indonesian women.

One TV viewer gave up after watching the second episode of Perempuan as she got a headache just trying to keep track of all the people in the show.

"I should have watched other episodes which might have been useful and important for me. But, I don't like seeing a lot of people talking to each other. The show is very confusing," she added.

To make the program more interesting and beneficial, the presenters of Perempuan are advised to watch and learn more from Barbara Walters and her colleagues on The Views. (Muhammad Yazid)