Reality shows that promote social values thrive
Reality shows that promote social values thrive
Armando Siahaan, Contributor, Jakarta
It is indisputable that the rise of reality TV shows in
Indonesia is reaching unprecedented levels, even to the extent
that they might seriously rival the dominance of sinetron,
Indonesian soap operas.
Reality shows have become successful in attracting a wide
audience mainly because the programs pointedly portray social
values of different strata in society. Shows that represent
social values tend to be more popular than those that do not.
In Indonesia, most TV reality shows illustrate themes that
convey typical Indonesian values evolving around generosity and
helping the less fortunate.
RCTI's Uang Kaget (Surprise Money) is a show where the
presenter selects at random a person perceived to be less
fortunate, and then gives them Rp 10 million to be spent in 30
minutes.
Bedah Rumah (House Makeover) is a show where RCTI randomly
selects a house in need of renovation, usually a dwelling
occupied by a less well-off household, and then renovates the
house in 12 hours.
Other shows like Toloong!! (Help!) and Lunas (Debt Paid) are
also similar in terms of embracing the theme of generosity; these
shows have turned out to be the most popular.
Uang Kaget and Bedah Rumah are ranked first and second in the
popularity stakes for reality shows, according to media research
by ACNielsen, while replays of these shows come in at around
sixth and eighth.
Contrast with U.S. shows
In America, a lot of reality shows like Survivor, The
Apprentice, and American Idol are developed around themes
relating to competition and individualism.
These shows unabashedly embrace the innate American values of
competitiveness, a capitalist ideology and individualism.
Survivor is about two groups of people left "deserted" on an
island who have to win games in order to survive; the losing team
suffers the elimination of a team member each day.
The Apprentice, soon to come to Indonesia in a localized form,
is a competition between businessmen trying to win every task
given by the host, businessman Donald Trump, in which the
ultimate winner of the show will work for his company.
Shows like Survivor, The Apprentice, and American Idol surpass
the popularity of shows that do not embrace social values.
This indicates that in both Indonesia and America -- and
probably elsewhere -- people tend to appreciate shows that focus
on issues perceived to be relevant to the great mass of people in
contemporary society.
This does not mean that the shows are free of criticism. Some
consider them misleading and deceptive.
In Uang Kaget, for example, the idea of a richer institution
giving money to the poor might convey a false message, implying
that the poor need only work hard to attain great wealth or
success.
Furthermore, some think that giving Rp 10 million to a poor
person and telling them to spend the money freely, buying
"essential" items that are in reality superfluous to their
everyday situation, is plain wrong.
"You don't think rationally if you are given Rp 10 million and
only 30 minutes in which to spend it," said Ferdinand Sutanto, a
student commenting on the success of Uang Kaget.
"Also, instead of giving the money to just one person, why not
donate it to an economically deprived or needy community, such as
people in post-tsunami Aceh?", he added.
In American shows, some have criticized the way entrants have
shown, through their behavior, that unbridled competition and
individualism can sometimes be unhealthy. In shows like Survivor
and The Apprentice, backstabbing is not an uncommon strategy in
the desire to win.
Nevertheless, this sort of criticism comes mainly from pundits
or professional critics. The wider audience tends to enjoy the
shows as light entertainment.
A kind of entertainment that has an ability to involve its
audience by portraying the social values that surround them.