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.