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A search for tatasky or bigtv resulted in an Airtel sponsored link each time 
Are the rest of them sleeping?
For as long as I can remember people have bemoaned the negative influence of the western world.
From asking the kids to leave the room when ‘the bold and the beautiful’ is on, to giving teenagers the stare when they’re watch Phoebe give birth to the children of her brother 
Yes, western culture has influenced us. No, we’re not delivering our brothers’ babies.
Substituting punctuation with ‘like’ or whatever-ing ever unhandled-able situation; we are pretty American in our talk.
But just last night while watching Jimmy Kimmel Live on Star World I saw two videos which were picked right out of India.
Video 1: Dadagiri slap video
This is the one where a rather moronic TV host slaps a contestant, only to be slapped right back.
Video 2: Indian dance video
I’m sure plenty of American shows have picked up stuff that’s Indian and this isn’t the first time, but I still thought it was cool.
While I may not care for that awesome soap produced out of Taiwan, I am still open to watching something interesting on youtube irrespective of where it comes from.
Youtube’s influence on TV programming
So in a way, the internet is opening up a lot of cultures to the world and thereby perhaps influencing even TV programming and making it more open. (by ‘culture’ of course I don’t mean values and snake charmers, but simply a way of living)
So while a Texan farmer may not surf youtube; through his TV he might just get to watch programming inspired by the world. He might just gain a perspective that goes beyond ‘y’all’ and double negatives.
Everyone talks about a global culture, but what’s interesting is that it really does have a ripple effect that lasts beyond just the web. Making it a true ‘culture’ and not just a passing fad.
PS: i get that the dadagiri video is too silly to help me prove my point. Hoping you will overlook that
Ragging is obviously our national pass time and since they banned it we now put it on the damned TV.
Dadagiri, a show on Bindass (the youth channel? Urgh.) is all about ragging. The self-proclaimed ‘meanest show on tv’ involves 4 contestants or fucchas (I never understood what that word meant but I know newbies are referred to as that).
The mean guys come in one by and one and abuse, heckle, dominate the contestants. From snake dances to climbing ropes, the fucchas do the drill. Of course this is peppered with the correct number of beeped out abuses. If you lose you have to eat worms out of a shit p
ot. (How did they get this on TV!!)
I have only 2 questions:
1. To Bindass
Why the hell would you create such a show? Why would you allow your anchors to pick on a scrawny fellow with glasses. Wasn’t it enough when it happened in school?
2. To the dadas of dadagiri
Get a life will you?
Dadagiri, you are not cool che-ed.
I don’t know about you, but the TV has given me many great memories. The most important thing that TV advertising has given me (yes it has given me something) are the fun jingles.
Okay so i’m no TV-geek but I find myself singing old jingles that formed a part of my childhood. Remember Nerolac?
Jab ghar ki raunak badhani ho..
deewaron ko jab sajana ho…
Nerolac! Nerolac!
Maybe these are early days, but digital really isn’t ‘making memories’. It’s making links, forwards and all that, but that collective memory is missing.
Sure I may say, ‘seen that forward?! No??’ and then quickly look through my mail to find it and show it to you. But it’s really not that same.
I think it’s the lack of use of music and other content that can be viralled by ‘mouth’. No, WOM as in digital buzz is not same as it actually being viralled by ‘mouth’
So give it up for ‘Doodh doodh doodh doodh, piyo glassful… doodh!’
While I love the digital space, I think sometimes when the TV scores over it, we digitophiles should shut up and listen. TV’s not all that out the window just yet.
PS: I know you sang the nerolac jingle when you read this :p
