Saturday, August 30, 2008

talent shows and the kids

Rocky is a little kid. He’s a star. He sings. Anything. Everything. Just ask him to dish out a track and he will. He can even dance to his own songs while he is singing. He knows how to hold a mike - not vertically, but almost horizontally with the bulbous head of the object right in front of your mouth. WOW. He danced so well, that he even decided to be tested on dancing. So he danced to peppy numbers they played. He did the perfect moves. WOW. Then he decided to anchor a show. Some producers approached him that is, and he pounced at the offer. He is a wonder child! All I can say is WOW. So I say WOW.

Have you seen the league of 10 year olds herding up in front of the camera? Hosting shows, taking part in competitions, and dishing out their talents. Child labour at large, with the TRP monster and viewers and SMS s doing the trick. The parents employ the kids to steal our hearts (wow she sings so well...look at the little guy dance !!). And if they are spotted by some firm for further display of talent, nothing like it. Grand opportunities. But then, you cannot go onstage without proper grooming. Hence the lipstick, the foundation, the make up, the colours painting over the natural colours of childhood, take their respective places. Grand again! And then the kid is taught to give the proper expressions. The nine year old sings a seductive love song rolling her eyes and oscillating his butt and what not, and whoa, we have got the perfect expression from them and loud cheers follow the performance. Dear child, do you even know what you are singing about? Where are the rhymes gone? I still remember them, alas! I am so outdated. Then the kids go to school, do their homework, or get their friends to do it. Come on man, who wouldn’t help a star pal? A star baby. Or let’s say a galaxy of star babies waiting in queue to display their budding talents that have been forced to flower before time. Sometimes the flowers are turning into ridiculously ripe fruits too. Mad trends, and scary as well.

I have quit watching all such shows. They go beyond my scope of imagination or idea of childlike demeanor. Long live the workhouses of talent, if they produce good humans later.

8 comments:

Spectator said...

is it the effect of himesh !!?!!?!? lolz !!! nice observations though. I always change the channel everytime i see kids dancing on the stage. may be i m jealous coz i m not able dance :(

Riya Das said...

:) i dont think its jelousy..or else u wouldn't change the channel only when kids dance...
thnx for d comment and welcome to my blog.

randomrandom said...

i liked the post..people who sit as judges on these shows, i find them most weird.. but its good now the court has put a ban on these shows....arijit

Riya Das said...

thnx arijit! and welcome to my blog

disbranded said...

i loved the way you have seen it.
i thought i was the lonesome soul who had all the grudges towards the world that seems to me to be upside down.
competetion and competetiveness is the order of the day.
competetion -> race -> inequality -> atomization.
this is how are culture industry works, makes us one dimensional.
its the question of consciousness.
i am sad that the times is terrible.

Riya Das said...

"disbranded",
thnx a lot for ur comment.and welcome to my blog

arupman said...

I thought I was alone in thinking them plastic children - custom-made to please audiencce....

arupman said...

brilliant observcation...