TV stuffs

I'm stealing the idea for this post form Sita's post on crap tv.

I've been watching endless reruns of Frasier. That show is hilarious - and always surprises me in so many ways. It is shockingly conservative in some ways (largely heterosexual plots, surprisingly pro-life in Roz, that sort of thing), but also delightfully subversive in others. The writers and a good portion of the cast was *not* heterosexual (Seth macfarlene takes his pot shots at this, I will post links when I'm at a computer).

The lead characters are rich, patently non-middle class snobs. We all know from Arrested Development and Better off Ted that in American TV this is not a good recipe for running more than one season, or three). I'm guessing that the tempering of the snobs with a good ole working class ex-cop father and a quirky British physiotherapist helps offset the perceived snob value of the show making it infinitely more relatable and friendly.

The first time I saw the show (actually, the first time I watched both this and arrested development) I hated it and made fun of my sister for watching this tv crap even - this Is a recurring theme of my childhood. She's awesome for dealing with it.)

But tv I truly hate - Sony tv and Ekta kapoor serials which despite their new packaging, have the most ridiculous plots.

So the shows that I've recent watched and hated intensely - Parvarish and Kya Hua Tera
Vada. So painful!
Parvarish, I have to admit, was a guilty pleasure for a while there. Despite its upholding of traditional middle class values, that show seemed like it was treading an interesting line between thoughtful parenting and "traditional" values. But all that went to hell when they introduced the "American" educated desi mother who is Wrong Because She Gives Her Children Too Much Freedom and Doesn't Understand What They Really Need is Parents Who Will Make Their Decisions For Them Until A Certain Age.


In case I haven't made my self clear, I loathed that turn of events.
It is that kind of rubbish that ratifies the self-righteous predisposition of middle class (Indian) parents to judge everyone who is not toeing the invisible line of Good Indian Values. By equating art (the pursuit and appreciation of), vine (or any taste for alcohol) and any interest in seemingly foreign culture with elitism, irresponsible parenting and neglect of the family, the show glibly reinforces traditional Indian values and, of course, heteronormativity.

So, for instance, saying "why the fuck is it wrong to let your husband have a life independent of yours" is met with with the extreme argument that "your teenage son will get roofied and drunk and have a life threatening accident all in one night".
It posits that if you're an independent woman, you're the product of Terrible Foreign Value Systems which will ruin your children's lives. And let's not forget the implicit "Mother is responsible for the way her children turn out" logic here.
That kind of logic is silly at best and misogynistic and xenophobic at worst.

Bah. I am irked by that show. But I watched it for two months there. So there's that.