You're Not Any Different

I was subtitling a show yesterday which I shall not name because I'd get in trouble if some biggies from work find out... :P

The episode won't be aired on TV, though, because it's actually an old episode that's being submitted as an entry for the Asian Television Awards...

Well anyhu, I'm not writing this post to criticise the show or to attack non-hijabis. I'm just here to rant about the host and an annoying Malay actress who shall not be named, and maybe other people who are like the host and the annoying Malay actress.

It was my first time watching this particular show, and while it's supposed to appeal to teens, I just found it completely annoying. Wait, am I even a teenager anymore? Apa-apalah. So anyway, yes, the show did provide viewers with some useful tips about gadgets and road safety, and the male hosts were funny at times. But the girls are so damn gedik and not likeable langsung.

So there was this part where one of the girl hosts went shopping for her Eid attire at Masjid India with a Malay teen actress, and they were talking about all the pretty pretty baju kebayas and baju kurungs. They then came to a rack of selendangs and were all, 'Eh! This can be worn as headscarves!' Then they proceeded to sort of wrap the material loosely around their orangutan-coloured hair, being especially careful not to cover the front part of the hair just above their foreheads.

Then they did something that made me just moan in pain and roll my eyes in utter annoyance.

'Eh, kita macam pelarian lah!' said one of the girls, and batted her eyelashes.
'Anak Palestin mana ni?' said the other in mock distress.

Punyalah gedik.

First of all, didn't they realise that a majority of the women around them were wearing hijabs? Were they really trapped in their own ignorant world, where hijabs are only worn by refugees from Palestine?

Maybe I'm overreacting, but this type of gedik behaviour and judement of hijabis pushes all my wrong buttons.

There was another segment in the show where they showed three of the hosts visit a Muslim village in Cambodia. The female host went to a madrasah where kids and teens go to learn about Islam and read the Qur'an. So, to 'fit in', I suppose, the host put on a hijab, not realising she looked completely ridiculous as she chose to toss the fabric over her hair and leave her bangs on display. You know. Mak Datin style.

What was that about? All the other kids who were reading the Qur'an behind her had all their hair covered, but this grown up, fully baligh host couldn't do the same? If you're gonna pakai the tudung, pakailah betul-betul, cuz it's just embarassing when kids around you are doing a better job of covering their privates...

Anisah said, 'I guess she just wants to show off her own ignorance.'

I agree.

'This is what teenagers in the kampung watch,' my friend said, 'and this is what the urban teens show them.'

What a nightmare.

Why, when it comes to producing shows for teens, does the media choose to show off the gedik, superficial side of Malaysia most of the time? Why do they choose to celebrate those who come from the minor group of urbanites who, judging from their comments and antics, don't usually mix around with those from different backgrounds? Instead, they pick stuck-up brats and snobs who don't know what it's like to come from average Malay families that make up the majority of the Malaysian population.

And this is what teens who watch TV are fed with.

I completely hate that Hotlink ad they show on 8TV:

'What's cool amongst teens these days? Hot tunes, cars and fashion.'

Those aren't the exact words, but that's pretty much the gist of the ad. Is that all that's hot amongst teens? Hmm. Kesiannya. And the kids are being influenced by this type of lifestyle. Believe me, I see it all the time, everyday. Teenagers all over KL, wearing the same type of outfits being promoted all over TV. Listening to the same music, talking about the same things, attending the same events...

8TV, when it first started out, used to claim it dared to be different. Gary, the IT Geek character, was a likeable bloke who was different from the usual sluts and pimps we're usually made to watch.

But now, 8TV is unfortunately too Western-wannabe to have its own identity. Gary disappeared ages ago and has now been replaced with some conventionally hott people who aren't really that interesting to watch after the first 3 minutes.

And the locally-made shows aren't all that 'different' after all. There was 5 Jingga, which was about cheerleaders (wth), and Gol & Gincu, which was so full of hidden motives and messages from SIS... I haven't been watching the newer shows, though, so I can't comment on them, really. But the ads for those shows seem so poyo. Malaslah aku nak layan.

I wonder when things'll change. Most of the youth I know are not snobs or brats. They are humble, intelligent people who mix around with people from all sorts of different backgrounds, and they care about more than just music, fashion and cars. They write stuff in their blogs that can open up eyes and minds. There's more to life than the latest trends. When will the media start to come up with stuff for these real teenagers?

Dear friends who will all be graduating in the very near future, I hope we will do something with the education we received and start making a real difference. Let's not join the herds of people walking around like zombies, following the same shallow trends.

Lots of love,

from Me.


Wah, panjangnya my rant.