If we compare pre- and post-covid times , there has been a content explosion especially in entertainment industry. Before this ultramicroscopic adversary hit the world in 2019, the flow of content was set at a steady pace, simply supply meeting the demand. But those seemingly never-ending lockdowns, created a huge deficit in supply-demand chain. Industry welcomes this opportunity and starts making movies and shows at shocking speed.
We cannot avert an eye on the damage it has inflicted upon masses in past few years especially during covid and post-covid period. I have explained below how this industry is getting toxic under the charade of modernism and making your life a set of cynic disbeliefs and total absurdity. It’s just an entertainment media or lullaby of capitalists, let’s leave it on prudence of your grey matter.
1. Women objectification.
It was year 1848 when first women rights movement began in United States. Its been one and half century since that struggle and suffrage , still women in world are fighting for their rights. From lesser wages and workplace harassment to discrimination in job opportunities and healthcare, women around the globe are still struggling to be considered as equal and inevitable part of human society. But in last few decades women objectification in entertainment industry has been on the rise. Whether it’s comedy and romance or thrill and action , sexual content and abusive profanity is an integral part of movies and TV shows. Sometimes such scenes are introduced anyway even they doesn’t make sense as per flow of that specific show. Question is , why??
Reason is simple. According to a research, age group using streaming services in United States is between age 18-39 years.
Teenagers and young adults make up major chunk of customers for major streaming services (Those-who-must-not-be-named). And this age group (18-39) is especially the target audience of entertainment industry. So if you want to sell your product among adolescents and high school juniors/undergrads , add obscenity in the name of content freedom, intimacy in the name of sex education and most important thing not to forget “ objectify women” as much as possible. Augmented body parts are visualised as symbol of beauty and perfection. In fact if you want to join entertainment industry and you have talent of an artist , there are two possibilities(okay, I mean I m not gender biased but we don’t see transgender stars frequently and world is in denial for women rights let alone the rights of transgenders.). Either you are a man, join on the basis of meritocracy and talent and if you work hard , you can pave your path till you become a superstar . Second possibility is you are a woman, oh babe , you have to work hard first to be noticed. So get your face transformed, breasts and buttocks augmented, and you are lucky and very much fortunate if you are not harassed during the process. Even you are noticed, work even harder to make place among the notables in the industry.
It’s true that silicon breasts implants are part of management of breast cancer patients. Similarly skin care is also essential for general hygiene and its protection. But such practices are being depicted , especially in case of women , to be only way of happiness, success through career and satisfaction in life. The purpose is sensationalism , not addressing the problem. I think it’s serious impediment to women’s fight for respect and equal rights in society . It’s one of the master strokes of the big fishes and capitalists. In the name of women empowerment ,they sell her body, while their fortune expands every minute.
2. Teenagers insecurity
In this world of media industry you listen to people saying that accept who you are, but still you are not beautiful unless you follow Kim Kardashian. You have to rub your face with tons of whitening powder to make it more “white”,but obviously you are no racist, come one. Even if you said or done something racist, just apologise with menthol stick tears. You see someone in the morning saying “Skin colour doesn’t decide the beauty, every colour is beautiful in its own way” and same person will be loaded with enough makeup on the face making him/her unrecognisable without it. It ultimately creates a new standard of beauty, making damsels in distress but this time in real life.
Some research studies also show relation between media violence and bullying. Prolonged exposure to violence on TV acts as potential catalyst to aggressive behaviour and conduct issues. This sooner or later, makes adolescents bullies.
Fake beauty standards, bullying or bullied are final products of this factory that shape insecure teenagers with artistic perfection.
3. Deteriorating mental health
This is horrible. Even if you compare the data in last two decades you’ll notice the worsening of mental health of youth drastically. I am not attributing entertainment industry to be sole culprit but it’s one of the main causes of mental health issues like depression, greater aggressiveness and psychological instability among children, teenagers and adolescents. Why it’s destroying juvenile minds, here are few facts.
Entertainment industry is increasingly employing sexual and abusive violence, gore, brutality, mutilation or bloodshed , visuals of rape to the level of enticing sexuality, grotesque details of murder, even normalising paedophilic relations and list goes on. If you don’t take drugs, you don’t party and get drunk you are sissy or weakling or crybaby. You ain’t cool at all if you follow the rules. These are many of few illustrations which are part of movies and shows released on daily basis. Such visuals seriously damage thought process and user starts accepting more and more profanity and lawlessness. Extensive watching television violence leads to aggressive behaviour and conflict in personality. Such youngsters sway between aggressive and depressive states.
According to research, scenes containing adult content or language and violence are crafted in such a way so viewer can’t help himself/herself to avoid it, hence binge-watching comes into play. And binge-watching is known cause of insomnia, depression and obesity . These three conditions are doorsteps to lot of life threatening diseases which seriously affect quality and span of life. So television exposure and total media exposure in adolescence are associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms in young adulthood.
Media industry is stigmatising mental illnesses by exaggerating symptoms, marginalising people with mental disorders. Media also portrays mental illnesses related to criminal offences although its well known there is no significant link between the two. Such people are eventually alienated from society which devastates there condition furthermore. It becomes quite a challenge for the families and psychiatrists as well to manage such patients.
4. Lack of compromise/Broken relationships.
Relationships are something very precious and dearly to us. It’s takes a lot of time, effort and money to first make and then maintain a healthy relationship. And its never a one person’s job. It’s an effort of a family, a group of friends or small social circle. Media presents a fictional and comical picture of marriage or romantic relationship, taking off with “love at first sight” or “ one true love” to end with happy ending with a lot of adventure in between. Real life challenges are deliberately ignored to keep up with sensational aura of the movie or show. Unrealistic situations, properly scripted and cinematic passion with unnecessary hassle is dealt with “dramatic” energy.
Something which is interestingly not part of the show, is sense of responsibility which a husband or wife or father or mother should have in a relationship. What it reflects in young couple is more expectations and lack of compromise or sacrificial sentiments for each other. So it doesn’t work out most of the times hence complicated relationships and broken families.
5. How they define success/happiness ?
What is more important, to be successful or to be happy? I don’t know what’s your answer but I would say define success or happiness first. That’s what media did. It just created a new definition for success and happiness. If you don’t have a specific car, or well furnished beach house ,or posh branded clothes and jewellery, you aren’t successful. If you simply aren’t rich neither are you happy nor a successful person. And what’s propagated that in order to get rich in the world you have to snatch your part of the fortune. Whatever bad happens along the journey is “collateral damage” some unavoidable disaster not in your control. You just have to be focused, selfish and ready to sacrifice your peace of mind. Having love for human beings is just old school.
Breeding in society ,such false standards of success and happiness invite injustice, lawlessness, criminal mindset and uneven distribution of resources among its people. It makes rich wealthier , and underprivileged down below the poverty line. Balance of power is shifted to elite and it just serves the very purpose of capitalism.
What to do?Should I stop watching?
No . Who said that. But if you ask for solution , Its simple. Be selective, don’t watch just because it’s trending. Nobody is saying that stop watching entertainment content. Entertainment is necessary to keep you relaxed and calm. Content which is good and funny, relieves stress and brings a degree of happiness in your life. It distracts you from boring routine or tiresome or weary day in your life and brightens your mood. Being part of fun activities causes release of endorphins which in turn kill the stress and soothe your thought process.
Just remember there are ulterior motives behind movies and tv shows, you just have to be vigilant about what you are watching or being fed to. Making entertainment content is one thing but endorsing ideas is another. Do what makes you happy but make sure your choices are not just driven by movies rating websites. It’s your life and only you should have control over it.
It’s a historical fact that governments and organisations have always tried their level best to control the masses by different means. Media is just another tool to achieve that purpose of those powerful and capitalist vultures among humanity. Beware of these creatures lads.
Syed Roohi 