I FOR one believe that too much energy has been spent on Akademi Fantasia, the
reality show that seems to have a grip over a large segment of the Malay
community.
It is a few weeks since it ended, but judging from the column centimetres still
being devoted by newspapers to the show, the fever has subsided only by a bit.
The TV show, yes folks, it is a TV show, has been discussed by academics,
theologians and politicians, each with his or her own slant on the whole thing.
The discussions thus far seem to be centred on two major questions — is the
Akademi Fantasia type of show kosher as far as the Malay/Muslim community is
concerned, and is Mawi deserving of the top prize?
One of the biggest selling points of Akademi Fantasia and other reality shows
is the empowerment of the viewers. They decide who stays and who goes, and
ultimately who wins, not some know-it-all judges who bother with things like
pitch or the ability to keep a tune.
It is perhaps a most liberating experience for viewers to be able to have a
hand in what is dished out to them. They do it by sending SMS. It can be fairly
expensive, but having invested emotionally in the contestants, watching them
grow week after week, many people are likely to be more inclined to spend to
see their favourites for another week.
The formula is simple. Raw youngsters are harnessed and put through the paces,
to be, at the end, fairly competent entertainers. For those who did not watch
these performers week in and week out, the final show was typical of Malaysian
programming, with a bit more flash. For those who did, it was the culmination
of a weeks-long emotional roller-coaster.
It can get a bit out of hand, really, the hugging and crying and fanaticism
displayed by some supporters over what is essentially a talent show; hence the
alleged corruption of our moral values.
Well, the biggest reality show of them all, the English Premier League, which
offers body grabbing, shirt- tugging, elbowing, kicking, punch-ups, spitting,
unsportsmanlike conduct and third-rate acting, is much worse, I think, so far
as corrupting our values goes.
DonÂ’t forget the swearing, either. You do not have to be a lip reader to know
what Manchester UnitedÂ’s teen- age sensation Wayne Rooney said in his
100-mile-a- minute verbal abuse of the referee last season.
And what about professional wrestling while we are at it — eye gouging, biting,
hitting below the belt and blood everywhere. These somehow escape the watchful
eyes of our moral guardians. Of course, it is acting, but how many of the kids,
and some adults, too, realise that?
Though I digress, how bad can reality shows be compared to these sporting
events?
Mawi, though not a great singer, is a publicist’s dream come true — he should
have been invented if he was not a real person. He is a kampung boy from a
Felda settlement, pious, clean-cut, seemingly grounded and unlikely to cause
scandal later in his career. He used to sing in a nasyid group, too.
Leaden-footed and unable to dance to save his life, the show allowed viewers to
see him grow from an awkward young man uncomfortable with the glitz of show
business into a performer who will not offend anyone, especially the Malay
conservatives who are torn between their earthly desire for entertainment and
the piety demanded of them by their religion.
Mawi, the kampung boy who could recite the doa, has somehow bridged the gap.
His victory is perhaps the best manifestation of the current Malay/Muslim
psyche. It is similar in vein to the quick and lasting adoption of the Malays
of the squeaky clean Siti Nurhaliza.
Incidentally, Mawi would never have thought that being declared the winner
would somehow turn him into a political football.
It was reported that the Kelantan Government was contemplating having the
wholesome Mawi peform in entertainment-starved Kota Baru.
I am not sure if its leadership has seen the Akademi Fantasia shows, though I
am inclined to believe there are many in Pas who did, perhaps voting
surreptitiously, hence the invitation. But I canÂ’t imagine how Mawi could be
less controversial than the wayang kulit, that Kelantan has banned.
It must be the way the Malay psyche works, or is it political exigency?
But then again, I may be reading too much into this thing, which proves yet
again that too much energy, in this case mine, has been spent on Akademi
Fantasia.//NST 24 Ogos
---------------------------------
Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page
http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/ZP59lB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/perakan/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
