This morning, you may have woken up to watch television, as early as 6 am, for the results of the assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana.
However, since Monday’s exit polls confirmed a BJP victory (only India Today and Aaj Tak predicted a tight race in Haryana), you’re in for a boring breakfast: whatever little suspense exists will be on the margins of defeat for the opposition.
So, unless the latter has a secret genie in the ballots, news anchors will hail a “historic” BJP victory in red banner headlines, and condemn the Congress to the graveyard of history accompanied by the choicest adjectives, well before noon.
However, many of you will continue to watch ‘#24October with Arnab’ or ‘#Oct24WithTimes Now’ long after the results have been declared.
And this, for three good reasons: (a) you agree wholeheartedly with their views, (b) you disagree with them violently, or (c) you find them a whole lot more entertaining than Bigg Boss where the most pressing concern is whether or not actor Sidharth Shukla washed his own plate.
Also read: Star Bharat’s Nimki Vidhayak serial is a disgrace on all women, more so on rape survivors
BJP always right, Congress always wrong
Arnab Goswami, Rahul Shivshankar, Navika Kumar, Sudhir Chaudhary, Anjana Om Kashyap, and Bhupendra Chaubey are the leading prime-time editors who support the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and oppose the Congress everywhere.
In their worldview, whatever Modi – and the BJP – say and do is right, and whatever Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says is wrong.
If Defence Minister Rajnath Singh performs shastra puja on the newly minted Rafale jet, then it is part of our sanskar, but if Rahul Gandhi visits a temple, then it is a political ploy.
Arnab & Co. also detest the ‘sickular’, the Leftists, the liberals – those dreaded and dreadful Khan Market species – and frequently eat them for dinner.
Viewers who believe these types represent the worst of entitled, privileged and elitist India, love to tune into shows like ‘Abhijit Banerjee EXPOSES Pseudos’ (Republic TV), or ‘Modi meets Abhijit Banerjee: ‘Did Lutyens lobby jump the gun?’ (Times Now) where, in Arnab’s words, the ‘dangerous Lutyens game’ to appropriate the Nobel Prize winner and pit him against the PM came to an end after Banerjee told “the pseudos to shut up”.
You watch such shows and feel vindicated by the anchor’s views — who among us doesn’t like to hear our opinion reinforced, reiterated, justified and amplified?
Also read: When Kashmir politics meets Bigg Boss, it’s a whole new reality
Better entertainers than Bigg Boss
Alternately, you watch these anchors in fascinated horror, appalled by what they say, wondering what they will say next, and just how far they will go. Sudhir Chaudhary and his Zee News will go far: if they had their way, the Indian flag would be already flying in Lahore. Such is the channel’s rabble rousing against Pakistan.
They rant, they rave, they snarl, they sneer, they deride and divide. They flair their nostrils, fling out their arms, and get all petulant with their guests: “You ask me to be composed?’’ yelled CNN News18’s Anand Narasimhan Tuesday. “You want me to be composed… (when) you want to be offensive… What are you talking about?”
This is entertainment, brought to you by the best sit-down comic acts in town.
Which is why you would much rather watch these anchors than Bigg Boss (Colors), where the contestants lie in bed, together, and whisper cruel nothings about other participants.
This offended at least one MLA, BJP’s Nandkishore Gurjar, from Loni in Ghaziabad, who said that the show should be taken off air because individuals from different communities are “bed partners”. This begs the question: would it be all right if they were from the same community?
Also read: Modi govt plans media policy to ensure people get its message right
Inside the BB House
Season 13 of the reality show sees a slimmer Salman Khan hosting a far sillier show. Nothing could be more absurd and objectionable than the Salman and Shehnaaz show: every weekend, Salman singles her out in the BB house. He makes a statement, asks Shehnaaz to “repeat after me”, she gets all confused and behaves like a dumb blond, the others laugh at her and she turns pink with pleasure.
Nothing could be more puerile than a ‘saand’ appearing on the show when actors Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar come to promote their latest film, Saand Ki Aankh. For their “sins”, Sidharth Shukla and Paras Chhabra are made to climb onto the rocking bull – and not fall off. Really?
What could be more childish and misogynistic than these grown-up men made to choose between dolls in a cupboard that represent the women in the house, and drown the ones they don’t particularly like?
Or spraying white foam on those they think have made ugly statements about them?
As for the conversation, well Sidharth Shukla, the villain of the Bigg Boss household – he was in rehab, on steroids and pata nahin whatnot more, says Paras who supposedly hates him – told Mahira that her shoes look better than her face.
Paras says Sidharth isn’t ready to make ‘adjustment’. Why? Because he won’t wash his dinner plate. “I have washed my plate,” claims Sidharth, looking hurt, but it isn’t his task so why should he?
Why indeed!
Also read: BJP has detached politics from economics. That’s why it will win Haryana, Maharashtra
Come back, Sudhir
Siddhartha Dey makes a tastelessly sexual remark – “gutter” talk, according to Shukla – that gets all the women riled. But he dances well – and how – so he will not quit the house for the time being.
Devoleena declares that the boys don’t know how to behave with the girls, Rashami Desai says that Siddhartha doesn’t know how to behave, full stop.
Meanwhile, Salman Khan notices that Asim Riaz has curled his hair, “Lhasa Apso?” he comments – careful, Salman, PETA will get after you.
As for the most awkward sight of all, actors Rajkummar Rao and Mouni Roy dance on the item number ‘Odhani’ to promote their film Made in China. Honestly, you don’t want to watch it.
At the end of Monday, Abu Malik, who behaves like a half normal human being, was evicted from the house because most of the women participants couldn’t imagine spending more than another month with him there.
Come back, Sudhir, all is (almost) forgiven…
Arnab is a well known liar, exposed by Rajdeep.
Rahul and Navika trained under him. What can you expect ?
None are qualified journalists, they just claim to be
Bhupendra Chaubey was an unknown clown to me all these years until, the interview of a Bollywood actress revealed the joker was not only a piss poor journalist but also an immoral filth and idiot. Now a days I avoid the entire group. Moral filth is worse than the political filth mouthed by these motor mouth bums.
What to expect from paid anchors
They have to say its horse for
donkey.
Journalism is all about asking tough questions to the Government not to the opposition. Media is the fourth pillar of democracy. Government already has its own mouth piece which is Doordarshan and other government channels to showcase their achievements. But not the privately owned media. But unfortunately these days they have surrendered themselves to the Government which is very dangerous.
No big deal. There are plenty of channels which oppose BJP and the Government for no reason whatsoever. Everything has a reaction in the real world. If channels which oppose BJP/Government tooth and nail without no apparent reason whatsoever, then there will also be channels which support BJP and oppose Congress/opposition.
It is okay for these prime time anchors to support the BJO. What is not okay, is the lack of reason, logic and civility in their arguments. I have not seen one primetime anchor here able to reason out why BJP is such a great party. Instead nationalism, majoritarianism, electorate support are the reasons bandied about. And that is when these anchors lose credibility and look like puppets. But is the viewer smart enough to notice it?
Criticizing by one section of Journalists ,TV Medias,Social Medias Press of other set of Journalists,TV Media ,Social Medias & Press clearly show that there is a division in Journalist Paternity in all kind . It indicate there are two set of Journalists of all kind, one is supporting old depleted grand old Party under whom they grown their career & other set of Journalists & Medias of all kind who are growing on new strongly emerged current Ruling Party. Journalists & Medias of all kind supporting grand old party are desperate & the Article above clearly display that venom /desperation & criticizing their own colleagues is not a good Journalism. This clearly proves that in India, Journalists & Medias of all kind are not doing their neutral Journalism but sold out to one or other Political Parties for their Personal Agenda & Personal growth. This is contrary to Professional Journalism which they learnt in their Journalism school. Any Journalists/Medias left in India truly Free & Neutral ? I doubt.
TV news channels – save a couple – are just toxic. And this pathetic waste of space Goswami, is one day going to die of a massive heart attack right on live TV.
I usually refer to all the yellers on TV as talking heads. Only sometimes they make sense. Turnoff the sound and watch. One learns a lot about non-verbal communication. I think all these slanging matches are make believe show aimed at TRP.