Superstar and SMS culture

By Amal HEWAVISSENTI

The reality television programs of Superstar and the SMS Culture associated with them inevitably mirror a full frontal dissection of tastes and preferences of Sri Lankan youth as far as popular culture is concerned. Even though this topic appears less significant to be debated, a considerable section of the culture of Sri Lankan youth is being influenced by these reality programs and their central offshoots.

Nobody can contradict the reality, underlying the current reality television programs which notably seem to determine the rhythm, shape and the trends of a sizeable Sri Lankan audience of performing arts.

It is questionable how justifiable it is to have a talented star selected by SMS votes that reflect varied tastes and preferences though the process seems almost irreversible.

That is really how it is all planned. Therefore, the SMS voting has become the most popular and irreplaceable way of selecting the best star performer within the popular culture in Sri Lanka.

Now it is almost impossible to question whether it is ethically justifiable to use SMS votes as a standard to judge the most talented performer and, even the 'megastar' of the already popular stars being selected through SMS voting!

The audience, on the other hand, seems to treat these programs as a platform to show the varied levels of their critical faculties that remain alert to the magic of music and performing arts. Whether the programs aim at selecting a Superstar, London Star, megastar, or a dancing star, the programs are distinguished mainly by their largely unspoilt glamour and limitless openness to the audience who have thus far stayed passive.

It is a good trend that should deservedly earn praise and encouragement. Juxtaposed to the 'by-product aim' of selecting the most popular and talented star is the underlying drive of the producers behind these programs to establish a competitive popularity for their channels. They seem to be tactfully playing on the enthusiasm of young audiences to popularise their TV channels through monumental attraction.

FM radio, the pioneer

It has not escaped our notice that the utility and mechanism of popular art came into operation simultaneously with the gradual growth of market forces associated with electronic media. During the 1990's the open economy policies began to mould the media and the entertainment industry to a crucial level.

The private media institutions carried out effective experiments to capture an audience who had earlier been tuned to the electronic media under the supervision and control of government.

However, private media institutions, with deliberate commercial intentions, were successful in establishing their authority by making the passive audience, active and enthusiastic participants of entertainment programs. This added novelty to the entertainment programs and the audience, who had so far stayed passive and began to feel that their cultural background, patterns of thinking and tastes were being responded to, for the first time by the electronic media.

The explosion of FM radio channels opened fresh horizons for audiences who were silently putting up with a monotonous situation where it was impossible for them to link their tastes and preferences directly with the entertainment programs.

It is obvious that the widespread involvement of listeners with the popular music charts broadcast on FM channels brought out a blossoming popular art. Later reality TV programs, a borrowed concept from the west made a revolution in almost all TV channels against the backdrop of increasing popularity of FM radio channels that directly featured a fully active participatory role on the part of listeners.

Therefore, the trend for SMS voting in reality TV programs is reassessed modification of the criteria pioneered by FM radio.

Judges's transparency

Whether it is 'megastar' 'dream star' or 'superstar', the first half of reality programs includes elimination of competitors with poor performance by a panel of judges. During this phase, the competitors who are denied further participation by reason of poor performance, are often seen to express deep mistrust of the level of transparency on the part of judges' verdict.

Even the audience observes their performance to be too unsatisfactory to go forward in the competition. There is certain level of drama when the 'losers' over work the idea that their singing or dancing talents are appreciated by all around them and they have even composed numerous lyrics for famous artistes.

They are seen to rail against being 'eliminated' and strongly claim that the judges have made verdicts based on narrowly focused vision of their talents.

Such 'losers' in reality programs have miserably failed to make a true estimate of themselves and therefore become comic characters to be featured on TV.

On the other hand, those who are allowed to continue in the competition on their satisfactory level of performance, lavishly praise the judges who, they say, have been penetrating enough to make the right choice. That is the double reality of reality programs.

Drama of SMS elimination

The most sensational and tense stage emerges when selected competitors with good performance are announced to make their exodus on the SMS ranking. It is probably right to say that this situation has a catastrophic effect on the sensitive viewer's mood and sometimes makes even judges transfixed.

Here, the situation is of an entirely different scale when judges and viewers sharply experience the "positive effects" of SMS voting outweighed by negative effects of it.

What heightens the suspense, attraction and curiosity towards the finale of such a program is the crucial total of SMS from viewers that makes the suspense hover over the final selected competitors. This is how any reality TV program plays itself.

Curiosity, enthusiasm and live involvement of the audience must be exploited outright to stimulate a higher taste in art among people. The need of the hour that the planners of these programs must explore new dimensions to introduce and popularise other art forms just as they have done in music and dancing within the framework of Sri Lankan performing arts culture.

Responsibility of program makers

Great responsibility rests on the program makers to reassess their criteria by obtaining a genuine feedback of viewers' tastes and their positive responses. This will indeed narrow down the vast abyss between the programs makers and the grim atmosphere of the solitary, unresponsive viewers.

New possibilities are open for the producers of these programs to effortlessly upgrade the qualitative improvement of audience's tastes for good music, creativity and other forms of performing arts.

By this, the direct interrelationship between the programmers and viewers through the latest communication devices such as SMS can be effectively exploited to create a new culture of higher taste for performing arts. Therefore, it is pointless to be critical of the SMS voting system but new methods should be experimented to improve the culture of popular art in which the media and the audience are interdependent by way of mutual feedback.

It is fair to say that the audience's tastes and understanding of dancing, music, singing or playing in performing arts can be enhanced by the latest dramatic link between reality program judges and the viewers.

Motivating advanced tastes

We see that a larger part of today's Sri Lankan music industry has been invaded by mind-boggling tasteless musical productions and a motley of nondescript creations. In this unfavourable atmosphere, the joint moves of reality program planners and the panels of judges have made it possible to introduce music with broad appeal for competitors to practise and we see a perfect blend of Sri Lankan popular and classical music in chorus within the reality programs being telecast.

It is a praiseworthy trend despite all the deprecatory criticism on the reliability of SMS voting that represents different layers of personal tastes. With a few notable exception of young viewers who are often impressed by the mere glamour of the performer, most Sri Lankan fans of performing arts evince advanced tastes and they are not hesitant to make an appreciative appraisal of good performance and talents.

We see Sri Lankan expatriates in London performing exceptionally well in reality programs (London Star). Living within the framework of foreign culture has not, by any means, undermined their flair for singing Sri Lankan popular and classical hits to a surprising level.

A number of child performers talented in performing arts has emerged from the recent reality TV programs and this reflects the extent to which the reality TV programs have spread their giant wings over popular culture.

It is pathetic to note that the future of the selected stars or best performers is a foregone conclusion because they shoot to fame and popularity overnight and then are heard no more.

They must contemplate on their potential for creativity and remain a real star with sound basis because they can do much for the entertainment industry in Sri Lanka.