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Essay / Soap Opera and Indian audiences
The term “soap” was adapted from American radio shows; the term "soap" is taken from the soap and detergent advertisements aired on these shows. The main targets were women who watched these shows while doing their household chores. And the word “opera” denoted the melodramatic nature of the shows. Soap operas in general have primarily a dominant female audience, and according to studies, only a few percent of men actually watch these shows. In India, the representation of men and women in soap operas is mainly guided by traditional and stereotypical ideas. Doordarshan produced indigenous soaps in the 80s like 'Hum Log', 'Buniyaad' etc. The government was motivated to launch indigenous broadcasts like this to depict the hopes, fears and anxieties of the Indians and these provided them with a more or less comfortable societal framework. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Indian serials and serials have inculcated in people's minds a static image of a woman being a perfect housewife for her family. Men have always been expected to be the breadwinners. Although these series had a humble beginning, where the outright message was not visible, there was always good over evil at the climax. But the originality and sanctity of art were left aside, the television industry went through several changes in different forms. For the moment, it has only been oriented towards profit through the circulation of cultural products. He responded to what the audience would like to see and so the audience saw what they were or what was actually shown. The whole idea of TRP (Television Rating Point) is to judge which programs are most watched and also clearly shows that all the audience likes is what they produce, which greatly limits knowledge and creativity . Adorno believed that the rise of the culture industry led to a standardization of cultural forms that ultimately destroyed the individual's ability to act or think independently. The television industry is standardized to the extent that it produces standard results, the viewer has a smooth and comfortable storyline that does not encourage him to think deeply and criticize the art of the subject. This has caused them to think a certain way, which causes them to polarize gender roles. With femininity, the roles attached are emotional, weak, gentle, dependent, sacrificial and with masculinity, roles such as rational, independent, breadwinner. The image of a “perfect” woman is painted through these soaps; any woman who violates these societal norms becomes a “bad” woman compared to all other women in society. The hero, on the other hand, is the “Prince Charming” to the “damsel in distress”, he is physically strong, aggressive, confident, mature and has everything under his control. The public becomes accustomed to these gender roles and accepts them without question; they then accept the patriarchal stereotypes and implement them in their own lives as well. Stereotypes about gender roles in the media seriously hamper the struggles of women in India to achieve economic and political empowerment. The serial is too close to home, it revolves around daily activities, daily problems and people's problems; so they find it much more relevant and interesting. Adorno and Horkheimer argue that the culture industry positions the masses as objects of manipulation; it turns people into subjectspassive and subordinate, unable to take full critical responsibility for their own actions, which is the quintessence of how a democracy functions. Throughout the show there are several "clues", including the background music which is categorized into sad and happy music, i.e. the audience knows by listening to the piece whether it is of a happy or sad scene. The whole setting gives an idea of the storyline, for example a person would obviously guess that it is a crime thriller if the scene takes place in a seedy bar. This typical psychological mechanism is adapted by creators to create an impact on the audience. When Doordarshan introduced serials like 'Hum Log', they gained huge popularity; so to diversify, they produced shows like “Ramayana” and “Mahabharata” to work on the spiritual beliefs of the people. Mythological dramas have gained great popularity in India as religion is an integral part of the societal structure in India where people are superstitious and spiritual. Above all. The creators manipulated people because religion was their weak point. People don't even realize that they are just subjects of a capitalist industry. People were so drawn to these series that they alternated their work and leisure schedules to fit the exact time slot. But public tastes have changed considerably. What was considered good content then is no longer considered good content today. People gave in to new trends in mass culture and consumed content in a different light. To speak of a contrast, we can see that the 'Ramayana' and 'Mahabharata' have now paved the way for the 'Sacred Games'. The phenomenal expansion of Indian television in recent years has influenced people in two ways. First, those living in remote corners have been drawn into and integrated into the national mainstream. Second, television has contributed to an explosion of information unprecedented in our time. Currently there are many private channels available in India like SONY, STAR TV, COLORS, ZEE and others. The growing popularity of television led to the privatization of channels, which was ultimately a step up from government-controlled content. These channels offer a variety of soap operas, including reality shows. They have now developed many regional channels in regional languages which attract a large number of viewers from various parts of the country. Talking about a popular Bengali daily serial, 'Aamar Durga', the protagonist is a young girl from a small village who is considered a deity of righteousness. This is reflected in the name of the show which is “Durga”, considered to be the symbol of good over evil. The antagonist of the said series is the protagonist's father-in-law who is immersed in crime and is portrayed as a rich man without good values. Thus continues the struggle of good against evil. The villain, in one way or another, always tries to overpower his stepdaughter or sometimes kill her, but she always comes back. The audience knows very well that no matter the situation, the protagonist will return to fight the demon father-in-law. There is no element of surprise that the audience would have to decipher. There is a latent message that cannot be considered unconscious in psychological terms, but is constantly seeking attention. One of the main reasons for monotonous plots is the limited time frame as well as other pressures from the decision makers. As soon as the artist submits to all these pressures, there is an obvious impact on his creativity, he follows the rules and does not have the freedom to express himself.