Why are the soaps still so dirty?

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is raising an oft-mentioned complaint when he says television soap operas are too weighted with jealousy, envy, violence and other forms of personal conflict. Government Spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd announced this week that Prayut has asked TV producers to come up with more “constructive” story lines that foster peaceful coexistence and also, not surprisingly, patriotism. He wants content that promotes a virtuous society and elevates people’s thinking. Samsern indicated that Prayut is well aware such noble intent runs counter to the kind of viewing currently available in primetime – and to public demand – but he believes programmes of loftier morals would eventually become popular with viewers.

Elsewhere in the world, TV series are commonly scripted to deliver lessons in appropriate behaviour. Even the soap operas coming from South Korea and Japan bear a marked difference from our own in the way they represent good versus evil. Such imported dramas reflect well on those countries and their people, underlining the international worth of “soft power”.

We can say we are immune to the influence of television, movies and music, but there is always a subconscious prodding. When we see the violence in the TV soaps, both physical and verbal, it has an undeniable impact on us, from our mood of the moment to our understanding of what is and what is not socially acceptable. The effect is even greater on younger viewers, who might lack discretion in their choice of shows to watch. Thus it makes sense to replace negative content with more positive tones on television.

The hatred and violence depicted on TV has been likened to a slow-acting “poison”. If we are fed a steady diet of fictional scenes of women’s faces being slapped, of sexual harassment and even of rape, we become desensitised to the realities. This, as the saying goes, it no way to raise children, and yes, children typically do watch the soaps too. The dramas are for the most part rated “General”, meaning suitable for everyone. The classification is grievously wrong, as becomes shockingly apparent as soon as one TV character starts verbally abusing another. Some soap operas advise parental discretion, but the warning is usually ignored, and anyway the episodes are readily available online should youngsters want to watch when their parents aren’t around.

Unfortunately, the central obstacle to General Prayut’s ambition is that Channels One, 7, 3 and other popular outlets rely heavily on such content to maintain their high ratings. It is not in the interest of their executives and producers to change their recipe for success. Most Thais enjoy the high drama of individuals in conflict, and melodrama revels in depictions of catfights, punch-ups, spousal abuse and other forms of assault. The compromise that has yet to be explored is reducing the amount of violence, deploying it only for occasional “seasoning”. As matters stand, the aggression we see can only be described as excessive.

Another possibility is that viewers are so used to such content – and so unfamiliar with other, gentler kinds of entertainment – that the producers are slow to try alternative formulas that might actually prove just as successful. The television audience is perhaps simply lacking in choice. We have seen, after all, TV drama series that prove popular without bombarding viewers with violence. Success is possible by following a different path, it seems, by incorporating into the tension and drama some constructive elements, preferably virtues worth emulating.