Friday, June 12, 2009

Obvious abuse

The racist attacks on Indian students in Australia and the subsequent diplomatic and political fallout is being exploited to the hilt by the electronic media here. After the elections this was a God send scrap for them or we would have reporters screeching to us from the Brazilian coast, telling us how high the waves are and how cold the wind is and how difficult is the rescue operations for the Brazilian rescue teams combing the high seas for victims of the Air France crash.

Reporter to rescue worker: The winds are strong huh?
RW: Yes ma’am
Reporter: Tho appako kaisa mahsoos ho raha hai?
RW: Huh?
Reporter: I mean, what do you feel about the strong gales and choppy sea?
RW: Errm...

Back at the studios a retired Aviation Expert will be pulled out from his bed pyjama and all, to give his expert opinion on air.

Journo: Take a look at the report on the monitor. It says that this aircraft had two engines for long haul.
AE : Any kid will tell you that.
Journo (earnestly): And according to Google err our research, the aircraft had two wings too just in case one malfunctions!
AE: Sigh!
Journo: And the aircraft had two sets of landing gear!
AE: Heh!
Journo: See the chart we have prepared…
AE: That looks exactly like the chart at Aircraft dot com!!
Journo: According to the chart this aircraft can carry 253 passengers in a three-class configuration for 12,500 km!!
AE (rolling his eyes) : You are kidding me!
Journo (excitedly): And so...!!! It is a mystery why such a state-of-the-art aircraft running on a bleeding edge technology and cutting edge navigation tools crashed!
AE: I give up!

Have a great weekend friends! And let’s pray for the departed souls and their relations and especially for our electronic media to spare us from the obvious abuse!

28 comments:

Ordinary Guy said...

:P LOL!!!!!

our media is an expert at trivializing things......... and asking the wrong question :P

sandeep said...

u r in trouble silverine!!! now wait for a defamation suit notice ... barkha style :)

thomas said...

Ever noticed the journos asking sports stars "How do you feel" after winning a match. What're they supposed to say "I feel distressed" ??!! I'm glad I'm not a fan of the news media....except for maybe the good old 'Hindu'.

Guruji said...

Good one. Btw, who is an aviation expert? A retired pilot ? In that case I’m an automotive expert; that too sitting, not retired. So for all your tele-poisoning needs in that space, feel free to call me.

scorpiogenius said...

And the latest is that there were 2 terrorists on the Air France plane and Twitter is already ablaze with tales of conspiracy and sabotage. What to say??!!!

These so-called Racist attacks are more a media tale than anything. The first incident in Australia happened as a result of a fallout in College. Thats the reason they were attacked and their car torched, even though there is no excuse for the act. Another attack was actually by some Lebanese and how can we blame Aussie for the act? Even though such crimes happen in Western world it is unfair to label a whole nation and people as racists, just for the fun of it.. It aint funny though :X

Good read... :)

Unknown said...

Hahaha... Nice one..why dont u send this article to India TV reporters and Times of India journalist.. They ought to read it!!

Leslie said...

This is exactly the reason why I feel really irritated when our media reports about corruption at high places. Our media is equally corrupt and devoid of any ethics thereby lacking any moral grounds to criticize anybody else.
I still remember the breaking news in NDTV on 16th May "NDTV Exit Polls were the best". It seems Prannoy Roy and co forgot that it was just 12 hrs ago that they predicted that NDA had a better chance of forming government. Dont know when they will learn to eat a humble pie.

Thoorika said...

You really hate the whole journalists breed.. don't you?!

Smitha said...

LOL!!! Nice one!!! And so true!

mathew said...

Who dare talketh about our planes!!:-P

If ever there is a mallu guy(member of co-coco-coconut clan) who passed racist remarks at a Nazi somewhere in the world and it comes in the papers..no guessing OK!!

Arun said...

"Because the more you know, the less you don't know".
(from a TV ad for Kia motors)

Aniket Thakkar said...

Seriously!

During the attack in Mumbai too. A lady is trapped in the hotel She texts her husband that she is afraid and is hiding in the bathroom of room #$%. And Barkha Dutt goes on air. "Dekhiye abhi abhi inki patni ne inhe msg kiya hai ki wo room #$% mein chupi hui hai." Greattt!

She could have as well given direction to the terrorist "Aapke nahi... mere daye wale room mein".

And asking a tsunami victim kid who lost his parents "Aapko kaisa mehsoos ho raha hai". He should have replied "To take the Leaning tower of Pisa and shove it upto your a**. Aisa mehsoos ho raha hai."


HATE the news media.

Quest said...

Its really comical to see the reality news in tv these days...and in the live reporting the most repeated question happens to be- how are you feeling? Aapko kya (kaisa mehsoos ho raha hai?) :D
Even when the journos are doing nothing but waiting for something to begin...and how a 1 min is news is stretched to one hour then special features spanning 2 hrs....unbearable

Unknown said...

ohh, you forget the melodramatic background music (violins, sinister melodies, orchestral crashes and bangs; the works) that adds pathos to the reporter's voice-over during an 'in-depth report'.. and the passion with which they launch into non-issues which make good human-interest segments but do not really advance any viewer knowledge of the story at hand..

when did this become a movie?? if making us feel pity for the victim(s) takes precedence over telling us what the hell really happened, then i ascribe to the news the same credibility i might a movie.. don't get me wrong, empathy is good.. but the actual information is better..

and i'll get popcorn the next time i watch the news..

Unknown said...

ohh, you forget the melodramatic background music (violins, sinister melodies, orchestral crashes and bangs; the works) that adds pathos to the reporter's voice-over during an 'in-depth report'.. and the passion with which they launch into non-issues which make good human-interest segments but do not really advance any viewer knowledge of the story at hand..

when did this become a movie?? if making us feel pity for the victim(s) takes precedence over telling us what the hell really happened, then i ascribe to the news the same credibility i might a movie.. don't get me wrong, empathy is good.. but the actual information is better..

and i'll get popcorn the next time i watch the news..

Unknown said...

eep.. double post.. my bad.. :-}

Useless Bugger said...

When I become a super celebrity in the future and if some journo asks me the "Aapko kaisa lagta hai" type of questions, I swear I'll shove the journo's microphone up his you know where.

And then I'll say its Silverine's blog which inspired me to react that way. That way, even you'll be famous, Silv. Naah don't thank me, thats what friends are for :-)

silverine said...

Sorry for the delay in replying friends. Am down with wine flu!

OG: Trivializing issues or vice versa...they excel at it!

sandeep: Waiting! :p

thomman: Same here. I prefer the print media myself.

Santhosh: The AE was a retired AAI Dir Gen I think. He looked like a fish out of water at the studio! Will call you for an automobile crash :p

scorpiogenius: Did you hear the Ozzy envoy saying that the spurt in attacks was a retaliation to the Indian media blowing this out of proportions! There has to be some limit!! It aint funny I agree.

chiroy-paro: I do not think it will effect that thick skinned bunch much. btw The times print edition is much better than their news channel.

Leslie: You are absolutely right! And that anecdote just makes me shake my head in disbelief!!

Thoorika: No I do not hate all journos. I have some very good journo friends!

Smitha: Thanks gal! :)

Mathew: hehe I guess that was aeronautical racism! :p

Arun: That seems to be their motto! :p

Aniket: That incident made headlines (no pun intended) and the said journo is a chastised though unrepentant person I am told. I wish she was charged with manslaughter though.

Quest: The recent election was a display of over stretching things a bit...no, a lot. People discussing the results even before they were out! I think they underestimate us viewers a lot.

Jackson: Well said. Absolutley agree with you. Give us actual information and "report". Do not make news. If you blog do give me your URL. :) You may choke on the popcorn though. I would suggest Jello! :p And no probs with double post, just a blogger glitch.

Parikshith: With friends like you I should hire a bhai. LOL!!!

anjali: No offense taken as none was meant it is obvious. I myself want to change the layout, will do when I have time! Thanks girl! :)

saika said...

Lol! Makes me remember my English teacher who used to reduce marks for 'stating the obvious'.

Bullshee said...

Have you heard the music on our news these days? The dark, dreary tones, which make it seem like a Hindi serial rather than a news report!!!

Toon Indian said...

lolz..(to the guy whi is drowing in the sea after the plane crash)
Reporter: aapko kaisa lagg rahan hai??

Man: F%^&&##$%%%
:))

nice one!!

Anonymous said...

lol!:D

and yet
*sigh*
the media will never learn..
they are becoming trashier every single day..
for good measure watch India TV:P:P

Blunt Edges said...

And according to Google err our research
rofl...dats whr i get my "research" too (3 cheers 2 d founders of google n wiki!)...my 1st time here n is dis a cool place or wat! great read :D
blog-rollin n followin u :)

Anonymous said...

That was a hilarious post :D .about media, they are never going 2 change

Unknown said...

by the way, i don't know if anyone else remembers this news report in the aftermath of the indian ocean tsunami of 2004.. some malayalam channel managed (i don't remember if it was the very same day or the next day) to get one of a group of people who were stranded at the vivekananda memorial in kanyakumari on his cellphone.. the news anchor was busy pestering the poor fellow (he too was malayali, btw) with questions like 'what is the mood there?', 'how many malayalis are there?', etc while the fellow was pleading with the anchor along the lines of 'please, we're scared and tired and hungry.. can you please send for help?' it could just as well have been some comedy show being especially tasteless..

i had better stop ranting about the media here, or else i won't have anything to say about it on my own blog (if i ever get around to it, that is), at pitchandpay.wordpress.com..

sorry for the shameless plug.. i saw no way to send the link privately, so i figure why not blow the old trumpet a bit.. :-}

tj said...

Nice blog.. how do i subscribe?

Shanu said...

Lol..reminded me of Aaj Tak!!

silverine said...

Saika: :) Same with us..sigh!

Bullshee: You are right and it is getting more dramatic these days!

Rahul: lol!! Whatay possibility!

indeayeah: You are right...it seems to be a survival of the stupidest race these days.

blunt edges: Thank you buddy! :)

anish: Sadly you are right!

Jackson: I cannot believe that! :-O Simply cannot believe that! They ought to be sued!!

tj: Thanks you! :) You dont need subscription here!

Shanu: I have stopped watching that horror! :p