It was only recently that I came across an article by a fellow writer that reflected on musician Ali Noor’s tweet on how "audiences were getting dumber" in Pakistan. This was in relation to Taher Shah’s rather mindless second single ‘Angel’ that became a viral sensation overnight in comparison to a plethora of credible, exciting music that gets lost in all the distraction caused by social media gimmickry. Like the writer, the thought also stayed with me but in my case, the focus was on how relatable the statement is to all other mediums of entertainment in Pakistan, particularly television. However, after much contemplation, the only question that kept lingering on my mind was whether it’s fair to blame the audience if the content is dumb in itself?

There are no two ways about it. Local television seems to have completely lost its plot in a rat race for ratings, relying heavily on sensationalism and propaganda. Most dramas follow a predictable, hackneyed approach showing men as gullible, women as weak without much of a backbone to stand their own and MILs (Mothers in Law) as desi versions of Cruella. Scenarios may differ but it seems character sketches have been written in stone with little room for change. The worse, however, are the many morning shows that, though pitched as avenues to participate in reality, are in fact dramas unto themselves.

Morning shows, by virtue of their airtime, target a chunk of women and homemakers who are usually taking a breather from the rigmarole of their daily lives at that point in time. Ideally this should be a golden opportunity to educate them, empower them and engage them in a valuable social discourse that they otherwise may not get exposed to. Instead, they send a very convoluted message regarding what our priorities are as a society: spending lavishly on weddings (can’t afford? Then you are likely to fall prey to inferiority complex), having fair skin and a petite figure (body shaming at it’s virtual peak) and losing every bit of self-esteem to get one’s hands on a free lawn jora.

Sadly, it does not end there. Earlier this year, a handful of these popular breakfast shows became breeding grounds for husband-wife conflicts. Internal matters and compatibility differences were brought to a public platform and the hosts acted like marriage counselors while the viewers savoured on the gossip. What it merely did was offer many a distraction from having to take accountability of their own personal issues and dilemmas. If this was meant to be a good source for what it takes to build successful relationships, then God help us because it was nothing short of watching a slightly more sanitized version of the Jerry Springer Show, but just as equally scandalous.

"These shows are like a nightmare that one is subjected to in the morning," said veteran TV writer/actor/host Anwar Maqsood. "I have written for television for 34 years of my career but now I have almost distanced myself from it because it’s a disaster. These shows are only running
because of ratings and the irony is that the more ridiculous the show, the higher are its ratings. These weddings that they show on screen are a torture to watch. These couples are already married, and often after just a week of remarrying on the show, they end up going separate ways. As a nation constantly in distress we have been waiting for ages to wake up to a promising morning, to rays of sunlight that will bring much-needed positivity in our lives but what we get instead are these morning shows."

"One thing that must be noted is that these shows are dubbed as ‘live’ when in fact the same celebrities are sitting on another, similar show on a different channel wearing the exact same clothes. Television has to have some level of responsibility and moral obligation towards society," Maqsood added.

In an earlier interview with Instep, actress Maya Ali, who is currently in the limelight for her serial Mann Mayal, also stated that these shows do more damage than good. "I am against these morning shows that are dramas in themselves and I request them to stop showing such things. We should show people what needs to be shown and not what will only bring in the ratings," she said.

In contrast, India has made a conscious effort to replace drawing room discussions and breakfast hoopla with shows like Satyamev Jayate. In fact world over, morning shows are a platform for social education, for creating awareness and for raising concerns on issues that plague the society, at large (Read: The Ellen DeGeneres Show, CBS This Morning). Topics on these shows range from gender inequality and pay gaps to domestic violence and racial prejudices; topics that deserve our attention. It is unfortunate that while we look up to the West to back our pseudo liberal beliefs, we fail to draw any sort of inspiration from them to bring necessary changes in our social behaviour. It’s important to get an escape from reality once in a while but to sell something as reality and instead offer nothing but a distraction from bringing any real change in the world will only add to the downfall of Pakistani television. Point to ponder: Even US Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton couldn’t resist calling Pakistani TV shows, some of the most watched programs, "particularly outrageous". What example are we setting?