Do we really need that many soap-operas?

Something is seriously wrong with us Malaysians.

We are not contented with just mere Drama Minggu Ini where they have Ali, Ah Chong and Samy, a true muhibbah story line in a short 45 minutes show. Once a week.

Now, we have Korean, Hong Kong, Singaporean, Brazilian, Thai, Japanese, Indonesian, Indian, American, Australian, ___________, _______________, (fill in the blanks with your own suggestions) soap-operas. They go on and on, on every channel, 24/7.

Are our lives that devoid of excitement, melodrama, infidelity, chi-qik, web of lies that we need to fill them with so much international flavours?

I don’t know about others but I find it sickening to listen to Bahasa Malaysia dialogues when the show is about some hot chicks and stone face hunks from Brazil or other nationalities. Then, those rough Cantonese dialogues but the show is about some ever demure Japanese and Korean girls. They give me stomach cramps.

I had stopped watching TV three years ago. I did try to sat through several Hongkies series because I enjoy gawking at the male actors. But after a while, it gets annoying with the same old stories. They are so fake!

Now, I am going to ponder hard. Why do people love to watch so much soap-operas? To fantasise? To fill their boring lives with make beliefs? The ah sohs in the markets looking out for a Gallen Loh-lookalike, for e.g.?

I hope I won’t ever have the urge to sit down and waste 180 minutes of my time crying over some soppy stories, ever again! (180 mins = Astro Channel 30 8pm till 10.30pm) Yay! I am cured of my addiction for dumb soap-operas. Hate me, sue me but I have 180 minutes of extra time every day.

17 thoughts on “Do we really need that many soap-operas?

  1. *Phew*

    I thought I was the only person who doesn’t watch TV. The only show I ever watch is the Simpsons, usually during/before dinner, to release daily stress…

  2. The first channel I normally turn to is either CNN or BBC, then I hit the sports channels (I’m a Tottenham fan down to my socks), then the animal channels, then the travel documentries .. in that order. Hardly watch sitcoms.

  3. I’m the opposite of you Auntie Lilian. I am a major Cantonese serial addict. I must watch from 8.30pm till 10.30pm every weekday night on Astro’s Wah Lai Toi. Its so terrible not being able to watch canto serials here in UK.
    I like to watch them because of the story line. yes, some can be a bit dumb but most of them are really nice. the most recent one..”triumph in the skies” is my personal favourite!

  4. Erm..I watch quite a number of drama series too, for the past few years. From English, Mandarin, Cantonese to Japanese, Korean and Spanish. Sort of a couch-potato. (One good reason why my parents won’t subscribe ASTRO, hehe =p)

    But there’s always something you can learn in ‘dumb soap-opera’s, although the storylines are fake. For instance, I get ‘free’ Canto and Japs language classes. Haha. I don’t speak much Cantonese, but mine is good enough for brief conversations. *grins*

  5. my mum has the Chinese channel here. They dont come with subtitles. I hate it when she and her friends watches the serials with evil children and start complaining like thats the way the new generation is. and I hate the rude obnoxious smart alecky kids on HK serials. Phew .. thats out of my system hehehe

  6. but aunty lilian now a BLOG ADDICT liao! that’s why ler soap opera no kick. muahahahahar! psst.. when you wanna set-up a Blogging Addicts Disorder Annonymous Support Services (BADASS) group? I will be your fisrt patient šŸ˜‰

  7. “…Brazilian, Thai, Japanese, Indonesia..” I got nothing to say (never come across any :P)

    Australian and American… maybe got, but should be okay with it.

    Korean and Chinese… ah… The Malaysian audience loved Korean dramas. Hard to believe? Choke on it… I was surprised about the whole thing, so many people were into that da chang jin show. Chinese… I no need elaborate. Jolene@Jayelle and Cherrychocolatecandy can be TVB spokespersons on this.

    If we replace all these “international flavors” with “Malaysian flavors”, then all Bolehmen and Bolehwomen will follow your footsteps liao – not watching TV, probably blog instead. The TV stations will have almost nil viewership and companies don’t have anywhere to advertise their products. I’m not all against local-made movies or series – It’s just that, when compared, we all know which type a regular Malaysian prefers to watch.

    As for the Brazillian show you picked as an example, I can’t picture any, but I know there’re many Arabian dramas shown in MAlaysia, with dubbed dialogues (to BM). Same applies to Korean dramas, albeit having Mandarin as the dubbed language. I used to think, “WTF is so nice about it – like watching cartoon. The lips and dialogues are out-of synC!!”

    Then I learnt to understand that people watched them (say, the Korean Dramas) for a host of other reasons that eclipse the fact that the dialogues has been dubbed.

  8. No, I don’t watch cos I don’t have the time to. I must be the only home around that does not have Astro. Even the squatter homes with zinc roofs and plank walls has got Astro!

  9. Hey MG, we dont have Astro at home too! Always uncomfortably lost when people start talking about Astro programs. In fact, we didnt get our own tv until last year, before that we had a 14 inch one from Mr B’s mom. Serials can get addictive, try not to start following, else get hooked.

  10. Simon – Your blog got me thinking lor. That’s the Brazilian one I am talking lor. So dramatic and so many affairs.

    Mrs B and MG – Wah…living without Astro? Good la, not like my house. So stressed listening to cartoons and football everyday.

    Narrowband – Yalor, advertisement is a big revenue, so easy to sell soap powder to ah sohs. That’s why we got so many soap-operas hor?

    Mr B – BADASS – haha good one!
    Romantic – Our youths and kids are following that kind of style. All branded goods and money, money, money.

    Hsin – A form of escapism, right?

    Dracolsian – Yeah, I learnt to speak like the Cantonese too. Yum thong sui, yum thong…

    Cherry – Triumph in the Sky – I personally found it a bad moral – they keep exchanging spouses! Hahaha, I am a prude. But serious, if one get too engrossed, one can may eye others’ spouses.

    fishtail, Jinny – Welcome to the club. Boring bunch of people, we are.

  11. Lilian, you are right. I was actually quite surprised to see Brazillian drama on the TV in Malaysia. I don’t know, it just sound so strange for me to watch something that don’t use the original language. I rather they put the words under the show, rather than use very strangely translated language that tilted the original meaning of the drama. I think that’s why I lose my interest in watching TV every time I go home.

  12. I can watch.. and i can donch watch.. i’m not really an addict.. but watching a movie at home.. means.. time with my spouse and chloe.. so that’s fine with me too.. šŸ™‚

  13. I’m not a drama addict but still will watch some HK dram on Astro. I’m not anti Japanese or Korean but those Japanese & Korean drama make me sick. The director never get bored with sorrow-sad stories or fantasies love stories. This is real faking !

  14. haha i would love to watch HK drama series, only if i have the time…! it depends actually, some series meaningless, while some damn nice! it’s up to you which stories are nice, eg :point of no return, forensic heroes, … (some are old series but it was good!)

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