Mind your manners...you are on national TV

Just like you don’t fart, burp, and scratch in public (yeah yeah I know most still go ahead and do it!) there should be an etiquette rule book or ‘TV manners’ made mandatory for TV hosts too. Viewers are often subjected to some obnoxious behaviour. Hosts who insult, anchors who pass snide remarks and contestants who swear! Do they even know that they are being watched and emulated by school-going kids? And why does the I &B Ministry not step in and bring to heel all those who violate the norms of decency on national television more so when they harm the sensibilities of a young mind? It has been heard that contestants on the last season of Big Brother had been warned to ensure there are no similar incidents which took place in 2007 which resulted in it becoming the most notorious show in Channel 4's history. All participants were advised to watch the last series in full to ensure they knew how not to behave. Closer home too there are several shows which have an undesirable influence on children. Should not these shows be put under the scanner? When we find that a TV presenter or participant is behaving in an objectionable manner shouldn’t he be asked to exercise some restraint? Does the mandate given to a TV presenter require him to be loud, offensive, brash? Does he have to insult, humiliate and be malicious? My vote for the perfect gentleman on TV goes to Rajeev Khandelwal (Sach ka Saamna). His impeccable manners show he is a thoroughbred. Salman Khan too is doing a swell job. And why is he so appealing on Bigg Boss? Because of his warmth, his affability and unassuming charm. For all those who watched him on this show it was indeed a delight to see him dance, joke and chat. Not once have these two gentlemen found the need to get loud or offensive. Why does Amitabh Bachchan have the audiences eat out of his palm on KBC? Because he is so refined, suave and warm. What made SRK so endearing was his brand of humour, his charm and his relaxed style of hosting. In fact it was when he cracked jokes at the expense of others that he lost fans. So when the handsome Akshay Kumar hosted Fear Factor people warmed up to him. And why? Not because he is an ace stunt man or a super hero but because he was so well turned out on the show. Not only does he dress smart complete with his Bell and Ross sports watch but he says the right things in the right manner. His smart one liners project him as an intelligent host. This is what we expect of a good host. Unfortunately when he passed on the baton to Priyanka Chopra the magic didn't work. The lady just failed to deliver. Hosting is an art and she has a long way to go to master this one. But she sure made up for this with her good looks and a pleasant demeanour. But you cringe when you watch Rakhi Sawant at her ‘crassiest’ (if there is such a word) on Rakhi ka Insaaf. Isn’t there anything like self imposed censorship? And I am not referring to her dressing style on the show…because she is not expected to cover herself even if she is acting judge! But I am talking about her loud behaviour and ridiculous gestures on the show. She gets so hysterical that she begins to shriek like a banshee. Does she not herself think once before shooting her mouth off? The lady has been showing her wrong side so often on that show as she grills the participants on that obnoxious show. For that matter even the participants cuss, scream and even throw footwear at each other on the show! And by the way all this is happening on prime time. There are many like Rakhi on various other channels but they are not even worth a mention. Actors, judges, hosts, VJs, anchors take so much time over their hair, make-up and costumes it’s about time they spent some time learning the basic etiquette and manners needed when you are on national television. And so should it be with contestants who come to participate on reality shows. There ought to be basic guidelines for decorum which should be adhered to. A TV personality can be endearing, charming, witty without being abusive, nasty, rude. Too much TV viewing is dramatically changing the way teenagers behave. According to statistics, children watch more TV than adults. Don’t we have a sense of responsibility towards the millions of teenagers who are watching television? My question to all those who have bad TV manners is, do you like yourself on TV? Read more...