Southeast Asia: Film and Music - Essay Example

South East Asia: Film and Music Abstract In July 2013, a regulator of telecommunications and broadcasting in Thailand, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) summoned the entertainment corporation GMM Grammy over the airing of the soap opera “Hormones”, with a request that the script to the show be re-evaluated. Hormones, a Thai soap opera depicting the reality of life in high school in an open and candid light was slated to be reviewed by the NBTC on August 5, 2013. This followed fears that the show was in breach of the Legislative Act 37: immorality, due to its explicit portrayal of scenes with sexual undertones. In the event that the show is found to be in breach of this act, the show could face punishment. Such punishment may involve re-editing of the script to the show in compliance with directions from the NBTC. Having aired for nine episodes in June 2013, the show had elicited a myriad or reactions from both media and the ardent soap opera fan base in Thailand. The popularity of the show could have been driven by its reflection of elements of Thai popular culture still considered to be taboo within the society. This paper analyses the themes in the soap opera and takes a look at the implications that it has on Thai culture, the popular culture among Thai people, and soap operas, as a form of media in Thai popular culture. Keywords: Soap opera, Television, Media, Popular Culture Introduction Soap operas are common place in television in Thailand and make up a crucial element of Thai popular culture. Often referred to as ‘Lakorn’, the soap operas are aired on almost every channel, reflecting an almost insatiable obsession with soap operas among Thais (James, 2010). Typically, the soap operas run for two hours on at least two weeknights every week across the different channels. Most soap operas run for approximately three months and are always followed by yet another similar show (James, 2010). Due to the great demand for the shows among Thai television watching fans, most channels run the shows concurrently in a bid to win over viewers. Competition is stiff among television channels on viewer ratings and publicity based on the airing of the soap operas. The story lines behind the shows reflect a sense of homogeneity and to a great extent, reveal what sells in Thai popular culture. The format of presentation is also almost always the same (James, 2010). Almost every soap opera features a love story where the main protagonists often male and female are separated in their quest to be together, often a source of romance; by a female antagonist also in pursuit of the main male character; often a source of drama. In the end, the villain loses and the main characters end up together and married. The shows also almost always feature a ‘katoey’, who is a transsexual male, notoriously famous in Thai culture; often a source of humour and comic relief. Though characterized with bizarre and nerve-racking drama, the larkons epitomize popular culture in Thailand as well as the concepts of love and romance in contemporary Thailand (James, 2010). “Hormones”: Thai Soap Opera Hormones tackles ordinary topics in teenage life such as the stage of adolescence, first kisses among teenagers, the occurrence of unplanned pregnancies, homosexuality, and past relationships. The attention garnered by the show however can be attributed to the unexpected way in which the topic is approached. The daily lives of the teenagers casted in the show are depicted as a struggle between leading normal lives and dealing with repercussions, such as the reactions of both parents and their peers (Sakaowan, 2013). While the show does not contain vivid pictures showing intercourse, the president of the NBTC Peerapong Manakij asserted that it intentionally resulted in people visualizing sexual encounters. According to Vichitsorasatra, the soap opera looks into the lives of teenagers making decisions about when to engage in sex, why to engage in sex, and who they should engage in sex with (2013). Some of the characters casted in the show include; Sprite, a teenage female with a past that involves countless encounters of casual sex, who decides to quit her behaviour of falling in love. However her partner fails to come to terms with her sexual history and dumps her. Another character Dao is a teenage female with domineering and overprotective parents, who falls in love with a man and coupled with the fears of an unwanted pregnancy results to using emergency contraception. Afraid of the reaction of her parents if they found out about her escapades, Dao suffers from tormenting thoughts of procuring an abortion. Yet another popular character in the soap opera is a gay male teenager (Sakaowan, 2013). The reception towards the soap opera “Hormones” reflects the deep rooted cultural values of the Thai people. This is in line with the character of culture playing a fundamental role in influencing the media within a society or a country at large. As stated by Vichitsorasatra, where as Thailand exudes an image of being free-spirited, there are still matters considered to be taboo within the society and hence they cannot be discussed openly let alone be aired on television in television shows (2013). Right from their classrooms, teenagers are taught to subdue their opinions while still young on matters touching on subjects such as homosexuality, violence and sex (Sakaowan, 2013). This may explain the reactions that met the release of the television show Hormones. Some officials in Thailand rallied for a ban on the show and speculation was rife shortly after the show began airing that the NBTC, would have the program re-edited or pulled off air. Despite earlier denials from the president of the NBTC, the corporation behind the show GMM Grammy was eventually summoned by the NBTC (Sakaowan, 2013). This demonstrates that despite western stereotypes, daily life in Thailand continues to be conformist and moderate. Television programs are still expected to be based on gaming shows and the ordinary soap operas, while the topic of sex is expected to be brought up within the confines of abstinence from pre-marital sex, rather than the use of birth control (The Thailand Life, 2013). The soap opera also depicts the nature of popular culture in Thailand especially among teenagers. In some circles, reference has been made to the declining morality among teenagers in Thailand in the contemporary society, and the sexual revolution as an embodiment of the soap opera (Vichitsorasatra, 2013). This further propels fears that the soap opera could act as a negative influence among teenagers. According to The Thailand Life, the soap opera provides insight into the veracity of youth and problematic parenting within the Thai society to the rest of the world, in a light not seen before (2013). It also reflects the clash between the morphing popular culture embodied by Thai teens and the conservative nature of the traditional Thai society. This is best reflected by the awareness created on the hardships and distresses of being a teenager in Thailand (The Thailand Life, 2013). The director of the soap opera Songyot “Yong” Sukmakanan terms is as a depiction of the reality of teenage life (Jansuttipan, 2013). This implies that while issues of sex, drug and substance abuse, homosexuality, and teenage pregnancy are not put out in the society in Thailand, they are part of the popular culture among the teenagers. Furthermore it mirrors the openness in popular culture and its avant-grade nature compared to what has been previously in the culture of the Thai people. As a form of media, Hormones might result in a paradigm shift in the nature of the soap operas aired on Thai television and to a large extent influence the scripting of future shows. The non-dynamic stories revolving around the male and female protagonists falling in love only to be disrupted by the female antagonist who ends up suffering a major catastrophe may be replaced by more diverse and dynamic soap opera storylines (Sakaowan, 2013). According to Cleary, the characters in Thai soap operas are almost always the same; the main characters are a perfect match of a seemingly flawless girl and her future prince charming. There is often a treacherous and offensive ex-girlfriend or boyfriend, an influential and overly possessive father in law and a comical yet naïve ‘lady boy’, the ‘katoey’, while the maid is depicted as uneducated (n.d.). The characters in Hormones are a deviation from the norm. They are a group of teenagers. Rather than the mundane ‘good boy-good girl-villain’ plot, the story explores topics such as drug and substance abuse, sexuality among adolescents, and the pressures that high school students ordinarily face (Barrow, 2013). Similar in many ways to the UK series ‘Skins’ (Barrow, 2013), the controversial show may have possibly pioneered a new concept in the creation of soap operas in Thailand. The attention that the show drew from fans, critics, and the media may serve to further inspire a new wave of soap opera stories that digress from the conventional love stories. Conclusion The media within a society and a country as a whole mirrors the culture of the particular group of people and more accurately signifies the popular culture. Due to the central role played by soap operas in Thailand, they are of great significance in the representation of the Thai popular culture. As a form of media, the soap opera “Hormones” highlights the place of sexuality in Thai popular culture and other topics considered to be ‘taboo’ in conventional Thai culture. It may also be a reflection of the future of soap operas in Thailand television programming. Reference List Barrow, R. (2013, July 7). “Hormones” is a TV series about Thai teenagers. Retrieved from http://www.richardbarrow.com/2013/06/Hormones-is-a-tv-series-about-thai-teenagers/ Clearly, S. (n.d.). Don't lose the plot in Thai soap operas. Retrieved from http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/10/29/opinion/opinion_30017395.php James, C. (2010, April 7) .What to expect on Thai television: Thai channels have shows unlike anything you've ever seen. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/what-expect-thai-television-thai-channels-have-5788682.html?cat=16 Jansuttipan, M. (2013, June 27). Interview: Songyot 'Yong' Sukmakanan, Director of Hit Thai Teen TV Series 'Hormones'. Retrieved from http://bk.asia-city.com/movies/article/interview-songyot-yong-sukmakanan-director-thai-teen-tv-series-Hormones Sakaowan, P. (2013, July 25). Hormonal soap opera makes NBTC hot and bothered. Retrieved from http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/07/25/hormonal-soap-opera-makes-nbtc-hot-and-bothered The Thailand Life. (2013). Thai Movie Series Hormones – With English Subtitles. Retrieved from http://www.thethailandlife.com/thai-movie-series-Hormones-english-sub-titles Vichitsorasatra, L. (2013, August 6). Hormones: Thai series tackles teen issues head-on. 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