Distortion of history through television programs and its lasting effect...

@vandana7 (100558)
India
May 2, 2011 11:51am CST
Ok... I dont know if you all have it ...and though I have mentioned only television programs, it could also mean other fiction works. So here, we have a historic serial running and its a very popular serial about 1857 revolution. A lot of things are added to prolong the serial, and for which there is no basis. In fact, a lot of it seems much too silly. Unfortunately, children watch it and believe every word of it. Agreed they will grow up and may be pull out those historic documents hidden somewhere on the net. But majority of them would not. And perhaps they will narrate the distorted versions to their kids, and history would no longer remain as truthful as it should. After all, kids wouldnt question their parents. This could go on and on... Honestly, I dont like it. And I get as Moksha put it, cheesed at being shown something like that. I get cheesed when the director treats me like a dimwit. I may be, but hey, I dont want to be told that. What about you?
5 people like this
11 responses
@webearn99 (1742)
• India
2 May 11
And that's what is called "Artistic" freedom. History is often distorted, yes! even in textbooks we had to read in schools. The ruling elite put more emphasis on their Idols, rather than on truth. I have read chapters and chapters about Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, but sadly not much if at all about, Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri, of for that matter, Alluri Seetharama RajU or Sri Potti Sri Ramulu from our state. I have always been skeptical about one single source of information and always seek second opinion, History or medicine.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
2 May 11
I hate it when they over emphasize one leader and dont bother about other leaders. I agree with you the Lal Bahadur Shastri was a thorough bred gentleman, who was accidentally into politics. He didnt create a dynasty of politicians like Nehrus, Scindias, Tytlers, and oh so many. As to Gandhi, I think he was more of a puppet - an image created to win the hearts of people.
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
3 May 11
But webearn, there were reports of Mahatma being verbally cruel to his wife. And the fact that his son left him and went back to South Africa even while the freedom struggle was in progress. There was considerable dissent in their household, but it was kept under wraps, so as not to shatter that image of Gandhi. I agree about fasting though. One person cannot be completely good, or completely bad.
@webearn99 (1742)
• India
2 May 11
The Mahatma was very relevant for the those times. Somehow he never hyped himself so much. He was quiet and unassuming. If he went on a fast, it was just himself, no noise, no slogan shouting and no publicity. For more than sixty we have had this artificial imagery stuffer down our throats. The reaction to this is the general skepticism about his life, as we see it today.
@moksha09 (467)
• India
3 May 11
i have been reading a lot about the past leaders and i realize most of them were ordinary with major flaws. I mean the likes of bhuttos, indira Gandhi, rajiv gandhi and even mahatma gandhi. But then we can go by what is written about them by others so we will never know. I feel history is actually distortions of fact. The really good ones like bhagat and jp narayan never got their due. In fact Indira gandhi was very ordinary but very few talk about her major blunder called emergency in 1975. Her creation of bhindranwale and subsequent storming of golden temple to kill him shows her in very poor light. But then she is painted out to be a martyr and a great leader. History is unreliable.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
3 May 11
Moksha - Indira Gandhi made more blunders than any other leader. She is responsible for the Indo Pak war leading to formation of Bangladesh. That was so uncalled for. That was internal matter. We had no business to interfere. Even if something like that was happening, we should have approached the UN, because UN was already around. I think she did it so show military supremacy, and win the subsequent elections as at that point of time, we were facing high inflation rate and she was likely to lose the elections. That establishment of military supremacy has hurt the ego of every Pakistani, and today we are paying the price through Kashmir. How many lives are lost since then because of that woman? How many mothers have lost their sons on both sides of border? But at that time the press and magazines were hailing her as a great leader.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
5 May 11
You said it... she used that opportunity. Which is costing us Kashmir today. Temporary advantage. And yes it was the excuse of mass exodus. That where I expected her to approach the UN. Now, the whole world faces terrorism. There is so much angst in the hearts of Pakistanis, at being defeated so often by the Indian Army. They will not be satisfied or calmed until they get what they feel is getting even. We pay the price for Indira Gandhi's political ambition.
@moksha09 (467)
• India
4 May 11
the formation of bangladesh was not her blunder but the combined madness of Zulfi Bhutto and Yahya khan. Indira sensed her big chance and grabbed it with both hands.She had her excuse though, mass exodus of bangladeshi refugees to India even as a mass genocide was being carried out by yahya's troops in east pakistan.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
2 May 11
Vandana! I agree that facts should be adhered to especially when history is narrated. Normally, when a person writes a story there is a disclaimer in the beginning that some characters are fictitious and naturally some episodes would also be so.But , despite thIS we do read the novel and enjoy reading it. WHen the novel is picturised or even otherwise this is bound to happen. Serials are meant for adults who can sift the chaff from the grain and not for children.[I do not watch serials and I do not know how bad this is however]
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
2 May 11
Kala - I was talking about Jhansi Ki Raani. There is so much distortion that only 25 percent of it seems to be the truth. :(
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
2 May 11
Highly irresponsible of the fimmakers [serial makers rather]then.
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
2 May 11
How did the censor board allow that? And children dont understand disclaimers. So why do they put it there?
• India
3 May 11
Vandanaji Namastey, i saw a discussion from you after a long gap. You are probably talking about Jhansi ke rani, if my guess is correct.The film makers are very clever, to avoid legal disputes they always put a disclaimer in the beginning. I agree with your views, but can we do any thing? Even facts shown in Ramayan/Mahabhart are distorted. Govenment should take some action. Thanks for sharing Cheers. God bless you, have a nice day ahead. Professor ‘Bhuwan’. .
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
3 May 11
You guessed it right professor. It was about Jhansi ki Raani. The impression about that serial is good. That will make it hard for children to forget the incidents shown in it. Disclaimer is fine for adults. But it can hardly be fine for children who dont understand the implications. In any event, even with disclaimer, the impact of visuals is definitely more. So government should do something about keeping history intact.
@jennyze (7028)
• Indonesia
3 May 11
Vandy, you are really good. I noticed this tendency in every country, but I did not think of making it a discussion here. I just rated you... I like it. In Indonesia, only about 14 years ago that we knew the government had been distorting a part of our history and dictated it in school since we were a child. After it was uncovered that what we had known for years was not a true history, the government was forced to pull out the history books from schools and till now we do not have any. It's tragic. And no one dares to rectify the real history, caused it could reverse the whole history and damage some big and supposedly heroes people in our country. Now back to the TV programs, since that revealing time, we do not have any programs with related to that part of a history, yet. But I know some dramas in Korea also temper with the history, as well as some dramas and movies in China. When it is a business, people do tend to forget the morality of a story.
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
3 May 11
Gee thanks. :) And we fight for that history which is fed to us. We fight for that propaganda which is fed to us. Fed to us by media or the politicians. Through newspapers, news channels, television programs, books, you name it...what a bunch of idiots we must be if we let ourselves be influenced by such things. What more, we perpetuate the hatred and dislike...through the minds of our children.
@jennyze (7028)
• Indonesia
3 May 11
It's true. There are some old documents and movies for everyone to read or see when they want to know the history, still those old documents and movies are kept by the government and not easy for any people to get access to them. Some people in entertainment business would like to revive those history in a pleasant way by adding some romances but I just hope hat they did not alter the way people think at the time, the costumes, he government policy at the time etc.
@Kalyni2011 (3496)
• India
4 May 11
Vandanaji They should not do this, they are disfiguring our history our culture, the kids read one thing in book but see some thing else in the tv, it is natural they get confused.. Thanks for this timely discussion Cheers. God bless you, have a nice day ahead. Kalyani ‘Namastey’. .
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
5 May 11
Hello Kalyaniji, kids get confused, but would tend to remember what they see visually, and hear. Which means they would remember it all wrong!!
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
3 May 11
I wish they would keep historical things factual. But it's all about money, really...
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
3 May 11
Dawny it eventually harms their future interests isn't it? I mean those distortion of facts be it related to religion or history sow seeds of resentment and mistrust in the next generation. It is one thing to talk about aliens, and it is another thing to talk about another race, country, or religion.
@allknowing (137671)
• India
3 May 11
Just like me you too have woken up rather late to realise the hogwash that we see on telelvision and other media. It was such a relief for me when I decided to call it a day when it came to watching serials which I used to putting aside all other acitivities. It did eat into my lifestyle and in a way I could say put my life in disarray. Better late than never and so here I am totally liberated from the bonds of these good for nothing serials.
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
3 May 11
I dont normally watch. Papa does. And there are days when he takes over my system to record some programs that come simultaneously. That is with TV tuner card installed here. I can only be a mute spectator.
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
3 May 11
Dear Vandanaji As I mentioned on Misterwit's box, It is the politicians that want the history to be written the way they want. Lallooji got into the Books with special topics dedicated to him. There are many embarrassing things about Gandhiji that are now not mentioned in any book on him, those who tend to write them, get banned. The media is more focussed on the scams than on the history - they publish things as long as they want it and then let go of it as if they knew nothing about it. I also remember the first thing that the UPA govt. did when it first came to power was to remove all the hoarding on the roads that glorified the BJPs work and initiatives to the Golden Roadways or the Joining of the rivers. Though the Supreme Court issued an order that the Policies etc. should not be named after politicians, nothing got implemented. So why the Television stays back...? I am not worried about the kids as they study. The problems will arise when they would search the Internet, find contradictory things and get more confused as to who or what is right...
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
3 May 11
Politics, religion, greed and gossip..four undesirable aspects of our society. Unfortunately, these would lead to youngsters getting prejudiced or as you pointed, confused.
• United States
3 May 11
All media distorts the truth. They either make it a hollywood romance or they dramatize it, or completely make up fake background. The only way to truly learn what really happened is to read written documentation from people of that time (like letters).
@vandana7 (100558)
• India
3 May 11
Sad but so true. And unfortunately, kids watch all that about politics, countries, history, religion, and start developing some prejudices of their own.
• United States
3 May 11
All media distorts the truth. They either make it a hollywood romance or they overdramatize it, or make up completely fake historical information. The only way to learn the real truth is to read actual documentation from people of that time.