By Rukhshan Meer
For those of you who are not familiar with word “kitsch”, lets bring to your knowledge that it is a German word, known to be first used in 1925. Urban dictionary states that it is as an art movement, lifestyle, or literature and film genre, which is pleasingly distasteful. It’s melodramatic, overdone, gaudy and tacky or sentimental and folksy. It’s so bad that it’s cool.
The same concept is being implied by Taher Shah, Qandeel Baloch and people who are following the same path. What they are doing is that they are producing content that is un pleasingly distasteful and that it goes viral on the social media, instantly grabs public attention and fame starts knocking at their doorsteps. Isn’t it ironic, making a insane song singing “angel angel mankind angel, my heart is a rose beautiful soul” or making inappropriate video messages for cricketers, politicians and actors like “Shahrukh Khan agar tumhari team jeet gayi to mai who karon gi k jo khara hai Beth jaye ga aur betha hua khara ho jaye gaa” and yet they are succeeding in gaining media’s attention. Our well known anchors and morning show hosts are calling them on their program sets and holding a table talk with them.
In a country full of serious political and ideological issues the discussion being run on television program is “Qandeel what was your agenda behind that strip tease you offered to Shahid Afridi? will you do this in future?” The anchor seems more stupid than the girl who offered Afridi and the nation a strip tease.
This strategy sometimes works with politicians in their speeches which attracts nothing but public attention. It reminds me of the sick MQM leader Altaf Hussain prior his ban on Television appearance by PEMRA what he only does is please his viewers by his melodious voice and sometimes by singing songs and please them to gain sympathy and nothing else. In all this foolish and stupid attention seeking program who are culprits? None other than the viewers who praise these cartoons more than an ordinary person.
Another stage actress which is being in limelight for her cheap publicity gaining strategies which includes destructing spoken English Irtiza Rubab, better known by her stage name Meera is facing a trial in Pakistani court for her nasty activities and no longer seen on the screens.
Now this trend is gaining attention and we often observe many people making their video clips to make them viral and become a social media star. Following of Kitsch loses the criterion of getting into the limelight and just make it a step away from a stupid video, voice or song content. If anyone wants publicity he or she will make a rubbish video and get their dreams come true. Let’s stop this trend here, If someone wants to achieve a spot in the limelight then they should struggle and produce something creative that we can show to the International community as well, that we too have ability and competence to produce quality content through social media, We have creative people in our media industry in the shape of actors, anchors, singers and playwrights. Don’t just take us as a joker nation who is not serious in entertainment as we are not-serious at every domain of life. Let’s set up a criterion to select our stars and public figures. Don’t set the price of stardom so low and the quality of production content so poor. Mark my humble request.