Written by: Saman Khalid
Posted on: April 24, 2024 | 
| 中文
Nida Yasir's morning show is very popular
A sprightly and stimulating television show to stimulate the senses first thing in the morning. This is the essential concept behind the Morning Show phenomenon, or rather, the concept that is sold to the public. The widespread popularity of such shows has radically reduced over the past five years, but its remnants are still running wild. Beneath all the glitz and glamour is a melting pot of gross realities that this article will attempt to raise the curtain from.
Popular morning shows in Pakistan
Morning shows are mostly characterized by an over-the-top host brimming with excitement, along with an animated and obnoxiously loud soundtrack. The host commences the show with an unnaturally cheery welcome, doused with cheesy lines meant to be relatable for the audience. In fact, it is the producers' utmost priority to present the host (who is often a celebrity), as the ultimate representation of the average Pakistani woman. The contents of the show are geared towards middle-class women looking for entertainment. They are bombarded with the narrative of relatability, but the host's designer clothes, extravagant jewellery, immaculate makeover and perfect hair-do are in direct contradiction with the reality. As a result, a false standard is planted into the subconscious of the audience, which makes them believe that they need the same embellishments to be presentable. What the gullible viewers don't see is the outlandish budget dedicated to engineering the exact look that they are dreaming of achieving with their limited means.
Shaista Lodhi and Nida Yasir
As surprising as it may sound, even that isn't enough. Morning shows prey on women's deepest insecurities, particularly when it comes to looks. Therefore, beauty tutorials and instant fairness solutions are the perfect contenders for the show's main highlights. So-called guests are invited to dish out detailed explanations of homemade remedies that women can use to brighten their skin colour. Most of these concoctions are random combinations of domestic ingredients, and have zero scientific evidence to support the claimed effects. Some shows step it up by specifically bringing in women that don't fit into the conventional beauty stereotypes. In other words, these women are dark-skinned. Makeup artists then give them a glow-up by white-washing their faces. During the makeover, the host doesn't shy away from passing rude comments about the "subject's" skin tone and harping on about how desperately they need this makeover. Absolutely no concern is exhibited for the poor woman's self-esteem. Instead, her entire personality is torn to shreds for an hour's worth of entertainment. It is redundant to say that morning shows send out the message that darker skin shades represent a problem that requires rectification, thus making already insecure women feel even more worthless. This practice is not just superficial but straight up harmful.
Organic beauty is another scam perpetuated by morning shows. As mentioned before, everyone on the set is decked up for the cameras. There is nothing natural or "organic" about them. And yet, this doesn't stop them from promoting "healthy" skincare options. Most of these are totally bogus, for it is implied that they are the secret behind the host's glowing skin. Never mind the role of surgical procedures and imported makeup products. There is nothing inherently wrong with the use of cosmetics, but it is the blatant superficiality of these television shows that is the actual issue.
Pakistan's popular morning show hosts
Apart from the disgusting capitalization of female insecurities, morning shows are also guilty of showcasing all sorts of mind-numbing stunts. The obvious winner in this category is the trend of orchestrating entire weddings. A few couples are picked out by the show makers, and their wedding proceedings are aired for everyone to see. It is nothing but a parade of branded dresses and jewellery items sponsored by big companies. Since everything is staged, there is nothing appealing about the whole affair. Dance, music and celebrity appearances are added to make the performative wedding entertaining for the masses. Sure enough, it sets unusually high standards for the ones watching the show. Sometimes, the show continues to follow the couples after the staged wedding. They are invited on the show for the sole purpose of exposing the details of their personal lives and the problematic aspects of their marriage. They even get into fights on screen, all the while being egged on by the host. These stunts are obviously pre-planned, but they have lasting consequences for the couple's relationship. At the same time, it promotes toxicity and invasion of boundaries.
Wedding culture is very popular on television shows
As with any show, you need variety to liven up the show. These morning shows dabble into the paranormal realm by having fake gurus on the set. In order to amp up the stakes, fake phantom appearances are arranged through flickering lights and artificial sound effects. Anyone can tell that it is merely a performance for the benefit of the cameras. As an extension, celebrities are also interviewed at times. A group of actors are brought together, and as you can guess, a controversy is stirred up. There have been dozens of on-screen arguments between famous artists on the platform of morning shows. If anything, it goes to show the degradation of entertainment as a whole.
While it may not seem rational to judge the viewers of morning shows, it is important to understand the psychology behind it. Most housewives don't have access to a variety of entertainment like Netflix etc. Their television screens are the only source of joy for them. The lack of choice makes them indulge in the consumption of trash content. The audience isn't to be blamed. Television channels should either ban these humiliating shows altogether, or introduce strict guidelines for them. Morning shows should be focused on being more productive, by addressing the real issues and challenges facing the people of Pakistan, instead of selling mind dumbing trash.
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