“Mia Luang” bad for Thai youth?
An old debate has reappear. Is Thai media bad for Thai youth? That is the question.
According to Kitti Samanthai, Director General of the Office of Welfare Promotion, Protection and Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups (OPP) part of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, media influence lifestyle, especially children and youth groups. Thai youths are exposed to violence, bad behavior, excessive materialism in media and they are mimicking those ills of society. Samanthai wants action and considers it a national duty to remedy this issue. In March, he wants to hold an assembly with relevant youth agencies, student representatives to create a network of young people working together to find ways to improve youth development and to present it to the government.
Kasem Chandranoi, assistant to the president of Eastern Asia University agrees with Kitti Samanthai that the media is very dangerous to young people because they are less mature and do not understand the repercussion of their actions. They become victims of media. Nowadays, TV is raising a child in place of a parent.
Kasem Chandaranoi finds the current lakorn “Mia Luang” starring Aum Patcharapra very worrisome because it shows inappropriate behavior. It puts an effort on parents to explain to their child what is right and wrong. Parents must take responsibility and Channel Elders must monitor what they show on TV. Also, there is too much smut in Media. Overly sexual images are used to sell projects, porn makes 7,000 million baht ($199.115 million USD) per year, digital media and the internet is also bad. The most important thing is to caught on to the Media’s tricks. In order to do so, you need the cooperation of the household and temples to help eliminate bad media and to create better media.
Don’t feel bad about “Mia Luang”, “Sawan Biang” was also discussed. The Deputy Secretary General of the Anti-Corruption Commission wondered why people cheered for Kawee in “Sawan Biang” to rape and impregnate Narin when they should be cheering for his arrest. He wants parents to reform the most and teach their children what’s right and wrong.
Thoughts? Thais had a lot to say about this topic, 200+ comments were left at Kapook Highlights within a few hours of the article’s posting.
February 15th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
I hate rape in lakorn ! In fact it is the point who make me decide to watch or not a lakorn. When I know that there is rape in a lakorn I don’t watch it : that is why I didn’t watch Sawan Bien or JLR even if I love Ken and Aum. I really can’t understand why public are with the p’ek while they see that what he is doing is wrong. I just wish to see one day a lakorn with a n’ek who has enough courage to denounce and put in jail p’ek lol.
I know that we have to seperate on screen and real life, but how can you explain to your children the wrong with rape while they see you cheering a p’ek who has raped the n’ek ?
February 15th, 2009 at 10:09 am
I guess we are all entitled to our opinions…and I can’t change the fact that some people still think its the fifties and everything should be censored. Anyways, I guess my point is the media will always be the scapegoat for the downfall of society. People need to take ownership and accept the fact that’s it partly because of bad parenting that todays youth are effed up. Its because we want to censor everything and live in this bubble fairy land where nothing bad happens. Stop suppressing everything and maybe we can expand our minds and grow. In no way shape or form am I encouraging those retarded rape scenes…but sadly they have integrated into most lakorns. I think we should point the finger at that guy with the fancy title throwing this assembly. He probably contributes to the reason why the porn industry is so huge.
February 15th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Same here. I do not like rape scenes and Kawee should be put in prison for a very lon time for doing what he did with Narin. I was quite disturbed that most of the lakorns I’ve watched had some kind of rape scene in it. Have they ever heard of consensual sex instead of having to force the other partner to do unwilling things? Take Hua Jai Chocolate for example. They happily agreed to it. Now, that’s what I want to see. And yes, some of these media is sending the wrong message out to young adults. They’re portraying that it is ok to do such a thing. The kids will one day use this excuse to tell that they learned it from lakorns and if it’s ok there, then it should be ok in real life. They don’t understand what’s fantasy and what’s not. They should understand that they are showing the public these scenes so they should keep the romantic scenes but keep the rape down a notch.
Btw, I so agree with istilllovelakornsthough. “Anyway, I seriously do not understand the logic behind this, it’s BAD to have a real kiss, but rape is completely fine in lakorns”.
February 15th, 2009 at 8:21 am
I’m not a big fan of rape scenes either. Lakorns like KTP, and MKKW stand on their own merits without a rape scene. Even Dum Khum cld have done without that scene and still be a mega-hit as it had been before that even happened. I have not watched Mia Luang, so no comments on tht. JLR and MTR was also doing fine ratings-wise before that scene. As for SB, I still found it quite disturbing to have so many rape scenes, it was quite difficult to watch, esp when the girl forgave Kawee in the end. Even tho its just a lakorn, its still difficult to stomach. I preferred the side story of Tom there.
I believe that the main ingredients of a drama is just tht …lots of drama and plenty of good acting. Rape scenes are just an extra which you can choose to do without. If u need to rely on sex to sell the show, then truthfully, no offence intended, its obviously not a very good show!
Also, parents can’t always be at home babysitting their kids. These primetime lakorns are ard 8.30pm so, when parents are home late due to certain engagements, the kids may have already watched the show already. Its true tht we shld give young teens more credit, however, lets not forget that not all of them think alike and some may be less mature than their peers and may thus, want to try things they see in the media.
Okay, tht was super long, to wrap it up, I wanna say Thanks Lyn for your new eng sub lakorn page. It has a nice layout and its really easy to find the vids on it now. Keep up the good work! =)
February 15th, 2009 at 4:41 am
Honestly, I don’t know what’s so bad about it lol. This is afterall a remake. I didn’t see so much controversy around it in the original lakorn. I think the only reason why it’s even so controversial now is because now a days people are more strict and serious on what the media chooses to portray. The thing I feel is that … if people can’t handle it then they shouldn’t watch it. I’m pretty sure there is a warning that comes on before the lakorn air. Sure people are gonna say, “but people can turn on the tv and jus see it.” So many excuses on how a person can get their eyes on something bad, but never enough excuses on how they could prevent it. Also, I think the people watching are equally to blame as the people that creates the lakorn. Afterall if the lakorn weren’t successful then the ratings wouldn’t be up and the producers wouldn’t create similar storyline. Believe it or not sometimes bad media is good media in that it helps drives the economy. If all lakorns were slow and steady and there are no lakorn viewers revenue will not be generated. Some people fail to look at the long term aspects of things. I’m not for the rape for lakorns such as Sawan Biang, but I’ve seen nothing in Mia Luang that calls for all this drama. I mean sure Aum’s character is portrayed in a bad way, but it’s not like she’s offending anyone in the lakorn she doesn’t even work so there is no job description that she is tainting lol. Pok’s character is a, “Dr” of something and she maintains her status well. She is acting as many sophisticated women would especially for her situation. I understand if they have Pok going nuts and going after all the Mia Noy’s but she’s not. I can understand why some people dislike Mia Luang and see it in the negative light, but at the same time we need to reach and watch the other side of the fence. Not everything has to be as negative as we want it to be and perceive it to be just like not everything is as positive.
February 15th, 2009 at 4:00 am
I certainly agree with most of the posted comments. I understand that sometimes people are expecting people to differentiate between what’s fake and what’s reality. The only problem is that not very one can differentiate the difference. Seriously, kids are the most susceptible to this kind of exposure. I have a little niece and she’ll do things she saw on TV because she thinks it okay to do them. It’s our duty to let them know that is wrong or right. If kids do not have someone to tell them that something is wrong, then they will go on thinking that what is wrong is right.
Anyway, I seriously do not understand the logic behind this, it’s BAD to have a real kiss, but rape is completely fine in lakorns.
February 15th, 2009 at 2:51 am
i like some lakorns, like Jam loey rak,but i must admit, i just skip the rape scenes…i do not take RAPE lightly..it is degrading to women.how do you explain that to the young ones watching?
Even though some say this is just a series and it’s not real,let’s face it…it is very influential most especially to the youth these days..they look up to celebs and are addicted to TV series…movies….not just in thailand..anywhere..
lakorns can be great without RAPE scenes so i hope they will put more emphasis on REAL KISSING instead of faking it…
February 15th, 2009 at 2:29 am
People has to remember that its entertainment…those lakorns are a hit because its giving what the audiences what they want. No way am I condoning rape scenes or anything like that but people should know how to differentiate real life and a lakorn. In reality nang rais don’t go around slapping people for kicks. Definitely should be screening what your kids are watching anyways… Its part of your responsibility of being a parent.
February 15th, 2009 at 2:22 am
The trick is to separate reality from the media, which is probably the hardest thing to do considering our favorite Ken rapes in lakorns lol. Can’t deny that the media is one of the largest influences on society, but even though it’s easier said than done, people just need to leave the media with the media. Oh, and the media should also take responsibility. It’s like all they think about is making money and propaganda. Aren’t there any good-hearted people out there?!
February 15th, 2009 at 2:11 am
I really question the storyline for this lakorn (most of the lakorn in true). after reading the story, I decided not to watch it because it is stupid. When I read that this lakorn is doing really well in rating, I m really shock because it show people in thailand like watching it. somewhere along the line something must have gone wrong for people in thailand to like watching rape, husband cheat and wife is ok with it. something is wrong wrong wrong with thai people watching lakorn.
February 15th, 2009 at 1:47 am
They should get rid of rape scenes in Lakorns unless the guy goes to jail. Lakorns should have more kissing; real kisses not fake ones.
February 15th, 2009 at 1:27 am
yes, Mae luang is so effective to society.Man with a lot of wife and several sexaulity scene.So do sawan bieng, i don’t like sawan bieng and i want to ask why this one recieved several award.
February 15th, 2009 at 1:24 am
I agree that rape shouldn’t be promoted- I find it degrading for women but I think that in Sawan Biang- rape was portrayed in a more negative light than in other lakorns- like the nangek didn’t just wake up and forgave the praek- we see that Ann’s character really suffered emotionally from the rape.
And as far as mimicking the actions on TV- I think that the public audience is more media conscious than we are being given credit for. I personally don’t think that kids buy into everything they see and read- I actually think kids ask a lot of questions.
And for excessive materialism- I think that its part of the culture and society that we live in- even if the media doesn’t portray stars with namebrand materials- we would still want things that our neighbour or our friends have.
February 15th, 2009 at 1:13 am
finally!! i always thought it was weird that in almost every lakorn there’s a rape scene. as much as i love watching lakrons, i hate when there’s a rape scene. i just don’t watch that particular scene. as much as i love Ken in Sawan Biang (i love ken in any and everything), i hated when he was raping. it wasn’t just a rape, it was a raping rampage.
it’s not only the thai media that’s portraying negative images to the youth. the US is filled with negative images also. i don’t watch BET or MTV, but they’re filled with bad bad images. i’m sure anywhere you look the media is portraying some sort of negative messages and images, they’re doing that because sex sells. i never liked the overly sexual famous actresses. i like the ones who portrayed themselves as smart and independent actresses. seriously, i hate paris hilton, lindsey lohan, miley cyrus (thank god, she’s getting sued), oh and the list just goes on and on. i don’t like them because they’re hoochies or they have no talent. i hate it when people have no talent and they rely solely on their “sexy” appearances to make money.
February 15th, 2009 at 1:01 am
This is probably one of the biggest reasons why I don’t watch dramas. Not to bash them or anything, but I feel that they portray the wrong impression to youngsters in Thailand. Furthermore, having popular actors and actresses portray these characters just make the whole idea of rape, affairs, etc. that much more appealing to the viewers.