Quite a few of my friends believe that there is nothing but crap on television. Heck, some of them don't even own a TV set. I don't have this sort of attitude at all. While reality shows make my eyes glaze over and I don't have much need for most of the fictionalized shows, my wife and I really enjoy stations like the History Channel, Discovery, Free Speech TV, Animal Planet, Food Network and the Travel Channel.
One program we tune into every Sunday night is Mark & Olly: Living with the Tribes. In its third season, these two Brits travel to remote areas with a small film crew to live amongst "primitive" tribes. For the first two years, they stayed with distinct tribes in West Papua (Mek and Kombai); this season they are deep in the Peruvian rain forest filming life with the Machigenga.
While I have always enjoyed the subject of anthropology, it also concerns me greatly. Each time a scientist, explorer or TV crew ventures to study indigenous people up close and personal, I worry about the residual effects.
In the brief description above, it states that the "the Machigenga live in total isolation", but this self-imposed isolation has been forever shredded by the imposition of Mark and Olly!! What effects will be wrought long term? Do they even care? Could the introduction of video equipment and 6 strange people (the "stars" plus the film crew) alter the social and belief structure of the subject matter?
I truly believe it is valuable to study and learn from all of the various societies that walk on Mother Earth. My private worry, though, is at what cost.
What do you think?
One program we tune into every Sunday night is Mark & Olly: Living with the Tribes. In its third season, these two Brits travel to remote areas with a small film crew to live amongst "primitive" tribes. For the first two years, they stayed with distinct tribes in West Papua (Mek and Kombai); this season they are deep in the Peruvian rain forest filming life with the Machigenga.
In the third season of "Living With the Tribe," explorers Mark Anstice and Oliver (Olly) Steeds travel to the Peruvian Amazon to experience life with the remote Machigenga.The show is fascinating and, at times, a bit contrived -- but it's TV, so that is to be expected! It's interesting to watch how these so-called primitive people are so much more in touch with the natural world than modern society. Of course, they HAVE to be; it's how they've been able to survive!
Surrounded by the swelling rivers and lush vegetation of the Amazon, the Machigenga live in total isolation, surviving their ancient traditions and escaping foreign invaders.
Viewers will enjoy watching Mark & Olly embark on their exciting adventure to learn the necessary skills for survival, adapt to the unique tribal traditions, and ultimately thrive within the culture of one of the most mysterious indigenous communities.
While I have always enjoyed the subject of anthropology, it also concerns me greatly. Each time a scientist, explorer or TV crew ventures to study indigenous people up close and personal, I worry about the residual effects.
In the brief description above, it states that the "the Machigenga live in total isolation", but this self-imposed isolation has been forever shredded by the imposition of Mark and Olly!! What effects will be wrought long term? Do they even care? Could the introduction of video equipment and 6 strange people (the "stars" plus the film crew) alter the social and belief structure of the subject matter?
I truly believe it is valuable to study and learn from all of the various societies that walk on Mother Earth. My private worry, though, is at what cost.
What do you think?
Television is bollocks. Nothing on it is real. Everything is contrived.
ReplyDeleteIt is impossible to take a TeeVee crew anywhere, go through the process of production and post-production, sponsor it, squeeze it through the tube and have anything come out that remotely resembles reality.
I know. I was a television producer for twenty years.
Furthermore, the process changes the subject, especially when dealing with unsophisticated societies in remote places. One of the first things I teach in anthropology classes is how the process of study changes the subject under study. We do exercises in "objective" observation and description, that demonstrate how difficult it is to describe a subject without distorting the description through cultural biases.
Turn off the Teevee. Shoot it. Put it out of your misery.
"...the process changes the subject...."
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid Hayduke is right about this. It's inevitable. Reporters may try their best to be "fly-on-the-wall" observers merely documenting...but their very presence and the act of documentation itself alters what was...and once the change is set in motion....
'Ol John Prine sang "Blow up your TV." :)
This is a good description of Quantum Physics at work.
ReplyDeleteObserve anything, and it becomes something different to what it was before it was observed.
I have a TV, and it is always a good source of material to show how lucky I am to not be living in the reality inhabited by whoever is shown on it.
My wife watches this thing called "American Idol". I don't know why.
It is a bunch of mammoth egos all trying to convince each other they are somehow worthwhile.
When clearly they are not.
They all seem like lunatics to me.
Oh well...