Alexander G. Farrugia, Xagħra
Young children on candid camera
Last Sunday evening, while flipping channels, I came across what I feel to be a prime example of bad-taste television! The channel in question is the local channel Family TV, which, at the time, was airing a series of "candid camera" sequences which were seemingly faux-recordings of a programme which bears the name Issa ċ-Ċans.
Candid camera-type shows have been mushrooming all over local TV lately, most of the time delivering shabby imitations of foreign gags. What really disgusted me in this particular example was that very young children were involved, and ridiculed.
The children were made to believe that they were to record a song for the aforementioned TV show. During their presentation and performance, they were subjected to continuous pseudo technical mishaps... the CD skipping, things falling in the studio and audio problems, among other things.
The director made each child make repeated takes, with the camera focusing on the children's faces, who became more and more anxious with each repetition. Some even ended up crying.
To make matters worse, the studio people, probably because their poor minds thought it would add a little bit more realism, randomly shouted at the children with phrases like "Ejja ħi! Forsi neħilsu!", "Dan min għallmek tkanta?", "Qed tistona!" and "Daqshekk! Skwalifikata!".
The really repulsive part was the fact that all of this seems to have had their voice tutor's blessing. Is this person aware of how much harm could be done when children as young as six are exposed to such things? How can one believe that, at that age, children have the concept of "candid camera"? Were parents aware of this?
If a channel really has the family at heart, it should, by principle, avoid making of its most vulnerable members! As Khalil Gibran writes, "If indeed you must be candid, be candid beautifully."
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Tanja Cilia
Jan 15th 2009, 17:42
When local drama which is full of foul language is aired on local stations NOBODY EVEN DARES SPEAK UP because it is aired on Political Party Stations! GROW UP PEOPLE! Maybe we will someday know what real TV is all about!
You are wrong. I do. Inevitably; wherever it airs.
E. Azzopardi
Jan 7th 2009, 00:03
Cannot agree more with this reasoning. The children, repeat, children were ridiculed. I totally blame the parents who were so ''pleased'' that their own children were ridiculed. Oh, when are we going to learn?
We try to copy but we cannot do even that. Can't we think of something original?
What did you say ''Lateral Thinking' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Andrew Farrugia
Jan 6th 2009, 21:25
This show was recorded in the presence of the parents of all the children involved. Had you been watching, for the last thirteen weeks, these children have been competing in a singers festival called Issa c-Cans, in which everybody got a fair shot at showing their talent on Maltese TV for the first time.
Christmas time was time for them to take a well deserved break. I can personally assure you that each of these children ended up laughing at each other at the end of the show.
We Maltese people are so stupid sometimes. Candid camera is just that, CANDID CAMERA! I personally feel that we have come to a point where we take ourselves so seriously that we cannot even take a joke!
Why should we tolerate such shows and make them popular when they are transmitted from foreign stations but always boo at something local?
When local drama which is full of foul language is aired on local stations NOBODY EVEN DARES SPEAK UP because it is aired on Political Party Stations! GROW UP PEOPLE! Maybe we will someday know what real TV is all about!
Joseph Galea
Jan 6th 2009, 18:52
Those 'gags' that have actors impersonating police officers are really in bad taste. Moreover, I was always under the impression that impersonating police was a criminal offense.
Ronnie Gauci
Jan 6th 2009, 15:45
Candid shows are cheap to produce, just a small camera and a "victim" is all you need. That's why they are being produced ad nauseam, the costs are small and the income is huge thanks to countless publicity spots. In other words it's TRASH TV. I expect these types of programs to be shown on channels like Smash, Favourite or Family TV but I would have never expected that one of these was to become Net TV's most popular program.
J Galea
Jan 6th 2009, 13:00
Incidentally I came across maybe a repeat of this show yesterday, and YES it was atrocious. Can the so called producers of this disgusting show imagine what these poor children went through by being ridiculed in that manner???? A REAL SHAME, especially when your name is FAMILY TV !!!!!!!! SO UNPROFESSIONAL !!!!!!!!!!
Charles Sammut
Jan 6th 2009, 12:21
There is a solution, and modern technology has made it very easy and effortless to use.
It is called a remote control.
Alfred Grech
Jan 6th 2009, 12:16
The Maltese versions of Candid Camera are tasteless and in many cases disgusting. They should be pulled of the air unless they are able to produce jokes that entertain everyone even the "victims".
At times I watch Paprati, not for entertainment, but to see how Stupid whoever produces it is, yes, Stupid with a capital S.
anthony bonanno
Jan 6th 2009, 10:19
Shame on you, It was repulsive, had it happened elsewhere station would have lost license