Culture minister Marek Madaric has said that he feels private TV stations in Slovakia have been waging war on Slovak citizens for some time, in what he calls “a war against culture, traditional values, and basic human decency and dignity”.
Madaric’s disgust comes after watching the TV Joj programme format “The farmer wants a wife”, and so he wants to impose greater control over what is broadcast also on commercial TV stations, at least in terms of when certain programmes can be broadcast. This would mean nothing for the under-15s before 8 pm, but the impact of such a move is doubtful.
The culture minister had watched the first episode of the new series and was astonished at the level of vulgarity and degradation that he witnessed. He was probably more shocked by the fact that these people really exist and behave in the ways in the programme. Most who have seen it would probably agree, but TV Joj spokesman Jozef Gogola rejects the claims.
Saying that, these kinds of Big Brother or fly-on-the-wall type programmes are massively popular in Slovakia, with a whole string of them on the go at any one time. They include the likes of programmes named Mum, get me a bride, The Farm, Wife Swap, Weird Families, Beach 33, Hotel Paradise, to mention a few.
The people who usually apply, or are coerced, to participate in these experiments in human anthropology seem to be carefully selected for their personal traits, and they are quite happy to put their neurotic or emotional imbalances up for public display just to be on TV or for the lure of some small cash prize.
The first episode of The farmer wants a wife, for instance, included a few physical fights between competitors, massive amounts of alcohol consumption, lots of snogging, emotional breakdowns, and just about every curse word that exists in the Slovak vocabulary. Hardly good wholesome family entertainment, but the masses here love it, as viewing figures prove.
Private TV broadcasters in Slovakia are understandably perturbed by the measures planned by Madaric and have pointed to how programmes from the Czech Republic will still be broadcast without such censorship, thereby putting only Slovak TV channels at a competitive disadvantage.
I live in Presov George – Where do you abide?
You are talking of Cigany not the decent Slovaks I know!
Sure Slovak Slusby is dire and they all like a bevy but compare them to the ferals in London or any other city in the UK before you slag off the Slovaks!
Do you actually live here>?
Slovak people are pretty decent I have found and I must agree it seems everyone is going down the reality tv anything goes which brings with it all the immorality and destroys cultures as has so called mutliculturalism – no wonder the eastern bloc dont want it – go to London and see what the ganster rappas and con men from every 3rd world have turned it into – its hell on earth if that is possible – where do we draw the line in the sand?
Nowhere it seems – just when i seem to have found a decent country worth emmigrating to the claws of capitalism and perversion seem to be taking hold.
What is wrong with old fashioned values and not swearing , not being rude and not being crude – I mean come to the UK and see the level of degradation in every city , the thicko mixed race single mothered feral kids who’s idea of culture is watching x-factor and other slime-tv.
The few that watch Steven Hawkings universe and other such edifying programs would be classed as unique in my country.
~~~Slovak people are pretty decent I have found……..~~~
Oh please tell me where you found them, the Slowvaks ….because I am still looking ? Every time I thought I knew a Slowvak here in the last 20 years, they always revert back to type …lying, never to blame, two face, cheating, corrupt, untrustworthy, sly, arrogant Ing, Mgr, etc …with that smug we know better than you smile and a performance of richeous indignation when caught with their fingers in the till .
Garry, are you one of those people that believes that we should all live in log cabin, build by ourselves and draw water from the well each day ? Just look what the Romans did over 2000 years ago for us all !
Culture minister Marek Maďarič is spot on and his indignation and personal protest against the kind of stupid self-serving vulgarity presented in that sick TV show can only be applauded. Maďarič gets his pay from taxpayers’ money for speaking for and promoting cultural values, rather than for turning a blind eye and pretending to be deaf when he sees culture disappear and replaced with primitive vulgarity practically on a daily basis. Private TV stations can‘t claim they are just giving folks what they demand. The fascination is on the part of those private electronic media. What makes it especially worrying is how they strive to turn mediocrities and vulgar participants in various decadent reality TV shows into celebrities. A scientist, a prominent neurosurgeon, a piano child prodigy or a brainy engineer and inventor have long disappeared from the TV screen. The onset of this age of celebrity worship and obsession with promoting fools madly in love with themselves and their media image simply pushed those intelligent and creative people of real value away. Often times, the more stupid and arrogant the greater celebrity. The quality of commercial entertainment has gone down alarmingly and keeps deteriorating further, but it is not the ordinary TV viewer working nine to five who is to blame for that. It is the private TV stations and their obsession with cheap pseudo culture that bear the responsibility.
Of course it is far easier, less intellectually demanding and much cheaper to put a bunch of carefully picked out vulgar mediocrities in the role of actors in sick reality TV shows than to produce a TV show of high cultural value. Most of today’s culture comes into people’s homes via television and internet. Both are easily controlled by thoughtful people. True, there is indeed always the TV off button, don’t like don’t watch. But it is not that simple as the decadent pseudo culture produced and aired by private TV stations on a mass scale tends to gradually permeate everything. It ridicules and makes obsolete the good old cultural values that survived centuries. As one prominent Florida journalist pointed out a short time ago, „Secularism, hedonism and nihilism, which characterize today’s culture, spell the death of any civilization. It may well be that Western civilization has already committed suicide, as some have argued. That means it is all the more important that the remnants who still believe in ideals preserve themselves and provide the seeds for a new and better civilization“.
In my view, culture minister Maďarič is right and should be thanked for his disgust and public condemnation of what he justifiably calls a “war against culture, traditional values, and basic human decency and dignity”, after watching the TV Joj program format “The farmer wants a wife”. The people of real achievement in this country (or in any other country for that mater) are not to be found in culturally degraded realty TV shows or on the famous red carpet. They are all around us – the good, hardworking people caring for their families and their neighbors. Just hope one day more of them get fed up and learn to say “No” to the repulsive vulgarity of some reality TV shows. That a culture minister in a country boasting rich cultural tradition has done so is both timely and laudable.
errrrrrm , Have we posh, snobby lot , ( who of course dont drink, swear, cuss, doggie shag, or look at a woman`s breasts, tipping out of a dress ) lost the plot here ?
This is how the majority of Slowvaks are. Just go to any village outside the Bratislava triangle . They drink huge amounts of alcohol , lots of snogging, shaggin ( men with men, woman with men, woman with woman ) have huge emotional breakdowns and paddy`s and just about use every curse word that exists in the Slovak vocabulary. The local dross just relate to these people and their kind, that is why these cheap to make, ugly prorames are so popular ….
Guys there is always the TV off button, dont like dont watch ..it is called choice .
WOW! Another member of BnMs’ govt. talking sense – well done Madaric!
The 8pm watershed ( bit early?) would be a good start but don’t forget the afternoon repeats which seem to be deliberately scheduled around school finishing time.
As for the dross broadcast on the commercial channels I really don’t understand why any company would want their products associated with the antics many of these programmes portray. Madaric should look into amending the licences and forcing the commercial channels to broadcast some home made, quality TV. Job creation? – possibly and much needed, with the same actors in just about every programme on TV. Perhaps a hard hitting drama series – not based around doctors, please. Inside secrets – successful ( honest) businessmen share their secrets, a science and technology programme, some decent documentary and investigatory progs and don’t forget the kids and the young adults.
stupid and simple people become ‘celebrities’ everywhere. In the UK, Big Brother, T.O.W.I.E, Geordie Shore, Peter Andre: My life etc etc etc.
If there’s a war against this kind of stuff by Madaric then there should also be a war against the vulgarism of Fico, the grubbiness of Harabin etc too….
I am still remembering slovak TV stations in early 2000’s: My parents and me used to watch “Who wants to be a milionaire?” guessing the right answers. It was simple education and fun together. Then talking with (in slovak conditions) famous people in talkshows (artists, actors). Sometimes sitcom like Dallas or Step by step, etc – everything was watchable although I must admit that I found it trash in these times.
But here we’ve got, what we wanted. Stupid and simple people become celebrities, drunk and silly people shouting inappropriate sentences in primetime etc.
I know what is goes arround: Average people in Slovakia are glad, that someone has worser life and is more stupid. Nevertheless live direct in TV. Sad.
In this case Madaric is really absolutely right.
This is the culture of our times, like it or not. Those who do not appreciate this type of entertainment need not watch it. Some years back the English parliament were discussing oral sex when one MP stated that he never talked during sex. After much hilarity and banter a colleague explained to him the act of oral sex , his response being – disgusting habit it should be banned. Mr. Madaric would be better engaged in positive activities such as creating good libraries, evening education for adults , and museums rather than trying to impose his judgmental values on a mass population that have probably never ever read a complete book..
You are right that there is a simple solution for me: avoid watching it. But what about early teenagers up to age of 10 for example? How can I avoid they to watching it? Nowadays is unable to fight with TV. I am not something like catholic bigot or someone, but really find inappropriate kids watching stupid drunk horny people in every channel.
Yes in this case Madaric is absolutly right. You can see it in Italy. Once one of the most cultivated european countries, but then Berlusconi floated the country for more than 20 years with boundless stupid TV. He needed to get the country morally bancrupt, because ´normally, no mentally healthy person would vote for this kind of politican. The tragedy is, that he was very successful!
So one good step from Madaric. But I´m afraid in implementing a independent political TV-journalism, he´s maybe not so idealistic.
I give major props to Marek and any Slovak who backs him.
This war “a war against culture, traditional values, and basic human decency and dignity” is one being fought and lost accross the globe. If Marek manages to make an impact with his efforts then good for Slovakia.