When you go live, you can’t go unprepared. I mean, the whole world will be dissecting you till the nittiest, grittiest details! Checklist please! Hair? Trimmed bleached, dyed and blow-dried to perfection. Face? Oh, forget the make-up; a quick round of Botox will do! Manicure and pedicure in case the naughty cameras sneak up for a close-up of irrelevant details? Done! Teeth? As white as snow will do but to ward off bad breath, an additional vigorous brushing with Blendaxtic toothpaste will do. Outfit? Just play it safe and dazzle everyone with a business attire, to give the semblance of neutrality.
Okay, so we are all set to take on centre stage! The confidence is in the gait à la Travolta (Staying Alive!) while the sunglasses are there, stubbornly fixed on the head to disguise the brains (or lack of!) Well, let the show begin! Once the cameras begin to roll, photographic clicks are heard and the mikes absorb every single word like a magical sponge, history is created. You know these highly anticipated moments when you can hear the whole world breathing as one, eagerly awaiting the magic spiralling out? Well, NO! Sorry to disappoint you but perfection is utopian. Although all the ingredients have been carefully selected to produce that hell of a live show, some have nonetheless slipped through the colander. Let’s reverse the stakes.
When brain cells have slipped through the net, what kind of live show can we have? When there is no water, how can we quench our thirst? When we have no teeth, how can we chew? When some journalists forget their line of duty, how can the truth be unearthed? It might seem cool to adoring ‘fans’ to post one’s photos gallivanting in a foreign city but it is definitely not cool to fiddle with serious issues pertaining to the nation’s dignity, in full view of everyone. Travelling abroad to quiz someone on their physical appearance rather than on more pertinent matters is beyond ridiculous. Of what use is an arrogant, self-indulgent, pompous exterior when one’s brain cells seem to have fizzled out deep down? So, to overcompensate for the lack of maturity, common sense and intelligence, some who are supposed to be the watchdogs of democracy, intentionally lose their fangs and blow themselves up, exuding a false aura of vanity in the process. Suddenly, the gait à la Travolta is no more! It’s more of a Gangnam Style erratic dancing style! The exposure of truth in an ethical and objective way does not take place within the confines of an endless playground. Rather, the true journalist instinctively knows that his/her fangs of being the democracy’s watchdog are the most powerful weapons. Maybe, some should start deleting those idiotic selfies!