New voices, old songs | Bangkok Post: opinion

THINKBOX

I have a confession. I am secretly addicted to both The Voice US and The Voice Thailand. The programme is an absolute treat to curl up on the sofa with a hot cup of tea and just watch.

Why am I spellbound by this show? Journalistically, it's so-so _ not the worst and not the best. There are excerpts of human interest stories where the contestants are interviewed about their paths to the show. Most give a heart-felt synopsis about their humble beginnings and share their bourgeois philosophies about life and music. The snips of the contestants with their parents, walking about, or doing ordinary things are well edited into their short video autobiographies. Not a bad way to solicit emotional connections from the viewers.

I thought about my TV habits. On occasions I will find a movie to watch. Most of the time, I fall asleep half way. Sometimes I turn the tube off from lack of interest. When I finally watch a movie from beginning to end, I seldom think much about it afterwards. But with The Voice, I consciously make an effort to know when the next show will air. I watch CNN and other global news religiously because I am interested in current happenings. But I hardly feel the same level of emotional connection with the news. I have never looked up Anderson Cooper 360 on Facebook, but I did for The Voice.