I’ve just read a really good article that is shockingly accurate about Thailand’s Got Talent and why it is so shitty for a lot of us. Here’s the brief of what that article has to say.

(1) Ingenuity – it’s not exactly fake but it’s rather part of the whole truth or a completely dramatized version of the real story. Some of the contestants’ background were made too sad, making it more like a mini Thai soap opera than a talent show. Some contestants claimed lied they have never performed elsewhere and this is their only shot.

(2) The judges – even though they are sort of big in the Thai entertainment industry, they aren’t exactly qualified to judge anyone. All they’ve gotten to say so far were different versions of “awesome”, “splendid”, or “cute”. They’ve never demonstrated that they’re know better than any of us really—not to mention that they acted like kids who always jump on the bandwagon of the majority.

(3) Discrimination and putting others down (when it’s not talent-related) – one of the judges has mentioned that he didn’t like a piece of performance simply because he didn’t understand the language (which was supposed to be Thai Yai). The other time they stopped the performance by a deaf cheerleading group half-way and told them to perform without music just to prove that they can do it. What rights do they have to stop them half-way through the performance?

(4) Talent vs. Thainess – This show should seriously consider renaming the show to “Thailand’s Got Thainess.” The number of performances receiving praises from the judges for showing and integrating Thainess into the modern context is complete bullshit. Perhaps Thainess really is a talent, just like how we are recorded in the World’s Guinness Record for having the largest pan of Pad Thai in the world? Nice. We all should be proud.