The recent suggestion of National Assembly Deputy Armen Ashotyan regarding monitoring of TV serials was the focus of a debate held today in the “Hayeli Club” between actress Hasmik Ter-Karapetyan and writer-commentator Marineh Petrosyan. “If Armen Ashotyan hadn’t attacked the TV serials I would have been more balanced in my approach, but since it is he who is doing the attacking, I’ll defend them with all my strength.” declared M. Petrosyan. In her view the soap operas contain an element of reality and if these broadcasts are subjected to monitoring “not one grain of truth will remain on TV and the medium will become artificial, disgusting and a piece of sugary candy.” Actress Hasmik Ter-Karapetyan observed that the characters in the serials should at least be “moderately vulgar” and that they shouldn’t cross the bounds civilized standards. Both women agreed that as a counterbalance to the negative aspects of the serials they should contain properly-spoken Armenian, something which they find absent in Armenian TV in general.