I’ve written about it here and here, but here’s another article, this time by Indian Express columnist Shailaja Bajpai, where she talks of Indian television propagating harmful ways of thinking instead of doing the reverse : In all soaps, the most important entity is the Family, the most critical event, the Wedding, the central theme […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'dumb things people say and do' Category
The Great Indian tamasha : Tharoor and the IPL
All the Indian media can talk about is Shashi Tharoor and the IPL scandal. The head honchos of Indian politics are ready to make important decisions about his suitability as a Minister, and everyone’s horrified at the “inappropriate” behavior. Wow – you think that there may be some shady dealings in the IPL ? In […]
Read the rest of this entry »The unbearable lightness of being
The BBC reports : . . . demand for fair-complexioned brides and grooms to grace these occasions is as high as everFuelling this demand are the country’s 75-odd reality TV shows where being fair, lovely and handsome means instant stardom.As a result, the Indian whitening cream market is expanding at a rate of nearly 18% […]
Read the rest of this entry »Apathy
Watched this news on NDTV, and it is bone-chillingly horrifying. A wounded policeman lies on the side of the road, begging for help. Gangsters have chopped off one of his legs. The ministers and their convoy pass by, stop, but dither around and then call for an ambulance, which does not come. It takes them […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bad-Ad Project : Speaking volumes with your eyelashes
A couple of months ago I saw this ad which featured Brooke Shields touting a product, Latisse, which promised, thicker, fuller eyelashes in about 12-16 weeks. It was bizarre. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWoVT2cGoN0] When I first saw this advertisement I couldn’t believe that they were serious. A product which treats the condition of not having thick enough lashes, […]
Read the rest of this entry »The Bad-Ad Project – 2
Here’e the next installment of Bad Ads. (here’s the previous one) I have seen Kaya skin clinic’s advertisements quite a few times, always advertising skin care (and by allusion skin fairness) but find their ad. on hair-free treatments really objectionable. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdZrl_AGYhY] The words in this advertisement are : “Pari ho tum, Apne pankh na chupa na,Kali […]
Read the rest of this entry »The Bad-Ad Project
I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, so here it is. Every week, I will post about an ad. which I find damaging – it stereotypes, objectifies, subtly puts down women, or just voices the condescending patriarchial voice. Here’s one now : [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7MBZBgJJLE] Seriously, doesn’t that make you sooooo proud that we’re starting […]
Read the rest of this entry »Respect your MPs or else . . .
Reading this article by Amit Ahuja, in which he describes interactions with the governmental bureacracy as transactions where the “government official involved establishes himself not as a service provider but rather as a dispenser of favours“, one is filled with acute hatred for the ubiquitous, corrupt babu and the venal politicians that make this possible. Says Ahuja […]
Read the rest of this entry »In all fairness
It is an expectation in society that women must be “feminine”, i.e.; you’d better not have hair on awkward places (like your arms !!) , your eyebrows must be plucked to appear shapely and avoid the dreaded uni-brow, and you must at all costs avoid the VPL. Don’t know (or don’t care) what that is […]
Read the rest of this entry »No sex education for us. We’re Indian
Note : The edited version of this post appears on the Ultraviolet blog. India is a populous country, and I’m pretty sure the citizens of India have something to do with it. I don’t think the storks are delivering all those babies, or that they are the gift of the Gods, a la Kunti. Thus […]
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