I'm slightly annoyed today, not with anyone, not even myself for that matter. I'm just cross at the way we tend to think sometimes, and am even more cross as to the way we let people treat us! My mother was just telling me about this friend of hers who asked her daughter-in-law to be to undergo some beauty, fairness therapy before she got married! For me, nothing can be more insulting and disparaging than to be told to somehting like that!! I'm surprised the girl in question did'nt even object to it..I would certainly have!
Deeper down, these are manifestations of the archaic and fossilised undertones that our society lives with. Honestly speaking, I find these fairness creams advertisements denigrating too...after all, have we tried to delve into what the essence of these ads actually is? All of us have, infact. This one ad that I saw had this girl looking desperately for a job, but as expected, she was'nt 'fair' and therefore, the job evaded her...and then, Heavens beckoned her to use this cream and Viola! The world was at her feet! Gosh! Are we still living in the 21st century is what I sometimes wonder! And then, an even more disdainful way to sell the same product is to show how men will run after you once you use their cream. I'm startled, and amazed at the sheer profanity of the whole thought!
Is that the only thing a woman is worth? Enticing men and opportunities using an artificially acquired beauty (if at all!). Specially in the world of today, when women are so confident of their abilities? Turn to any news channel and you'll know what I mean. Pretty, presentable faces, yes, lots of them. But, when we watch a Barkha Dutt, do you see what she looks like or do you see what she delivers? Or the many correspondents smeared with sweat and dirt, absolutely unmindful of what they look like? Would we accept a stuttering girl making a fool of herself no matter how gorgeous she was?? There you go, you have the answer right at your doorstep!
I'm not fair myself, but I find this antediluvian fixation with 'fairness' rather annoying, and it leaves me flabbergasted! For one moment, you feel that the way women are visualised is changing, and the very next, you feel you've been in a time warp ever since mankind came into existence. It is such an audacious, abrasive thought and I see no reason why any sane person should not question it.
posted by Nupur Bhatnagar @ Saturday, September 01, 2007
3 Comments:
Impressive and true thoughts - but no marks for guessing what's Unilever's largest selling brand in the country? It is the very cream that you mentioned.
I remember a session with MJ Akbar of Asian Age where someone asked him whether Asian Age was sold because of the front page or the last - he said - I am in business and I make what the market wants.
Exactly my point....ppl treat us the way we allow them to...and that is what I find ridiculous here!
2ndly, I feel that people in business dictate/can dictate what the public wants...clever of them to always blame the consumer for everything they do, or don't do! Its pretty convenient..I'm not responsible, my consumer demands it! Humbug!
Not a humbug - the very idea behind a
"capitalistic" enterprise is to maximize profits - and those come through revenues - which in turn come through generating products that are required by the market. Why will any business in its sane mind develop a product which is not required by the market??
Though on another note - mark the quotes it need not be necessary that all organisations should be purely capitalistic - and should have social responsibility. That nonetheless is a decision that we should leave to the good sense of the enterprise - by regulating you are increasing bureaucracy and corruption.
Let organisations, societies and countries take their own sweet time in evolving and following the path of natural progression.
My 2 paise.
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