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Why I think the new ads for 5 star and MTS are offensive and regressive both to women and children
I was shaken out of my totally zoned out state a couple of weeks back while I was vegetating in front of a cartoon channel only to please my son, and a brand new ad for 5 star popped up. Why?
It showed a lady popping out a baby and my eyes literally popped out! Did they really show a baby being born for a 5 star ad? Another product also sports a similar ad.
This one that assaulted my sensibilities is for MTS, where a baby is born ready to use the Internet. He crawls and then walks out while the medical staff and his mother with her legs in the stirrups watches amazed. Yes, I was amazed at the totally senseless ad and the uncaring attitude of the product promoters and what effect it would have on the psyche of little children glued to their television sets.
Even worse, did they show such ads on a cartoon/children’s channel?! Is it just me or are the manufactures, advertisers and channel programmers all going crazy? Why has the ad not been banned?
I am not an overly protective mother and advocate the importance of hands-on learning by a child. Yet, this ad left me outraged and wanting to shut the channel and erase the memory from my child. Some might say I am over reacting and children need to know the facts about the ‘birds and bees’, etc, etc. But do we really need to expose 5 year olds to the facts of childbirth? They do know that the ‘baby come from mummy’s tummy’ but do we have to subject them to those visuals? Do they really need to know the graphic details?
I checked the ads on Google and one was tagged as ‘#conditionserioushai’. True the condition is really serious if we are reduced to such unimaginative visuals and crass story-lines for selling a brand loved through the years.
My ‘mother- monitor’ was bleeping on loudspeaker mode; what about yours?
Pic credit: Devon (Used under a CC license)
Freelance Fiction and non-fiction editor, author and book bee. Also a blogger and a Human Resource Management Lecturer. Juggling my precious worlds and trying to strike the right balance............ I may not be perfect read more...
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Neelu might have outwardly forgiven Ramesh, but in her mind, which once was filled with unconditional love for Ramesh, there was now a seed of resentment.
Ramesh’s footsteps paused at the entrance of the hotel’s ballroom. Inside, his school’s reunion party was going in full swing. The air was heavy, as expensive perfumes and the aroma of food from the buffet table, mingled. There were low murmurs, tinkling laughs and clinks of cutlery.
Ramesh had not wanted to come, knowing that she would be there. She, Neelu, who once had been the love of his life. Taking a deep breath, Ramesh entered the room. His eyes found Neelu almost immediately. She still looked the same. Maybe there was now grey in her hair and a few wrinkles on her face. But her vivacity, her mannerisms were still the same. Things, that had first attracted him.
Stop glorifying biological parenthood - other methods of growing a family are just as valid, and completely a couple's choice, especially of the woman whose body goes through pregnancy and birth.
Stop glorifying biological parenthood – other methods of growing a family are just as valid, and completely a couple’s choice, especially of the woman whose body goes through pregnancy and birth.
Trigger Warning: Contains derogatory remarks about having a baby through surrogacy or any means other than giving birth through biological means, and may be triggering, especially to adoptive parents.
Recently Priyanka Chopra Jonas announced parenthood by surrogacy. This has once again sparked the debate about ethical surrogacy, which is a discussion for another day.
How many establishments have we seen displaying a board, XYZ and Daughters? This Nayi Soch ad by by StarPlus is a welcome change indeed.
How many establishments have we seen displaying a board, XYZ and Daughters? This Nayi Soch ad by StarPlus is a welcome change indeed.
The other day I saw a video on my Facebook feed which was about the best advertisements from the 90’s. I clicked on the link and it was like taking a walk down memory lane; watching ads and jingles that one used to sing along to and were so focused on the bond between family members and of course, then swinging into focus on the product itself.
Now the trend seems to have changed. There is immense focus on creating ads that are bringing about a change in the cognitive framework of individuals – basically society at large. Most ads now have a strong social message and the aim is to leave a lasting impression on the mind. I have often wondered and did so again recently when the recent ban by the Central Board of Film Certification on the film ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ on the grounds of it being ‘lady oriented’, led to many videos surfacing on YouTube calling out to such unfairness. The kind of videos made by women in response to such a ban are loaded with sarcasm and satire and are indeed hilarious. They get the point across to viewers. But then that’s the power of social media and those with access to the internet and who seek such informative or interesting material on the web.
All my life, people around me are worried that I am "losing my colour". Guess what? I'm fine being dark and beautiful!
It was a Sunday night when I had tuned into one of my favourite talk shows on TV. The whole forum was getting ready for an ‘ all-woman’ talk show that day. It was a ‘ Beauty vs. Brains’ battle.
The show started with a simple question put in front of the women present there: “What physical feature of yours do you like and what do you think could have been better in your looks?” 8 out of 10 women replied, “A fairer skin”.
Though a reply like this is not abnormal in India (with half the marriage alliance ads starting with a ‘ Wanted: Fair looking girl’ tag), it made me think a lot about how this complex begins among female children.