MxMIndia

Category: HARD KNOCKS

Anil Thakraney’s view on adland, medialand and more

  • I sometimes wonder if CEOs put in special efforts to appoint the correct HR personnel for their factories. And ensure they are heavy trained for the job

    Anil Thakraney: Murder in the factory

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    What happened at Maruti’s Manesar plant is extremely sad. You don’t go to work and expect to get burnt alive by your own colleagues. And this is no longer a business story, it has moved to Page 1 as a sensational crime story.

     

    Naturally, we now have to wait for the police investigation to get done, so that we know exactly what transpired that fateful day. Apart from nabbing the criminal workers (which isn’t going to be easy given the political pressure), another truth needs to be uncovered: There are rumours that the slain HR manager provoked a group of workers by hurling casteist or communal abuse. This doesn’t lessen the crime, but it still needs to be investigated.

     

    As of now, I know just one thing: HR managers who deal with factory workers need high level of skill and training. It is a very difficult job because there is always a huge degree of mistrust between white and blue collar workers. Everything is vastly different: Sensibilities, motivations, attitudes, culture, language, you name it. I sometimes wonder if CEOs put in special efforts to appoint the correct HR personnel for their factories. And ensure they are heavy trained for the job. It’s just not the same as air-conditioned corporate offices, where even if the HR staffers did nothing (and many do precious little!), life simply goes on.

     

    How do I know all this, since I have never worked in HR? It’s simple. My dad, before he retired, was the chief of personnel and human resources at Shaw Wallace. And the factory HR was his key result area. I am aware of the high level of tact and diplomacy he used to need at his disposal to keep the workers and the management at peace. It was a very stressful job, and despite his best efforts, he would, at times, receive violent threats from a section of workers.

     

    I got a chance to watch him in action when he took me for a factory visit to the company’s Uran (Maharashtra) brewery. This was when I was in school, and the visit introduced me to beer very early in life, but that’s another story. 😉

     

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    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTjHCCU2E4c[/youtube]

    PS: ‘The web is what you make of it’. Google Chrome has been doing some nice adverts in this campaign. This particular one, where a man is trying to woo his lost love back, is quite charming. The strength of this work lies in what is known in advertising parlance as ‘vivid demonstration of the product’. Whereby you experience exactly how the product works. But they do it in a very entertaining way, which is why the ads shine. Something to learn here for all those guys who make those ultra boring mechanical car commercials.

     

  • Personally speaking, I am all ready for the future. I have decided to start a specialized scam ads shop. Which to me sounds like a really lucrative business

    Anil Thakraney: Page 3 versus Oprah

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Oprah Winfrey is a super talk show host. That is well known. We now also know that apna Aamirbhai is a huge fan of the lady, after he formatted his maiden TV show based on her work. All very fine and dandy. But we’ve just discovered another thing about Oprah that some hoity toity Indians are finding very hard to digest: Apparently, she thinks poorly of us Indians because we ‘still’ eat food with our hands. And the TV queen has made a video of her shock over our crazy dietary habits for the consumption of her local audiences inAmerica. And it’s mainly targeted at the Texan rangers, who must obviously be having a good gaff at our expense.

     

    I searched for the offending video on Youtube, and not surprisingly, they have been blocked for viewing in India. And that’s stupid, really. You can find the link through other websites. Oprah made this sensational comment when she sat down for a desi thali meal with a conservative Somani family from Mumbai. One can see in the video that the family is going out of its way to please the honourable guest.

     

    The result: All those Page 3 types who were falling over each other to get close to Oprah when she visited India in January this year, are busy spewing venom against her on TV talk shows. These are the same people who were excitedly tweeting their smiling thopdas in the company of the exalted lady. I have only two things to say to these angry beauties.

     

    One, Ms Winfrey is a television presenter and she will use footage that can get her American audiences transfixed. That’s her profession, that’s her job. Western audiences don’t want to see the high rises of Nariman Point, nor are they interested in videos of Parmeshwar Godrej’s glitzy party in Oprah’s honour. They want to see the poverty and squalor they usually associate withIndia, stuff they find quaint. The huge success of Slumdog Millionaire proves that. So don’t hold this video against the lady, she’s got TRPs to worry about.

     

    This incident should also remind you guys and gals to quit the gora (which ironically, Oprah is not even) fixation and get over the colonial hangover, it’s been over sixty years since we ousted them. Treat them like any other guest when they arrive, so that when they return to their own nations and report unflattering things, we simply ignore it and move on.

     

    Let’s be a little more confident about ourselves for god’s sake.

     

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    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3jTSB2ez-g[/youtube]

    PS: Do watch this video on the art of designing a logo. It talks about the evolution of the logo over the centuries and its huge relevance to marketing. And there are some super examples too.

     

  • There is just too much attention given to the urban Indian middle class and their issues. To the cost of the rest of India. And this is why television studio views and discussions have little relevance to 'non-shining' India.

    Anil Thakraney: TV media is out of sync

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    TV media is out of sync

    So then why did Rahul baba get egg on the face in Uttar Pradesh? There are many reasons being flung around, and they’ve been discussed to death on the various news channels. Do allow me to add my two-bits: the single biggest reason is that Rahul baba’s suave appeal works only in the urban areas of India, particularly in New Delhi. For the small townies, he means NOTHING. They don’t connect with his jet-setting lifestyle, the voters know he’s a fly-by-night dude. That, even if they voted for his party, Rahul baba will not be seen again till the time of the next elections.

     

    If this is the case, and at least I think it is, then we have to question the excessive coverage our chap got in the TV news media all through the UP elections. If I recall correctly, on one show, BJP’s Ram Shankar Prasad accused a television anchor of being unfairly biased towards Rahul baba. He was right, of course. Compare the footage winner Akhilesh Yadav got with the Gandhi scion’s coverage right before the elections, and you will be stunned by the skew.

     

    And this totally lopsided coverage happens because the news channel editors and their crew happen to be from India’s urban areas. And their mindset is therefore very urbane. They don’t get India’s small towns and villages, and just because they find Rahul baba to be a charismatic figure, it gets wrongly assumed that the rest of India does too. Well, that’s obviously not the case, as we just witnessed in UP (and in Bihar in the recent past). Media’s darling was shown the door.

     

    The Rahul baba saga is actually a pointer to a large problem with our television news media. There is just too much attention given to the urban Indian middle class and their issues. To the cost of the rest of India. A girl who gets molested at Bandra station will become a sensational story. But a girl gang raped in Latur will get an apologetic mention. A small fire in a building in Bangalore will send TV anchors into a tizzy. But an entire colony burning down in Ranibennur will be covered reluctantly.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkaZdjfyht8[/youtube]

    And this is why television studio views and discussions have little relevance to ‘non-shining’ India. No amount of frothing and fuming in the news rooms will make any difference to vote swings. By the way, even as I write this, all the news channels are very worried about Rahul baba’s future. Lagey raho!

     

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    PS: Wow! Pakistan TV sounds like great fun. “Gadhe! Bewakoof! Stupid! Sharaabi!” All this on live television. Makes our Arnab’s chat show appear heavenly in comparison. Hello, we have a thing or two to learn from our esteemed neighbour.

     

  • Personally speaking, I am all ready for the future. I have decided to start a specialized scam ads shop. Which to me sounds like a really lucrative business

    Anil Thakraney: Cool Britannia!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    To be honest, I couldn’t bring myself to keep awake all night to watch the London Olympics opener. One, because I really am not a huge fan of the games. Stuff like long jump, high jump, pole vault, rowing, archery, and so on bores me enormously. Second, I was simply being my lazy old self. But the opening ceremony I did want to view, especially after all the orgasming on Twitter. And the internet videos came to my rescue as usual.

     

    Yes, the opening ceremony was spectacular. I don’t know what Beijing had done, and knowing the way the Chinese operate, it must have been all about tech prowess. The Brit event was more about drama and emotion. Which is why asking Danny Boyle to put the opening ceremony together was a smart idea. He used the opportunity to do what he does best: tell stories. The show took us through the passage of time. The industrial revolution, James Bond, Paul McCartney, Rowan Atkinson, and a whole lot of other symbols that have defined Britain over the centuries. Plus the stunning fireworks and the dazzling lights.

     

    Thehigh point, of course, was the Queen being parachuted into the park. I thought this was a master stroke, and only Boyle could have pulled it off. The stunt wasn’t just totally unexpected, it told you two things: One, that Britain is changing, that while they value their history and culture, they also understand the word ‘cool’. And in that one single act, they brought the old and the new Britain together. Clever thinking. Only a movie director or an advertising creative director could have come up with this audacious idea.

     

    All in all, a super show.Britain should be proud of itself. This is going to be a tough act to follow. I have just one regret: Millions and millions of pounds were blown away in one single evening. And to think it’s the Games that really matter at the Olympics. Imagine the things that could have been done with all that dosh. An entire underground train network in Mumbai. Thousands and thousands of flyovers. Anyway, let’s not go down that road, there’s no end to my carping.

     

    Let’s just hope, after all this mega shor sharaba, our folks return with at least one medal.

     

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    PS: Surely the best London Olympics ad. From Durex. Perfect. This is what is called seamlessly attaching your brand to a global event. With no chance of needless ‘spill over’. 🙂

     

     

     

     

  • Loss of broadcast license for the channel. Jail term for the staff members found guilty. There is no other option

    Anil Thakraney: Crime instigating journos need to be punished

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    We first heard about it during the Assam molestation incident. Now the same allegations are being made about the Mangalore party bust, where some youngsters were beaten up and molested by a bunch of goons. That, if not directly provoked, both incidents were encouraged by the media persons present out there. Find that surprising? I don’t.

     

    Here’s the problem: There are TOO many news channels in India. National and regional. No other country in the world has such a large number; it’s going insane out there. And to think more stations are waiting in the pipeline! Quite naturally, most of these channels are bleeding very badly; the market simply cannot support such a huge crowd. In such a crazy scenario, pressure on content heads to deliver viewership numbers is intense. And this pressure percolates down to the reporters and the camera crew on the ground. A couple of young TV reporters have told me, in private, that they have been warned to either ‘somehow’ get juicy stories or face the axe.

     

    And I believe this is the key reason behind the nonsense we are witnessing on the idiot box. It’s a very tempting idea. Not being able to get a story? Let’s create one. And we’ll worry about the consequences later. It’s the question of jobs and livelihood, food has to be put on the table, boss. So what we are witnessing these days is the inevitable result of the news channel madness in India.

     

    So what’s the way out, given that we are a free economy and entrepreneurs have every right to set up their own news shops? It’s simple, and the answer has already been given in the UK. When Murdoch’s editors crossed the Lakshman Rekha of ethics in journalism, they not only had to accept the closure of a newspaper, some senior staff members are staring at a prison sentence.

     

    Ditto needs to be done with editors/reporters who are found to have abetted or encouraged incidents like the ones in Assamand Mangalore: Loss of broadcast license for the channel. Jail term for the staff members found guilty. There is no other option. Inaction in these matters endangers the safety many young girls in this nation. And I am very sorry to have to state this.

     

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    PS: Art has often inspired advertising across the world, and particularly so when it comes to legendary paintings. This cult Michelangelo artwork has been used many times over, but must say it works perfectly for this particular client. Innovative thinking!

     

     

  • I think ad agencies should devise a powerful communication package, to be run across the media, with the objective of imparting Americans with basic knowledge on various religions and cultures

    Anil Thakraney: Ad agencies can help with hate crime control

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I still recall the first thing many Americans did immediately after 9/11. This was to frantically search for their world maps, and try to locate Afghanistan. This, of course, became a subject of many jokes at the time, but after we stopped sniggering, we realized that the average Yankee is totally cut off from the rest of the world. That, he/she has never stepped out of his/her comfort zone and hasn’t even bothered to find out what goes on beyond their shores. That it was of no consequence to them. And this isn’t something to laugh at, it can be dangerous.

     

    The recent attack on a Gurudwara in Wisconsinis yet another reminder that the average American remains blissfully ignorant of international geography, history, culture and religion. The attack was obviously targeted at another religious minority group, and our Sardarji friends paid heavily for someone’s lack of general knowledge. So then what’s the way out of this mess? There is only one way: this problem can be fixed by advertising agencies. Because it pertains to communications.

     

    I think ad agencies inIndiashould work with their American parents and devise a powerful communication package, to be run across the media, with the objective of imparting Americans with basic knowledge on various religions and cultures. The Obama government needs to include this education as a part of school and college syllabi, but that can only work as a long term solution. Ad agencies can create campaigns to provide immediate solutions.

     

    So go for it, people. Not only will such a public service campaign win you many awards, you can end up saving many innocent lives. What can be sweeter than that?

     

    An important disclaimer: Having said the above, let me hasten to add that attacks on ANY community members is highly deplorable, and one hopes that the world evolves to a stage where these things don’t happen at all. But in the meantime, at least the ill-informed Americans must be educated on how to differentiate between communities. That itself will be an important beginning.

     

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    PS: If you are a constant tweeter, and have no control over your thoughts, hit this link. It’s about the journalist whose Twitter account was suspended. I like this. It’s time the social media portals stepped in to oversee things. Excessive illegal and abusive stuff seems to be freely floating around in the virtual world.

     

    Link: http://mashable.com/2012/08/01/kicked-off-twitter/?
    WT.mc_id=en_all_stories&utm_campaign=All%2BStories&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

     

  • And the best news is that star athletes like Mary, Saina, Vijay and others will inspire a whole lot of young Indians to take up athletics very seriously

    Anil Thakraney: Indian media wins Gold @ Olympics 2012

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I am forever taking potshots at our media on all sorts of issues. Most of the criticism is well deserved, of course! 🙂 But there comes a time when one needs to applaud them for good work done. Must say I am extremely happy with the glorious coverage of the London Olympics. And it’s been an outstanding show across the media, in particular on the news channels and in the daily press. This is important for the nation’s sporting future, because the excessive attention to cricket leaves the rest of the sportsmen and women languishing on the sidelines. Thanks to all the excitement in the media, this is no longer the case. Mary Kom, relatively unknown till yesterday, is a household name today, she’s on the lips of every bachcha bachcha.

     

    The argument usually put forth is that the reason our media pays so much attention to one game is because India is a cricket crazy country. And the media is supposed to cater to the tastes of the masses. This theory has been blown to smithereens by the Olympics. We Indians happily consumed all the coverage, we passionately backed the contestants, so it’s clear that the media can take the lead on issues and influence viewer behaviour. And I must add here that I don’t recall this kind of hectic coverage during the Beijing Olympics, so it is refreshing to see things have changed.

     

    And the best news is that star athletes like Mary, Saina, Vijay and others will inspire a whole lot of young Indians to take up athletics very seriously. This will lead to a better score-card for India in the future tournaments. And the media hype will put pressure on the various state governments to honour and support athletes from their respective regions. It’s high time this happened.

     

    Yes, the London Olympics has been Indian media’s shining hour. A pat on the back to all the editors, reporters and studio heads. And I sincerely hope I get a chance to write more such happy posts in the future. Even I get tired of cribbing constantly, haha.

     

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    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjTLhW0c5cM[/youtube]

    PS: Louis Vuitton pays a rich, touching tribute to the great Muhammad Ali. This is the fash brand’s first ever campaign. The ad recites a lilting speech made by the legendary boxer inside the ring. Superb script, concept and direction.

     

     

     

     

  • The main issue however is this: Should mass media be used to promote such a deeply personal product?

    Anil Thakraney | 18 Again: A question of ethics

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Ordinarily, I would have dealt with this ad in the Debrief section. But the TVC for 18 Again isn’t just another ad. It opens the whole Pandora’s Box of itchy issues like morality, ethics and decency. Here’s the link to the naughty commercial, if you haven’t already ‘enjoyed’ it:

     

    The product in question is a ‘vaginal tightening’ gel. And the positioning is: ‘Makes you feel like a virgin’. Am sure Madonna would approve, but before I discuss the communication itself, must say I am quite flummoxed by the product description. Is it scientifically possible to tighten the vagina? That too with a simple gel? Sounds pretty farfetched and dubious to me. And being a man, I can’t even suss it out! So let’s proceed further by assuming that the damn thing works.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFX3n-B6G-E[/youtube]

    In the ad, a middle class housewife suddenly feels, er, horny, and dances the salsa with her excited hubby. The dance is obviously a metaphor for sexual intercourse. The message: 18 Again’s magic makes you feel as fresh as an unplucked lily. No problems with the treatment itself. There is no skin show, no vulgarity, so that’s fine.

     

    However, there is a fundamental problem with this one. They say, if a product is being allowed to be manufactured (and my cigarette manufacturing friends will readily agree with this), it should be allowed to market itself. I, too, agree with this theory in principle. But that freedom comes with a rider. While I am all for keeping pace with changing times, 18 Again’s ad alarms me. Because it seems to have been created for the mass media, that too for television, which is a ‘full family’ medium in India. Parents will most likely feel very uncomfortable explaining this product to their inquisitive kids. I haven’t seen the media plan, but am hoping this TVC occupies the mid-night slot, at the very least. The main issue however is this: Should mass media be used to promote such a deeply personal product? Should not selective direct mail or targeted digital media be used, especially considering that this will end up being an urban brand? I do believe so. This product has no business being on the mass media. Period.

     

    Additionally, I also believe a medical product such as this one can’t be sold over the counter. There is also the niggling worry of possible side effects. 18 Again should ideally be dispensed by a chemist, under medical supervision. Much like Viagra is. I hope the makers of this brand have factored in and accounted for all these considerations.

     

    Anyway, let’s see how the hyper-active moral brigade of this nation reacts to this one. Should be interesting. And fun.

     

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    PS: Insightful blog post on all the hype around interactive advertising. That, it seems to be delivering a lot less than it promises. This is another reminder to all marketers and their ad agencies to focus on the good ol’ Big Idea. The new media obsession may not get them very far.

     

    Link: http://adcontrarian.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/why-interactivity-makes-advertising.html?m=1

     

  • Zakaria will pay for his cut-paste chori. But it's 'loose change' crime compared to all the malpractices that go on here. Must say journalists in India are truly free!

    Anil Thakraney: Fareed ‘Chindi-chor’ Zakaria

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Fareed Zakaria isn’t the first journalist/columnist caught with his hand in the cookie jar. And he isn’t going to be the last one either. Across the world of journalism, at all levels, folks have been caught ‘cut-pasting’ stuff. It’s either because they believe no one will notice, or they are too lazy/busy to do their own research work. Some offenders lose their jobs, others get away with it. I suspect Zakaria’s career is finished, given his exalted status in international journalism. The mightier you are, the heavier the fall. The man should seriously consider joining Indian politics. Chaps like him are more than welcome.

     

    I actually have a poor opinion of Zakaria as a columnist. I read a few of his articles in Newsweek, in the aftermath of the ‘War on Terror’. And I felt he was regurgitating obvious truths and belting out trite arguments. While that’s not a crime, he did lose at least one reader. Zakaria’s act of stealing content (either himself or through his rookies) from another writer perhaps explains the regurgitation of thought.

     

    Anyway, Fareed Zakaria is history, and he totally deserves it. However, let me add here that slyly stealing text from a fellow journalist is much like picking a lower middle class pocket, or chindi chori, as it’s called in Mumbai. It’s petty theft when you compare it with the nefarious deeds of some of our much awarded and respected journos during Radiagate. That was no petty theft. That was about selling your soul, and being dishonest with your profession and your country. And yet, nothing happened, no one was punished. Most of these journos continue with their routine work, convinced they did no wrong. Even the smugness is intact!

     

    Zakaria will pay for his cut-paste chori. But it’s ‘loose change’ crime compared to all the malpractices that go on here. Must say journalists in India are truly free!

     

    Hope you had a peaceful Independence Day. Jai Hind!

     

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    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK10B0Jgb8o[/youtube]

    PS: Kellogg’s isn’t really renowned for brilliant advertising. Much of their work is safe and formulaic. But this commercial created for Team USA, during the recently concluded Olympic Games, is powerful. It’s a super idea and Kellogg’s can make it their core strategy, for use across the world. Can work for any field of activity.

     

  • Rest in peace, Prabuddha. I totally enjoyed the teas and the smokes. And the delightful talk on nude women. Wish we had a chance to do another round

    Anil Thakraney: Prabuddha: Photographer with soul

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I did a detailed interview with Prabuddha Das Gupta in 1999. This was for The Brief, the ad mag I used to edit at the time. We met at his minimalistic, but very stylish home inDelhi. I recall we had a wonderful exchange, mainly because we hit it off. This doesn’t often happen during interviews, and when it does, you can be assured of a candid and meaningful conversation.

     

    Prabuddha was not in a very happy mood that day, and that’s putting it mildly. He was out on bail, and was irritated over the possibility of another round of police action. The Maharashtra government had got him arrested for the very controversial Tuff shoes campaign, which he had shot. (Younger readers can surf the net to learn more about the sordid drama over that campaign.)

     

    Prabuddha Dasgupta (pic: PrabuddhaDasgupta.com)

    The photographer directed his fury at the IAPA, who, he felt, did not stand by him at the time. He said: “When you are dealing with images with creativity, you’re always dealing with something that’s controversial, you’re always trying to push the envelope. I have no respect for an organization which doesn’t support that.” But all the legal mess clearly hadn’t bogged the photographer down. When I asked if he’d do a Tuff Shoes all over again, without blinking an eyelid he exclaimed, “Oh yeah!”. That was Prabuddha for you. Fearless. A word that best describes the individuality he brought to his craft.

     

    One reason why the entire ad world remembers him fondly is that Prabuddha put his soul in every picture he shot, be it for artistic or commercial photography. This quality is rare to find in Indian advertising photographers, most of who treat photography as an assignment that needs to be done and dusted. According to Prabuddha: “If you are not bringing something of your own to the image, then the image equals another image, which in turn equals the third image, and so on. For a photographer, what is critical is not just to have the ability to deliver a competent image, but the ability to deliver something that’s uniquely his or her own. You are not being paid so much money only for your technical ability to press the shutter six times.”

     

    And this is why his death is a huge blow to the ad world. The industry has lost a photographer who brought his own sensibility to the picture. He conceived, he imagined, he created. And only then did he press the button.

     

    And, me being me, I needled the man on his book, ‘Women’, in which he had captured scintillating nude images. Didn’t he, while shooting, feel the urge to cross the line? I still remember Prabuddha smiling, as he took in a deep drag from his Wills Filter. “No, I didn’t cross the line. If I want to sleep with someone, I don’t have to go through the whole process to do it. But yes, I have to admit the temptation was there. I am a man, after all, with a woman unclothed in front of me.”

     

    Rest in peace, Prabuddha. I totally enjoyed the teas and the smokes. And the delightful talk on nude women. Wish we had a chance to do another round.

     

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    PS: Sadly, the film and ad world has lost another great craftsman: Ashok Mehta. While I did not get an opportunity to interact much with the ace cinematographer, I did work with him on a TV commercial for Taj Mahal Tea. And if there’s one single impression I carried back of the man, it’s this: Mehta was always smiling; he was unflustered and totally chilled out even when things were going wrong, and the director was tearing his hair out. Ashok Mehta was the ‘King of Cool’. Anyone who worked with him will readily agree with this description. RIP.

     

  • Fareed Zakaria's credibility has taken a body blow following this incident. Why would I trust his writing ever again? How can I be sure he hasn't played another mischief? What good is a journo minus credibility?

    Anil Thakraney: The credibility letdown

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Must say I am quite surprised to hear that the suspension imposed on Mr Cut Paste by his bosses at Time mag and CNN has been lifted quite swiftly. I was of the opinion that Fareed Zakaria would have to pay a heavy price. Clearly, I was wrong.

     

    This is the exact statement issued by Time, as per media reports: “We have completed a thorough review of each of Fareed Zakaria’s columns for Time and we are entirely satisfied that the language in question in his recent column was an unintentional error and an isolated incident for which he has apologized. We look forward to having Fareed’s thoughtful and important voice back in the magazine with his next column in the issue that comes out on September 7.”

     

    Now, while one wants to applaud Time and CNN for being large-hearted, I am a bit worried about the ramifications of the quick forgiveness. Younger columnists and journalists will get the wrong idea. Because, the message is this: ‘Okay, you made one mistake, but otherwise you have been good at your job. So we’ll let you get away with this dishonest act.’ As a writer, my reading is that it’s okay to do the odd chori. In that sense, I believe Zakaria’s example sets a bad precedent. He directly (or indirectly) lifted passages from another journalist, that is a fact, and he has admitted to it. And Zakaria ought to have been made to face the music for this misdemeanour. Especially because he’s a veteran in the profession.

     

    There’s another thing: Zakaria’s credibility has taken a body blow following this incident. Why would I trust his writing ever again? How can I be sure he hasn’t played another mischief? Given that, there had to be a cooling-off period ordered on Zakaria for at least one year, if not more. So his readers are assured that, one, the man has been adequately punished. And two, he has had sufficient time to introspect on his misdeed.

     

    All I can say is, Fareed Zakaria is one helluva lucky guy.

     

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    PS: I have always wondered why the placards that protesters carry during various andolans are so dull. Well, here’s a link that tells you it need not be the case, that placards can be fun. Hope to see some wit and humour during desi protests. Perhaps ad agencies can pitch in with some thoughts. If we must watch the likes of Anna and Ramdev fasting, may as well have some entertainment going on the sidelines. 🙂

     

    Link: http://www.thepoke.co.uk/2010/11/01/the-best-protest-march-ever/gallery/image/

     

  • I am getting increasingly convinced that the time has indeed come for some amount of censorship in the media. If it's not going to happen through self, then it must, sadly, come in from the outside

    Anil Thakraney: Time for some media censorship?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    18 Again has done it again. This time they’ve sold their ‘vaginal tightening’ gel inside a family newspaper. (In a previous post, I had expressed concern over the suitability of this product for television advertising.) I guess the next stop is hoardings, bus shelters and radio. Thankfully, I don’t have children. But to all those of you who do, be prepared to answer a cute question from your sweet baby: Daddy, what does vaginal tightening mean??

     

    And not to be left behind by an advertiser, our news channels have decided to go a step further. Murdered air hostess Geetika Sharma’s autopsy report is being freely broadcasted. Without a pause, young TV reporters have been spewing out gory details of her ‘unnatural sexual habits’. As if they’d landed a coup. For god’s sake, what’s the point in revealing that in the media? What good is it going to do to the criminal case? Can Kandaji be nailed on this sensational ‘discovery’? And what public interest is being served out here?

     

    What will happen instead are three things. One, bring a great deal of embarrassment to her family members, who are already grieving the loss of a young one. Two, provoke wild public speculation on the woman’s life, and she’s not even around to defend herself. And three, you, dear reader, be prepared to answer a cute question from your sweet baby: Daddy, what does unnatural sex mean??

     

    Yup, with every passing day I am getting increasingly convinced that the time has indeed come for some amount of censorship in the media. If it’s not going to happen through self, then it must, sadly, come in from the outside.

     

    The other day a friend casually asked if I would ever be tempted to commit suicide. It can happen. If a ‘Top Gun’ filmmaker like Tony Scott can end his life abruptly, we mere mortals are quite capable of it. My response was an emphatic ‘NO’! For just one reason: I dread the speculation the news channels will indulge in over my ‘messed up’ life. God knows what sort of dirt they’ll fling on my dead face. Don’t need that crap, thank you very much.

     

    I am staying put!

     

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    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdDU_BBJW9Y[/youtube]

    PS: This is easily the best corporate audio visual film I have watched in my life. The LEGO toys group is celebrating its 80th birthday. And they have used the occasion to tell us their story through animation. Charming, wonderful and very interesting. Now this is the way for organizations to tell us about their past.