Material Pressures

... and production lines

If you are not fair and thin, or don't have silky limbs and hair, or a toned body and a glowing face, you are as good as non-existent. Or so the commercials on the idiot box pontificate. They simply beat it into our heads that without their products we have no identity or worse, recognition. I find the whitening and fairness ads most obnoxious. As if dark skinned humans must have only one aim in life, to bleach themselves.

Really, its astonishing that we have mind boggling choices for every small and big thing we need since we wake up to the time we retire again. Brushes, pastes, shaving creams, razors, soaps, shampoos, deodorants, clothes, accessories, vehicles, electronic gadgets, kitchenware, mattresses. Most of these glorify their own merchandise with statistical data or approval from noted authorities in the field. Its the ones which try to pander to my emotions than my intelligence that irk me.

Predominantly its cosmetics that fall into this category of shallow marketing. I used to think fairness was an obsession with the fair sex :), but off late I see ads depicting men being equally inane. And since when is being grey-haired considered an insult ? If you don't dye, you might as well die. Please. Then there are these irrelevant ads which have no connection between the product and the promo. Like a half clad woman appearing in a male inner-wear ad. Defies logic.

One of these days when I see a fat, balding, unshaven, swarthy man, I'll cheer for his belligerence towards these nauseating ads ... unless he has lost his five senses and has no TV.