Semiotics of offensive advertisments

So as a media student, I’ve seen a lot of advertisements that are offensive. After working in advertising, I know that a lot of factors that need to work before an ad is approved or deemed fit to be seen by the public. Yet, even after all these road checks there are ads that make you cringe and feel sorry for not only the agency and the people involved but also for the brand and the product. I was looking through some of the worst, when I figured, why not post them on the site for folks to think about. So here goes. The following ad’s were banned because they contain objectionable content. Wiewer/reader discretion is advised.

This ad was pulled out as the image was distressing to children. The ad could have conveyed the same message in a less traumatic manner, don’t you think?

The image is ghastly. What was the brand thinking? A corpse to sell a creme? Here I have no idea what the copywriter tried to convey.

Tells you the status of women in the ad. Simple and plain objectification of a woman as a sexual object. Signifier is the woman depicted in all her nakedness and the signifier is the perfume which states that it is as sexual as a woman. I feel sorry for the agency and even sorrier for the brand. SHAME ON YOU. Here its simple. Woman=sex=fragrance.

Well Bacardi, finally it all boils down to breasts, don’t it? A three breast woman. WOW! Every man’s fantasy come true. Except that its rather lame and extremely silly. I would not want to be you. You just trashed your own brand image. By alienating half the species on this planet, the brand is only losing its equity. Here woman=breasts=sexy=Bacardi.

So this ad not only portrays women as sexual objects created for satisfying male desires but is also offensive towards heavier people. This ad tells us the after effects of using a chocolate condom. So they are doubly offensive in their message. Fat people are human too, you know. Here chocolate= sexy= skinny= woman. Also by default chocolate=weight=fat woman= not sexy. As you can see the equation goes both ways.

So what are Dolce and Gabbana trying to say? That an orgy is acceptable, that violence towards women works? That their poster is giving more power to the males in the society by pinning women down. This image in a different situation can be interpreted as sexual coercion. But then again, the woman lying down is painted and dressed to appeal to the eyes of all the men looking at her, lying helpless while the man shows off his power status and authority. 3 hurrays for the phallus! Here woman=subversive=men=Dolce Gabbana= patriarchal society.

Isn’t it funny that we use the image of women to sell everything from toothpaste to condoms. We glorify women as sexual objects meant solely for pleasure and not as people with power of their own. Ironic, how all offensive ad’s have a picture of a a scantily clad woman. We’ve come a long way in advertising with all the research and the techniques and all the technology. Yet, some basic things have not changed at all. Here Durex=sex=women=sexuality=erotic

So here is another classic. Inducing teenagers into believing that snorting cocaine is as fashionable as wearing Sisley clothes. NO LOGIC considering that we ask people to stop doing drugs. What’s the brand trying to convey here? That cocaine=clothes=fashion=breaking rules=living on the edge= cool

If you love animals this next one will turn you speechless. What is the analogy here between dogs and shoes? Its utterly insensitive and illogical. And to see a poor animal tied in this fashion even for an advertisement is heartless. Here dogs=boots= fashion???

So its back to playing the race game? Did it not occur to anyone in the agency and in Sony that this ad is blatantly racist? That in order to sell your product you don’t have to be stupid. Well then again, one should never doubt the stupidity of people in large groups. White= Sony play station=new product= cool versus black= uncool.

 

Katrina Kaif and Kim Zolciak

Does anyone else think they look similar?

 

Around the world in 10 years?

List of places I’ve managed to visit in the US and the places that I want to head to in another 10:

Florida-

Miami is my party city for life. I love it here. The men are bronzed beach bums and the women easy sassy beach babes. So many restaurants, so many malls- all on the cost with perfect weather. What more can I ask for? If your here do check Coconut grove, Coral bay and beach. Big boats take you to big houses here and these include Shaquille O Neil.

Georgia- Atlanta- Sassy. Big men, Bigger women. Crowded, lazy and relaxed. The houses are big but the streets are poor but the hearts are big. Check out the CNN headquarters and the Coke factory here.

Texas- Austin. City of the U of A and the Mexican eateries and was introduced to Chipotle here..and love it to date. Loved the view of the big showy houses by the river in Austin.Forget he name of the river but remember the view. Not too many sights to see but the weather makes it worth the while and so do the tech companies.

Virginia- Loved Reston (so Green and calm specially during winter) and Virginia Beach. Awesome place to visit especially when the East is freezing.

New York- New York city-Well, I need a whole new post to describe the city that is the Big Apple coz I’ve been there so many times…

New Jersey- Edison- New Jersey is the suburb of New York. At least that’s how people consider it. Plenty of desi’s around. Mini India it is…:)

Delaware-The state smaller than any other. Wilmington is so ghetto. I didn’t like it one bit. Bah.

Maryland- Baltimore- The state that borders DC. Nothing special that I noticed about it.

Washington DC-Loved DC. Would like to love here amongst the monuments and consulates and of course the White House. Loved the museums, the diversity, the parks, the houses. Dupont circle is so awesome. I would not mind moving here. Actually, I pray the company ships me here.

Connecticut- Stamford- So pretty and nice. Like a postcard. Remember taking the train from Stamford/New Haven to Grand Central so many times. Love it.

Rhode Island- Providence (mall) and Brown University. Newport- The mansions, the coast the life of the rich and famous. Ah, RI is small and pretty.

New Hampshire- White mountains, the fall colors and the quaintness that is new England. Lovely as Eden.

Vermont- The mysterious state. ‘Stowe’ in fall is the Switzerland of the US. See it to believe it.

Maine- Need to visit Acadia national park here. Just visiting the damn state isn’t much.

Pennsylvania- Small and Nice. Just remember drifting through the place.

Ohio- Cleveland- The lake. The water. The drive. The road trip that was Thanksgiving 2007.

Michigan- Ann Arbor, Benton Harbor- Lake Michigan- As wide as the sea. As cold as hell. Small town America.

Illinois- Chicago- A cleaner version of NYC. Just as snazzy and even more lovely. I LOVE Chicago. The lights and the sights. The navy pier, the John Hancock tower last floor. The desi street. Can’t believe I’m heading there in 15 days! YAY!

Arizona-Phoenix- The grand Canyon in summer on a mule. Need I say more? You have to see this once in your love. The scenery leaves you breathless. Mountains and more mountains and absolute emptiness.

Montana- On the way to Vegas from Pheonix. An 8 hour drive. Yes, laugh. Tell me how stupid I am.

Nevada- Hoover Dam- As awesome as pictured in the movie- “when fools rush in’. The drive on the Interstate makes it worth the trip.-Las Vegas- Sin city. The hotels here are like no other. You can see money floating around but sad to say that I made none on my trip here. I didn’t even win a dollar on the slot machines… damn my luck

And finally Massachusetts- This is home. Been to almost all the towns here. What can I say more about home, other than its where my heart is. I will miss everything about this place when I leave…

Places I’m visiting in the next few weeks/months:

• Traverse city, MI
• Going on a road trip to Chicago(yet again)
• Heading to London/Scotland early next year

I love traveling. The whole act of visiting another place opens your eyes and gives you so much insight into how the other lives. We always talk of the other in social sciences. It takes a good amount of curiosity and acceptance to understand and not criticize the lives of others. Seeing the world through the eyes of others not only makes you tolerant but also helps you analyze why people live their lives in a certain way in some parts of the world. Even within the US, the East is so different from the South and The West from the North. Attitudes differ so much from one place to the other. Its so nice to wander in a place you haven’t been to before and soak in the unknown. It takes a lot to travel. Time, money, willingness to explore and many such incidentals. And all of these need to be in one place at the same time. For when you have money, you might not have the time and when you do have the money and the time, age and strength might not be on your side. Which is why, I’ve always spent my time and little money on going to a new place when ever I’ve had the chance. I might not have this chance if I move back to India or if I lose my job… so keeping in tune with my present mood… I’m taking every chance I have to get around the world in another 10 years…

 

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

 

All smiles

Happy Birthday to me.

A year passes by in the flutter of my lashes
Where she has gone I do not know
And the only way to see her
Is to look at me through her eyes

And I see me not just older but also a tad bit wiser…
With love all around
Laughter in the background
And a life where smiles abound

I leave you with three songs. Each song is special and reflective of a certian mood.

The first song “Zindagi” and I cant get enough of its beautiful lyrics. The song is from the movie Yuvraj which has music by Rahman. Boy, what a comeback he makes in this movie. His music has not been upto his previous standards lately. But now she shuts all his detractors up with this film. I hope Sallu bhai has not ruined the music in the film by doing something silly on screen for this song.

The second is a number called “Manmohini’ is from the film Yuvraj as well. This is an amazing composition as Rahman mixes Indian classical with Western beats in this number. The beats sound familiar to me and I have a vague feeling that Rahman has used these beats before in a Tamil number. But I could be wrong. After all, even Rahman’s recycled tunes are awesome too.T

The last one is “Mar jawan” from the movie Fashion-. If only someone would sing this for me . If only…Then I will totally Mar jawan with no questions asked.

Oh Before I forget- Dont forget to check out the song “Shano” from Yuvraj as well. I really like it too. IN all i’m completely fida over ARR this time. Can you blame me??

 

Angry

When I’m angry or sad with 2 people in this world, I get so mad that I cannot think straight:

I yell
I cuss
I cry
I say things I don’t mean
I hurt
I feel like the world is coming to an end
I believe that I am not loved
I know that I am not loved
I wish I was loved
I get mean
I get resentful
I compare my life with those around me
I get unreasonable
I start to shake
My hands get clammy
My stomach drops

In all I feel like an utter and complete loser. After the tension and the crying and the heartbreak , I often wonder why I let the situation get better of me? I wonder why I let things/people / events/ actions affect me? I wish I was stoic and thought more with my head than with my heart. I wish I didn’t take things so seriously. But I do. I always do and even this exercise of writing will not exorcise my personalities of its failings.

How do people prevent themselves from losing their temper and exhibiting their naked emotions to even the ones they love? Do they count till ten till the red blur that is their anger passes before their eyes? Do they just smile and let the moment pass?Do they rationalize in that heated moment? Do they just not argue because they love the person with whom they are fighting? Do they walk away? How do you deal effectively with anger and trauma especially with the one’s you love? This is an ongoing issue for me?

I expect more from the people I am closest to and cannot deal when they fail me on any account. Yes, they are human and yes they have their weaknesses. But with me, I expect them to be larger than life. Larger, Wiser, Nicer. Bigger and Better.

However like all my other desires, I can only wish and if wishes were horses, pigs would fly and I would have my Phd right?

 

Carrie Underwood- Last name

I love the song- and the lyrics- Something about it that rings true….

Last night I got served a little bit too much of that poison baby
Last night I did things I’m not proud of
And I got a little crazy
Last night I met a guy on the dance floor
And I let him call me baby

And I don’t even know his last name
Oh, my mama would be so ashamed
It started off “Hey cutie, where ya from?”
And then it turned in,
“Oh no, what have I done?”
And I don’t even know his last name

We left the club right around three o’clock in the morning
His Pinto sitting there in the parking lot Well it should have been a warning
I had no clue what I was getting into
So I blame it on the Cuervo
Oh where did my manners go?

And I don’t even know his last name
Oh, my mama would be so ashamed
It started off “Hey cutie, where ya from?”
And then it turned in,
“Oh no, what have I done?”
And I don’t even know his last name
Here we go…

Today I woke up thinkin’ about Elvis somewhere in Vegas
I’m not sure how I got here
Or how this ring on my left hand just appeared out of nowhere
I gotta go
I take the chips and the Pinto and hit the road
They say what happens here stays here
All of this will disappear
There’s just one little problem…

I don’t even know my last name
Oh my mama would be so ashamed
It started off “Hey cutie, where ya from?”
And then it turned in,
“Oh no, what have I done?”
And I don’t even know my last name

What have I done
What have I done
What have I done
Oh, what have I done
I don’t even know my last name

It turned into
“Oh no, what have I done?”
And I don’t even know my last

It started off “Hey cutie, where ya from?”
And then it turned into
“Oh no, what have I done?”
And I don’t even know my last name

 

Him

I miss you; Where are you?

 

No 15 Kandappa Achari Street

I lived in 15 kandappa achari street in Chennai for 10+ odd years of my life. The best years ever. Kandappa Achari street when I was young was like no other. It was located in the heart of Chennai city in a crowded street two streets away from the market. I lived with my parents and my sister in a rented flat owned by a Muslim and surrounded by Anglo Indians, Muslims, Christians and Hindu Brahmin and Non Brahmin families. I stress on all these cultures because they affected my personality in a BIG way. For the first 10+ years of my life, I considered myself a Christian. I went to a convent where we celebrated Christmas, sang in the choir and went to Sunday bible school. I think I harbored a secret desire to be a born again Christian during this time. I went on church organized camps and didn’t know a single thing about being a Hindu although my parents were practicing Hindus. They however, let me be the way I wanted to. Of course, they had no idea of the things going inside my head. I enjoyed the freedom of my life in this time. I had mostly Muslim and Christian friends, both of whom tried to convince me of the benefits of converting to their religion. At that age I had no idea that proselytizing was one of the tenants of both the religions. Therefore, I was heavily influenced by the two when growing up.

This street that I lived in is the best example of the diversity and the tolerance that is India. No community tried to best the other. The Jain temple on market street was constructed next to a fish market and opposite a Church. I could see devout Jains walk past fellow Christians in companionship and all beside praying Hindu’s cause there were half a dozen street temples on that street. This was a place where marwadis housed besides chettiars who lived next to Iyengar mamas and Iyer mami’s. No person criticized the other, no community objected to the other. It was a perfect atmosphere to grow up in and make friends. I didn’t know what communal disharmony was until I was a smart ass teenager. Now and again when I read articles or blogs about how difficult it is to find housing in Chennai because people are discriminatory in the city or how people in Chennai are small minded because they don’t like meat eating people staying on their premises especially if they are non-meat eating.

I don’t recognize this Chennai that all these people refer to. I find it hard to digest when people critique a city by generalizing. Of course, Chennai has its faults. Which City in the world is inhabited by perfectly behaved and tolerant people. However, to only see the bad in a place is something that distresses me. Especially when that city is HOME. Coming back to religious tolerance, if I owned a house and I was a devout Jain who was not used to having the smell of meat around because everything that I stand for prevents me from accepting meat eating, why should I be forced to permit people I was not used to befriending on my property? Now before you condemn me to be prejudiced and intolerant. Think about this: If I was a capitalist and my only concern to subletting my premises was that the tenants be rich because I need to have my rent paid on time and I choose only to have rich people on my property, does that make me a bad person? No it does not. Why not? Because I am thinking of this from a business perspective?
Such arguments are flawed from the start. Why, you ask? Well because they involve personal choice. If I live in a free country and own my own property, then I am free to choose what I want to do with it. Of course, if this was the government then it would be another story because a government promises to be secular and equal to all before law.

Much as its hard to admit, we must acknowledge that we live in a society where people have their agendas and today not everybody is willing to put others’ choices before them. Why should they be made to feel guilty for that. if I am willing to put other’s needs before mine, I am a good human being. However, If I put my own needs before others , I am not a bad human being. Just a human more concerned about my own desires. Nothing in the world is right or wrong, only our thinking makes it so. Think about it. Till then, I only wish everybody could live in 15 Kandappa Achari Street.Maybe that would make some of us better people, no??

 

Bryan Adams

Ever since I listened to Summer of 69 on the radio, recorded the song, played it over and over to write down the lyrics and learn them all, I have been in love with this man. His songs were everything I imagined I would hear from my dream man in the future. His thoughts were romantic and comforting. His songs were peppy and his hoarse voice drove my teenage mind insane. He cheered me up when I imagined I was in love and kept me going when I felt that relationships sucked. Yes, he is Mr Adams. He has been my eternal teenage heartthrob. Even now when I listen to all his old songs , I am transported to school and being silly, of trying to be cool, of trying to be in. It all seems eons ago. Yet, when I saw him last weekend in Boston, the years slipped away and I was back to being the awkward teenage girl dancing to “the only thing that looks good on me is you” and feeling extremely romantic when hearing ” “You know you love a woman”.

Mr Adams reminded me of old friends, old places and brought back old feelings. I now was actually looking at the man I had longed to hear for so many years. It was surreal. It was like I was having an out of the body experience. It was my virgin concert and I had so much fun that I am glad that I waited 27 years to go to one. Additionally, I am thrilled to bits about having finally seen a Byran Adams concert. I can now cross this event off the list of “my to do things” before I hit 30. at the end of this amazing experience I can only say that Bryan Adams looks exactly like he did 15 years ago. Maybe we should ask him how he keeps himself so young and fit? Picture perfect. I am in loveeeeee and this time its all over again!