Today TV dictates our lifestyle

It is a sad state of affairs that today, the unrealistic TV soaps dictate our lifestyles and a new social structure is gradually evolving where everything is make believe. Right from commercial ads of products that range from Deodorants to washing powders, health drinks and biscuits – each of these are painted in glorious colors and presented with attractive models from those sweet kids to gorgeous girls and women who do not hesitate to flaunt their bodies.
While the commercial ads with enticing images and jingles play on the innermost desires of the audience, the reality shows act as influencing factors. Many of the women-centric reality shows or shows meant for children bring to the forefront new products in the form of prizes. Obviously, the viewer hooks on to a new product that he or she sees for the first time and visits the shop to see it firsthand. If it can be bought, fine - else, there rises the hidden desire to acquire it.

Right now, majority of the TV ad-time is taken up by ads that pertain to new mobile handsets of different brands and, youngsters are so impressed that they want to own the latest brand by any means. Some of the brands are available on EMI basis.
The same applies to kitchen appliances and accessories – these are showcased not only by TV channels that are devoted to Food and Cooking but also in TV reality shows connected to cooking. The products are shown in a matter-of-fact way and not advertised as such but, once someone sees a product that he has not seen earlier, he wants to learn more about it. And, get one for his own kitchen.
Macho men promote undergarments, attractive girls in bikinis promote soaps that keep the body cool, sweet looking damsels promote intimate cosmetics and pregnancy-testing kits while fresh looking teens are roped in to promote sanitary napkins and celebrities of the screen promote freshness creams that make a man look fresh.
In this connection, one very popular product health product bears a mention – from a single product, it has diversified to several products with specific uses to selected targets. It begins with expectant mothers, then goes on to tiny-tots up to three-years, then from three to six-years, then for children in general, and then it graduates to women in their 30s and 40s who may be suffering from bone problems. The consumer markets are huge and must be tapped by any means. Ethics can take a back seat. (to be continued …)

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The usual pastime for retired persons is to go for morning walks, preferably in the company of other retired persons. The trend is for existing retired persons to scout around for others in the neighborhood who can be inducted into their fold. The general logic is – the more, the merrier.
If one eavesdrop on their conversation one would realize that it hinges mostly around specific topics like health and service life interspersed with sighs about the son who stays far away or the daughter who wants to be near them but just cannot do so because of her family obligations.

It is strange that even though all of the retired persons know that the distance between dreams and reality keep widening and can never merge, they create make believe situations to justify their loneliness.
Yes, loneliness is the single common factor that binds these elderly men and women who have devoted their life to raise their kids but are unable to enjoy their company because the world around them has changed. Every one of them is in the rat race and, driven by ambition, they do not have the time to share their feelings.
Of course, those who dish out TV soaps do not accept these – that is why in practically every family drama, we get to see joint families which is, in reality, a figment of the imagination.
Well – after their morning walks, they return home to sip their cup of tea and glance through the daily newspaper or switch on the TV to get the audio-visual version of the news with a battering of jingles and ads to spice up the day. For the religious minded, there are TV channels devoted to their cause.
Then comes the session meant for breakfast and medicines – both are equally important. But, even though the inner self might pine for the choicest spicy stuff, the actual intake is far from spicy. It is the desire to live that overrides all other desires and one is confined to foods that taste awful but are said to be a balanced diet of necessary amounts of proteins, vitamins and other nutrients that the body requires.
After a noon siesta and a cup of tea to pep oneself up, it is back to the couch and the TV remote to devour another TV soap or a reality show that appears to be very unreal – with the participants mouthing specifically designed sentences. (to be continued …)

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