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What's in Vogue, and what's not
Some people haven’t the faintest clue as to how they should go around making opulent style statements. Especially, if done with an inordinate amount of insensitivity and tastelessness. Worse still, if they have the nerve to defend it as callously.
So when Vogue India carried a 16-page photo shoot of decidedly-not-rich people strutting $10,000 Hermès Birkin bags, $5,000 Burberry umbrellas, or $100 Fendi bibs, the magazine was asking for some censure. This came in the form of three articles – in the New York Times, the Telegraph, and the Independent. The thread was duly picked up by a number of blogs. And now the story is all over town.
And as to why none of the Indian news media establishments reacted to the Vogue India shoot, your guess would be as good as mine.
Phooling all the people all the time
My colleagues were exhilarated. They were agitated too. So the woman who, they claimed, had killed hundreds and got away with it, had finally been gunned down. Quite rightly so, they belligerently maintained. Those who live by the sword must die by the sword, was the apology. But they were disturbed as well. What if the man, who had liquidated her and been subsequently nabbed, were to be hanged for the justice he had meted out? It would become a travesty of justice.
The boss, barely able to gulp down his lunch in this choked state of mind, felt rape is fine, but rape cannot be an excuse for killing your rapists. Yes, nodded the others sotto voce, almost as if rape is the greatest thing than can happen to a woman. The boss, need one reveal, was a man? The physical humiliation and emotional trauma that Phoolan had to undergo during that infamous, seemingly-unending gangrape was perceived as "okay". All in the game, you see.
FTV is too hot; so our guardians have banned it
The ministry singled out ‘Midnight Hot’ - a programme broadcast after midnight by cable television networks transmitting/re-transmitting a satellite channel called FTV.Com India.
Whether the Indian government cared for the hundreds of farmers who have committed suicide in central India is something we can debate about. What we cannot is the fact that its commitment to safeguarding public morality is above question. Caesar's wife, you know.
The custodians of Indian morality, the venerable Information & Broadcasting Ministry, has now banned Fashion TV for two months, starting on All Fools Day. No, we are sure the government is not playing a prank on us. It does not play the fool with issues such as taste and decency.
"The transmission or re-transmission of this channel on all platforms has been prohibited...for showing programmes that are against good taste and decency, denigrate women and are likely to adversely affect public morality," a government statement said.
The ministry has objected to FTV showing programmes "that are against good taste and decency, denigrate women and are likely to adversely affect public morality." The ministry has banned FTV under sub-section (2) of Section 20 of the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995. The ministry has singled out 'Midnight Hot' - a programme broadcast after midnight by cable television networks transmitting/re-transmitting a satellite channel called FTV.Com India.
Isn't it time someone did a study called the State of Indian Morality?
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