BootsnAll Travel Community

RE: http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/05-06/on-the-road-to-...ia-uk-and-india.html

Colin, a very unique and informative perspective indeed! I have quite enjoyed your articles from India (I was born and bred there till I moved to the US 6 years ago) but this one touched me in a lot more profound way. You're so right about the "beckhamization" of the the democratic world. And honestly, I have observed the same kind of atmosphere shaping in India for the last few years. And although satellite TV and the advent of the 24 hour news format has a lot to do with it (it's absolutely infuriating to watch some of the local TV new s stations and the stories they run for headlines!), I believe that the root of it actually lies in the print media beginning with The Times of India. Although being a bestselling newspaper and quite a respectable one at that, I have been repeatedly apalled by the choice of stories that make it's front page and not to mention it's emulation of The Sun by running it's own version of the "Page 3" model. You're right about the fact that people in democratic nations, especially the ones that are based on capitalism or those that are changing to a capitalistic model from a socialist one are more and more concerned with the bigger better deal in life.
Once again, a great, thought provoking article. Please continue to contribute your articles here, we love reading them! And good luck on your book (not sure if you've already published one but would definitely like to read it whenever it's available). The world needs more writers like you!!

I've never read the TOI. I stay in Chennai a lot and tend to the the New Indian Express and The Hindu. Up until now they have been the main English Language papers in the city. But the Deccan Chronicle and TOI have or are about to enter the Chennai market. It will be interesting to see what impact the TOI has on the others - will they become more "tabloid"?

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. It's not a traditional "travel" piece (whatever that is) but it was certainly inspired by my travels. Anyway, travel gives the greater ability to step outside of your own culture and to see it for what it is.

Ooohhh... I was with the Times group until recently. Actually their sister concern - the financial newspaper. TOI is much lighter, not as heavy or boring -- not a tabloid.

In general I have not seen the kind of tabloid journalism or paparazzi stuff that you see in UK and US. Maybe we "revere" our film and cricket stars a bit too much to bring them off their pedestal.Politicians are like flubber they keep bouncing back inspite of all the scandals.

Yes, I think film and cricket stars in India are indeed revered much more than in the UK. Even when Sanjay and Salman get into BIG trouble, they don't get the "treatment" that stars in the UK get. They still seem to be very much respected and "allowances" are made for their behaviour.

quote:

Originally posted by Ct:
Even when Sanjay and Salman get into BIG trouble, they don't get the "treatment" that stars in the UK get. They still seem to be very much respected and "allowances" are made for their behaviour.

Well Sanjay went to prision for couple of years..this was when his father was a MP.Is he in trouble again.

Salman..well he is another story altogether. What did he do now?

I need to catch a copy of Filmfare one of these days. Yes! we do get them here.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/10/04/stories/2002100402380400.htm


The above is a link to The Hindu (2002) and a piece about Salman. It's old stuff. I guess you already know the "being drunk and killing/injuring people" allegations. I think the police had a recording of Sanjay on the phone to some notorious ganster a couple of years back. I sort of lost track with that story.

You made me think, if Indian stars are revered so much more than those in the UK, then when they endorse products they have the potential to influence the consumer that much more. I don't know - just speculating. But the link between popular culture and consumerism is now beginning to be tapped into by the ad agencies in India.

Don't Pepsi and Coke have their wars in India with rival stars.After cinema and ads they all turn to Politics...from old veterans like Dilip Kumar to now Govinda. MGR to Jayalalitha. NTR in AP. So that should tell you the influence of the stars haha and about the people in general having faith in the person playing the character in movies. Humm a article in the making??

I wonder if Hugh Grant will ever run for office. Except Arnold here in CA, Clint Eastwood was a mayor, and Ronald Reagan I cannot think of any big stars turn politician.

Indian cinema is pretty popular...even in South East Asia. I saw Indian Movie posters in Thai in BKK and even in some small cities.

I was passing though a small village in the North of Loas..near Muang Noi and guess what I see a Bollywood flick capturing the interest of kids and adults alike. It was a old one Jeetendra and Jaya Pradha (isn't she a politician now)

Even in Siem Reap Cambodia I saw posters of Govinda and Sanjay.

On one of the two cola giant's bottles in India the label sates: "contains no fruit" or something like that. Void of any positive substance. A metaphor for the type of popular culture alluded to in the article and this thread perhaps? Full of gaseous fizz but leads a bitter aftertaste particularly if you consider this -

I heard some farmers in India were recently using either Coke or Pepsi on their crops because of the high pesticide content. It was actually cheaper than pesticides.