Day 21: Rant 2.0 - Something Worthwhile?

There’s something about watching people on the screen isn’t there?

We look at these people through a lens that has been predetermined for us. We imagine a world picturesque and elite, we put them at the centre of it. In each of our little worlds, we are the main character. We ourselves are the protagonists. And we are so very protective of these worlds of ours. We are always looking for ways to maintaining that status of our own perspective of us being the main character.

And yet, when it comes to watching somebody through a lens, on a screen, we throw all that aside for a stranger we’ve never met. Raise them to perfection and sometimes even make ourselves wonder, if they’re even real because it all seems too good to be true.

It’s almost like the relationship we have with God. The way we celebrate them, watch them, wait for their movies and rush to watch it, prebooking tickets, for so many of us it’s like a ritual.

Some of us come out of this trance at some point. Others take a bit longer, while some more, may never. Of course there maybe a few who never get sucked in, in the first place.

Whatever category each of us may belong to, one thing is for certain: We’ve all heard off at least some of the big names of this wondrous, illusory industry. And most of us would never have seen these people in person or the world they live in. We never see them for what they are, and none of us really know them. And hence that illusory world of perfection maintains its significance at least symbolically.

And the people who employ these people, as well as these people themselves are aware of all this and are smart enough to take advantage of the situation.

And so we see them, everywhere. Portraying people, showing off products. Products they may never have used. I mean they’re not just showcasing them, they’re promoting them. They’re telling us to buy them, to use them and sometimes even speaking of their own experience with these products and saying words that were fed to them regarding these products. Saying words that make the products seem appealing and totally worthwhile. “Acting” with the aim of making us believe, making us feel like it’s desirable and would enrich our own daily lives.

There’s advertisements on paan in these manners. Advertisements promoting rummy. Promises of making money. And we see these advertisements stealing not just the prime times but the most elite time of those. In between the World Cup and IPL overs. These are times when you see the most paid advertisements. The highest paid actors for their work in movies. The most well-known actors.

When we watch these actors do such commercials, promoting products that we all know to be injurious to our health - products that have the capacity to ruin our lives, what we also see are these actors and producers, people whose job it is, whose business it is, wilfully encouraging millions and millions of people to go down a path of possibly no return.

These people are aware of the impact that these actors/industry “legends” have. The hold they have on millions of people who treat them like God. Who give them more love than they could’ve ever hoped for. These actors livelihoods are because of these people who worship them. And they KNOW they worship them.

When these people knowingly send the people who love them, down paths of no return, what more do we need for evidence of a lack of a moral compass. It’s indication as to how they’re saying, “there isn’t anything that exists that I don’t have a price for. You pay me enough and I’m willing to sell myself out. That money is so much more important to me that I will behave however you want me to and lead all the millions of people who love and seem to worship me, down any path for that money. The people who love and care for me and are the reason I am where I am today, the world - they’re not my responsibility.”

“I came into this industry for me, and this is how I reap the benefits. If there needs to be anything done, for the good of my image, I can just say a few words, behave however the public wants to see me, throw some of that money I got doing these very commercials in the name of philanthropy, altruism and be done with it all. Wash it off my hands.”

I’m not saying that these people are wrong in doing any of this, they’re looking out for themselves, making decisions that they deem to be the best for themselves and doing what we all should be doing - taking care of ourselves and enriching our own lives, basing our decisions on a proper base of knowledge.

When they’re looking out for themselves, why can’t we develop the sense to not follow blindly but make better decisions for ourselves?

And that’s all we have for today folks! Have a good night!