"Jo Jo Chau Chau khanus khasi khukura paaunus" at once the radio broke holding us speechless. We could not help laughing there, but at the same time, I felt a pain intolerable. How long could you enjoy it by simply being mute onlooker? It's too much, we can't be fooled more. This sort of noodles extravaganza has irritated our ears much more than to any tolerable extent. What these noodles think of consumers? How gullible do they suppose their consumers are? Serious consideration, I think, should be given to this issue. In some of the countries this sort of noodles are banned because they are "junk foods". At this, our mass media too, seem much cheap and our government no less cheaper.
It is, in fact, as most of the hardboiled Leftists say an effect of Capitalism where the industrialists determine what we desire. They have got the full authority to assert what we are always craving for. These noodles competitors, nowadays, seem to be unnecessarily cocksure about our desire.
The crux, I think, lies in the poor standard and recklessness of the media. There are no rules, no conditions; the producers can air their ads through media whatever message these ads content. They can lie; they can exaggerate and they can do whatever they like.
I wonder where this competition in ads is going to lead them and their consumers. They offer what not: hen, goat, new clothes, home, load of money, job and so on. This overemphasis on flowery ads proves that they are not bothering about quality even in the least. Quality never matters for them what matters is how they fantasize it and advertise it. Scanning these ads, one can conclude that noodles are presupposedly meant to be eaten not for anything but for its (unimaginable) prizes. It has been a convention already and so, it is not noticed that the noodles ads are crossing the limit. Some of the ads effect goes far beyond their apparent message indicating that Nepalese people are all happy enough with the petty prizes they provide.
Furthermore, lack of rules and regulation had encouraged the advertisers more in forming such nonsensical ads. There are enough stories and proof to suspect on the reliability of these ads. But there is no authority taking action for its inspection. One way or the other, these ads are cheating people and are making them fools. These noodles producers have made ad the only way to sale their products and mass media, in fact, has become their handmaiden.
It may not seem unusual for us to listen every time such ads, which repeatedly remind us of its lucky prizes, like cock and hens. But what outsiders may evaluate when they see us enjoying this sort of trifling nonsense? Just think of these ads being aired in America or in any other European countries. Is it an indicator for poverty or underdevelopment? Does not it seem a complete buffoonery? The worry here is in our inability to see nothing wrong with these ads and their acceptance as the best offer. We even see some of the "lucky" winners dragged in the television screen brandishing cocks and hens, necklace and bracelets with short provocative remarks. Why don't the government or the concerned authority think of putting limit on such ads? Mass media could not be a place where such buffooneries can be practiced. It is public and must be sensitive in each and every case. For this tendency, as Deluge and Guattari, say could corrupt the media and the public alike by making them "schizophrenic".
[Originally published in The Kathmandu Post 2 February 2004 ]
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