I have a big grouse against today's women's magazine.Especially English one, though all other like Hindi ones are also catching up fast. On the face they claim to be of substance and giving the women information, and an identity. But they are full of advice only on cosmetics, jewellery,clothes and many more consumer items.Issue after issue they keep on reinventing the same ideas again and again. Seems to be a catalogue of latest in fashion and gadgets. and their agony aunts column are really an eye opener.As an agony aunt, I have seen that except Pooja Bedi, all others look like they are enjoying other's troubles and instead of finishing trouble..finish the person.And all the magazines follow the same agenda, if in a month Malaika is hot, then she would be there in all the magazines.Any discerning reader can see that in one issue they write about how shopping is therapeutic and in the next issue they will bring out an article about why not to do shopping. Sometimes in the same issue there are two contradictory articles.But always an excess of blushers,creams,chappals,bags and watches.
These things are important in life and a part of life, but they cant be a life.
Grooming is good to enhance the personality, but for that there should be a personality first. And for a good personality one needs education and moral values and virtues need to be taught.Like they say that bad things appeal to us instantly , but for the good things to appeal, first we have to make the environment conducive to that and it takes time.
They always tell the reader to think about self only, everything comes later. It is good to look after self interest and self,,even our scriptures also that that tolerating injustice is akin to doing it, but it is always better to take into consideration the well being of our family , then our society and then our country.Nobody can be a world in himself..one needs people, society to live...and for that we need to make a good society and that can be made by being good to others..
Its neigh impossible to always do what You want and still keep ur family happy,like I can give examples of very small things,
I may enjoy sleeping late, but if I have school going children, I cant do that. and if I do that I would be neglecting my duties. And we must always learn this---- rights only come after duties.
Most of the publications are following western formats and their ideology, completely forgetting that west is not happy, they may have lot of luxury and facilities but not any family values like we had. in the name of progress why are we destroying good things of our culture. because for us......
family means ----
spending sleepless nights when children are sick
giving the best to our children , even at the cost of compromising lifestyle.
waiting for our spouses to come and have dinner together,( not eating whenever
u feel like ).this point is debatable..i believe in that many may not...:)
sometimes forgoing your parties and going out due to small kids.
adjusting our vacation plans and outings because we have our elders with us.
And believe me the enjoyment and satisfaction of giving up something for our family far exceeds than living for self, just try it for sometime.and see, there is more romance in doing something for yourr spouse or taking care of his/her likings and disliking than just celebrating a valentine in a year.
These things are important in life and a part of life, but they cant be a life.
Grooming is good to enhance the personality, but for that there should be a personality first. And for a good personality one needs education and moral values and virtues need to be taught.Like they say that bad things appeal to us instantly , but for the good things to appeal, first we have to make the environment conducive to that and it takes time.
They always tell the reader to think about self only, everything comes later. It is good to look after self interest and self,,even our scriptures also that that tolerating injustice is akin to doing it, but it is always better to take into consideration the well being of our family , then our society and then our country.Nobody can be a world in himself..one needs people, society to live...and for that we need to make a good society and that can be made by being good to others..
Its neigh impossible to always do what You want and still keep ur family happy,like I can give examples of very small things,
I may enjoy sleeping late, but if I have school going children, I cant do that. and if I do that I would be neglecting my duties. And we must always learn this---- rights only come after duties.
Most of the publications are following western formats and their ideology, completely forgetting that west is not happy, they may have lot of luxury and facilities but not any family values like we had. in the name of progress why are we destroying good things of our culture. because for us......
family means ----
spending sleepless nights when children are sick
giving the best to our children , even at the cost of compromising lifestyle.
waiting for our spouses to come and have dinner together,( not eating whenever
u feel like ).this point is debatable..i believe in that many may not...:)
sometimes forgoing your parties and going out due to small kids.
adjusting our vacation plans and outings because we have our elders with us.
And believe me the enjoyment and satisfaction of giving up something for our family far exceeds than living for self, just try it for sometime.and see, there is more romance in doing something for yourr spouse or taking care of his/her likings and disliking than just celebrating a valentine in a year.
19 comments:
Renu your post is so appealing. I read it twice. You are very correct about family ties and our priorities. It is a pity that many snobs are imitating others and forgetting their own culture. The magazines are also following suit.
There is a reason why I don't buy magazines. One, because they are over priced and two, they are full of trashy gossip and lastly exactly what you said that they repeat the stories of beauty and fashion.
However, Western countries do have family values, it is just different than Indian. I've always said that the west and east can learn a lot from each other. Neither is better or worse!
Young things will point out you are older by a generation and that magazines purvey what the market wants very much like the visual media.In any business proposition with an eye on profits there is no place for values or tradition,they would point out with certain legitimacy.The modern mags should excite,amuse,titillate and gossip.They also serve as publicity medium to generate revenues.Like it or leave it is the mantra.None compels.
Usha Menon: thank you for appreciating!
Chai a cup of life: Sorry Amelia..I didnt mean to say it that way, I have always said that there are so many good things we can learn from west..but even then, I am really for that...
KParthsarthi:From your comment nobody can say that you are from our generation:)...but many of these magazine present themselves as saviour of women...
Magazines are there for making profit. Therefore, they will publish what the people want. If the people do not buy such magazines, they will change their course.
I agree that, these days, women's magazines seem to be all about fashion, grooming, etc.. This is because almost every activity these days is treated purely as a business. The only thing that matters is profit.
Why only women's magazines, even mainstream print and electronic media these days is all about circulation/TRPs and profitability.
I completely agree that rights only come after duties. Unfortunately, most of us speak only of our rights and of other people's duties.
SG: making profit is necessary in bussiness, but its always business with ethics, which is commended..
Proactiveindian.com:..yes, I am surprised to see advt. as the front page, earlier it was considered selling your soul...
Agree with you Renu but one should not get carried away as the magazines get paid handsomely to promote such products! Imagine the educated people buy, Fair & Lovely for toning skin complexion:)
I like good housekeeping, it is a magazine which has very good tip, articles for frugal and sensible living . It is a book from the west though it has an indian edition. Love its content.
I was once a regular reader of a woman's mag, the "i believe" women were really woman of substance, but now i hate the book for the same reasons that you have listed here.
Rahul BHatia: Tru but media has a big hand in shaping our ideas and life.
Asha: Since I love reading, I used to read all of them..yes GH is good...but rest are doing the same thing again and again.
Yes, the more values are losing its space from society and everything has become commercial... all channels, newspapers and magazine are giving important to commercial ads only, which are almost fake ones. A beauty can enhance only in ads... no fairness creams can clean the skin unless one if fair enough.
Indian culture and relationship is unique… none care for others unlike us and family values are rich here and if not I am no more survive.
Just for profits they do it, they just need to keep balance
Yes, very true that the quality of Indian women's magazines is deteriorating. They may talk about 1-2 real issues as a token, otherwise they are very superficial ... more shopping guides, than magazines.
Renu, the first half of the last para was the icing on the cake. No opinion about the first half of the post though ... am somewhere in between :)
Proactive Indian, "rights only come after duties", indeed a mirror image of my thought!
Jeevan: But we are loosing all thats good..
sm: but they call it women emancipation..
Salomie: instead of guiding the society in a right direction , they are just interested in earning money...
Ruminating Optimist:somwhere in between is always ok..because one should nevr be on the extremses of anything..
Now I am so glad I steer clear of these magazines, except when I'm caught with empty time at the beauticians or dentist. Come to think of it, isn't it such places that stock these magazines? Beautician, hairdresser, dentists, hotel lobbies.
Yes, you have nailed their weakness and redundancy spot on.
Sweetyshinde..Even i have stopped reading them..
Ashwini: me too..intelligence is anyday better than beauty..
I think i hav become a sad old man, I dont read magazines anymore, :( ..
and yes sadly I am neither good looking nor intelligent .. what will happen for the likes of me .. i wonder
Bikram
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