Obnoxious Trends

We all are smart or we all are dumb-asses – to hell with the truth, it’s all about acceptance. Yes, we are what we think or believe. It’s good actually for all of us because we can’t be damn smart all the time and neither intolerable idiots because like all good things in our lives – there will be some fools always beneath our stature (in the parameters of foolishness) and that’s a good alibi as a human being. Let’s not talk about people, but some obnoxious trends – started, fueled, and sustained (loathed) by people.

Some trends which have been making me feel really-really bad these days are:

1.Cussing in Comedy:

All India Bakchod (Photo Courtesy: Telegraph India)

Comedy or to perform a comic act is the most difficult thing to do in the world. As a comedian, you do the best thing to this ailing and fragile world – subjected to reckless hatred and coldness, my pessimistic thoughts are premised upon some latest happenings, which involved butchering of children in Pakistan. A comedian is a true harbinger of hope. By bringing a smile on the faces of people, you can keep them close to their human-side. A hearty laughter breaks through inhibitions and brings us together. People tend to forget who they really are when they laugh together. So, I would like to thank all the comedians. But, I expect you guys to think more – because intelligent comedy is what…that would make you relevant for a long time. What I have seen or heard of late has given me mixed feelings. The level of cussing has reached a whole new level in comedy. Whether it’s AIB (All India Bakchod) or some regular comedy shows (Indian shows only…or some stand-up comedy acts on YouTube), these guys rely too much on cussing. I would not use the word “Vulgarity” here because this word is not relevant anymore – once again it’s about choices. In the garb of adult comedy, these guys just talk too much about porn, those silly jokes on women faking orgasm and guys fantasizing about a whole lot of women (yes, same old shit). It looks absolutely crappy, when they bring in Hindi Sitcoms, so-called Indian traditions and our peculiarities into these jokes and blend them with porn. If you think this is hilarious – then please get out, meet people, read more and observe more. It is boring Guys, Overdone…Period!  You are supposed to make us laugh not to show that you are expert reviewer of Porn. We all know that and we all can review that so just shut up. Come up with some intelligent comedy. Cussing wouldn't take you far.

2. Social Media Hollowness or Howling:  

I am simply allergic to all those social media warriors who fight those comments-wars with others – I don’t understand what their problem is… You just need to start with a comment on a particular political party, a politician or something which is used or abused on discussion panels of news channels and some guys would jump upon to post, force or puke their views on others. May be Arnab Goswami effect has reached the next level (guys, even if the nation wants to know, I don’t) And, one Arnab Goswami is Enough. Because more than for anything else, people on social media post these counter questions just to prove they know more or they are RIGHT – That’s it. Just Stop It. May be, I might have not been able to gauge the seriousness in those comment wars, but yes I could deduce a trend – after a few comments these comment warriors just try to prove they are right – they don’t give a damn about Facts.

3. I Take a Stand:

To understand this phenomenon, you need to watch a few episodes of Big Boss or Roadies. Daily soaps on Indian Television play their vital role in molding our opinions. What happens in these two hugely popular shows is that contestants fight, abuse and sometimes hit each other. That’s fine because ordinary people also do that, but everything appears nauseating when the same contestants fight over trifles and claim – They took a Stand. What? Yes, picture two kids are fighting over a toy and both are pushing each other, pulling each other’s hair and then start crying – then some elder comes in. It is just the same, but shame on these contestants when they pose as if they took a stand on something so serious, so important and so what not. Now, this same shit is translating into our real-lives. Fortunately, I have been an audience to some real-life arguments, where real-people stuck to some bizarre assumptions or beliefs because they felt – they took a stand. What the hell. The effect of shows like Roadies and Big-Boss is way too much. Our societies will never be the same.

Facebook: Hi There, I don’t Care

Caution 1: First Paragraph talks about Orkut

Photo Courtesy: http://pt.kioskea.net/

Yesterday was the last day of Orkut and many people paid homage to this first (Popularity wise) Social Media Platform by writing a lot of stuff. It did not affect me much. Yes, when I read that they were going to shut it down, I retrieved some old pictures. Like thousands of others, I had almost forgotten about it before Google announced the time of its death. No mixed feeling or any beautiful memory about it because I must confess that I never got any testimonials in my Orkut account nor enough Scraps. I got introduced to Orkut when a pretty Girl (My Friend’s Friend) talked about Scraps, bragged about Testimonials – a couple of them, she was receiving on a daily basis (then), and obviously I just wanted to check her profile and pictures so got on Board. But that didn’t help my case in any manner.

Quickly I realized that Orkut was swarming up with users like me – attention hunters. To look different, I posted my profile picture (clicked through a web-cam), as me peeping through the fingers of my right hand, posed in front, as If I was trying to hide my face. First full-fledged Social Media Endeavor vehemently proved that I was a shameless hypocrite. Well, now I feel silly about that but those were the early days of Social Media and now after all these years – I can tell with conviction that things haven’t changed much as far as new users’ behavior on Social Media is concerned.

Orkut helped loners, wannabes, confused evangelists and many others (60% uncategorized users) to shore up their egos as people mutually exchanged Testimonials and helped each other to feel good. It started with a boom, reached the pinnacle of glory and before we could come up with the terms of inevitable change, it withered away. Other groups or Social Media Platforms like High5 met with the same fate.

There is Not something for everyone on Social Media Platforms nowadays – but yes options are many. And, if it hadn’t been for Facebook, we would have lost in this sea of tools. Monopoly is not an apt word to justify Facebook’s stature as a Social Media Deity so let’s call it The Emperor. I wouldn’t dare to scrutinize FB’s prominence and its importance in our lives, Yes I have more than 150 Friends on Facebook, but I can only call 1 or 2 of them at any time if I need any help or suggestion or whatever.

(Let’s get a bit philosophical now – you can stop reading if you want) Roughly for me, Facebook is just a simple tool to promote or to showcase what you have – it could be anything from good looks, good writing skills, and other lots of goods. We human beings get the best in terms of pure-pleasure when we indulge in comparison. We all lead our lives in such a way that every now and then we compare ourselves with others to feel better, superior and stronger. Obviously, FB is used for that.

In the early days of my Facebooking, I used to get upset when not many people liked my status. And, me and my so-called FB Friends also fought many “Comment-Wars” over burning issues (some of them were not even aware about or never gave a damn about the topic of discussion, they were there just because they wanted to be there to show that they also cared), when one comment was complimented by another and we got so much involved in that duel to prove that who was wittier. In a flurry of comments the real meaning or the purpose would have lost but we all felt good about ourselves. We discussed, abused, and praised celebrities, trends, and typical issues – man, it never felt enough! And, now I just stay away from all that. You know, it is the same feeling – when you have had too much Free ka Daru, which led to puking and ultimately to conscience pangs, which forced you to swear that you would never drink again – even if it would be free Again.

(And Now I am Social Commentator – you can still stop reading!) For Teenagers it is a medium to get that fellow-feeling that world is full of like-minded people when they are going through Hormone-paradigm shift. For bored housewives, it is a simple way to prove that they also exist. For writers or business people, it is just a medium to promote their stuff.

A few things which make this medium so exciting for me now is to see the pictures of newly married couples who post their lovey-dovey images – well they do make you feel that they are truly blessed. Or those who create propaganda. They start with a statement, which is followed up by a carpet-bombing of comments – one after another. I don’t know how much they pay to those SMO Companies to do that but after seeing 20 comments on such posts – I lose interest.

The true importance of Facebook lies in a simple fact that it has established the authority of a notion that nothing goes unnoticed in this world now-a-days. Obviously, like other important things in our lives, it is like a double-edged sword. Amidst those propagandas, promotions, and self-aggrandizement quests, one factor that supports the relevance of this medium is that Facebook is also a potent tool for those who want to reveal something, which deserves to be heard or debated.

Now that Orkut is dead, I would not bother much if Facebook will be dead tomorrow. That’s my honest personal opinion. I find this overall Social Media experience quite Boring now that I can go to an extent to say that it appears “Fake.” But, yes, I will post this blog link on Facebook that so people can read it (hypocrisy couldn’t have been expressed in a better way). Wink…Wink!