Recently the trees in Lalbagh Bangalore were shivering under the fear that they were going to be axed for giving way to the Metro Rail Project coming up in Bangalore. Neither the Forest Department nor the Pollution control Departments cared a dime.The tree lovers did not give up and approached the Honourable High court ,which came to the rescue of the trees,which would have otherwise ended up as firewood or furniture. Now the trees are breathing a sigh of relief and the very same people who wanted to cut the trees are now inhaling the oxygen ex haled by the trees. The media called it the Axe effect. This news item made me write about the ill effects of the Axe effect advertisement which was produced to promote the Axe brand Body spray..This is an ADULTS ONLY ADEVERTISEMENT viewing of which should be restricted to adults. But what happens really is totally contrary. The advertisement by the manufacturers of the body spray has been repeatedly telecast by the TV Channels with scant regard to the effect it has on the children and the adolescent. In an advertisement a man who is supposed to have used the spray turns into a chocolate man and it is shown that he becomes much sought after by women who forget their age, attire, position and run after him. In another advertisement a man in a bath room is shown wearing a bath towel and two legs of a lady are shown wrapped around his waist . In another advertisement a sexy looking Pitza girl writes her cell number on the pitza indicating to the young customer to call her at the number. Similarly one girl who is driving a sedan ,being unable to control herself after ‘sniffing ’ the body odour of another young man (who used Axe) writes the same “cell number” (used by the Pitza girl) on her car window inviting him to call that girl(pitza girl ?). In the same advertisement , a score of nude women painted white are shown as if they are running after the guy who applied Axe spray and a subtitle is shown “enjoy them all”.Hopefully the ad means here, the various products. Lord Parashuram who always wielded his axe to vent out his anger ,would have thrown his axe at the ad producers if he had come to know about the effect of this spray. The Axe effect would have really seen the reverse axe effect after all. Incidentally “parashu” means Axe. Again it is a MAYA and you cannot stop people from falling for it. The gullible young folks fall a prey to this evil effect. The ad film makers have demonstrated their boldness and the official inadequacy of our Censor authorities. These seductive advertisements show women in bad light and creates bad impression that the such women will shed their morality to the winds at the sight of a person sprayed with AXE .Hence after much hue and cry the Government Information and Broadcasting ministry found the advertisement, too vulgar and bordering on obscenity and indecent and banned it for some time. Surprisingly however the advertisements managed to stage a come back and continue to be aired. I feel that there was not enough strength in the blow instigated by the axe of the Government.
During the French revolution the persons who faced execution under a guillotine would have felt what is an “axe effect” but their severed heads could not reveal the experience to any body. for obvious reasons. In the fable of a poor wood cutter ,whose axe with a wooden handle accidently falls into a river and who was helped by the river God would have known what is an ‘axe effect’ because he would have lost his livelihood in the absence of his axe. This AXE EFFECT IS AN ILLUSION. In this story, the River God created an illusion but the wood cutter did not fall for it. He was honest and got awarded the axes with golden and silver handles along with his original axe with wooden handle. In this context I remember a comedy story in which a person is offered help a similar way by a river God. In this story, one person is crying near the bank of a river. The River God appears before him and asks him why he is crying.,He reveals that his wife fell in to the river. Immediately the kind River God takes a plunge and comes out with a famous Hollywood actress and asks him whether she is his wife. The man immediately nodded ‘yes’. The surprised River God asks him why he lied.In reply, the man explains,’Oh God.if I say ‘no’ you will again come out with another Bollywood actress and ask me. I may say ‘ No’. Finally you will come up with my wife and I will have to say YES and you will give me all the three women to me as a reward..How can I manage them. That is why I said YES.” The River God appreciated his honesty and restored his wife back to him and relieved him from impending troubles. Is it a reward or punishment ? Each man will leave it to his judgement according to his experience.
The axe effect is felt most , by techies in software industry affected by financial meltdown, and they come to know that they are no longer in employment when their swipe- card refuses entry and advises them to contact Accounts Branch to get their terminal settlement. The management chooses to sack them without giving them the statutory notice. They justify their action by giving compensation with full salary for the notice period. They do not give time to the employee to look elsewhere for alternate employment . The Management axe detaches the employee.
Coming to Axe effect , I wonder how the advertisements escaped the censors who are supposed to be the watch dogs to prevent the society from viewing obscene substances that will affect the morale of the society at large. The Ad producers may claim that little obscenity cannot be avoided if you want to drive home the point. It is hard to convince them that even ‘little Obscenity’ in advertisements is like getting “little pregnant.” when chastity is the order of the day.(quoted by Irving Wallace when referring to press censorship in his Novel The Seven Minutes).
One wonders ‘Should the advertisements be allowed to pollute the minds of young generations’ Is there any limit ? The axe effect affects the society. If people are wise enough to see through this illusion they will steer clear of such ill effects. The body spray axes the common sense and sense of understanding and makes the user believe that there is some magic in it. The advertisement appeals only to animal sense in the BODY. Those who have the weakness to ‘stray’ gladly falls for this advertisement and product.
Tags: Axe effect, illusory effect, Irving Wallace, Maya, seven minutes, The River God, The wood cutter
June 21, 2009 at 5:40 pm |
MADE GOOD READING. BUT TODAY’S YOUTH ARE MORE EXPOSED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE AND WE THE OLDIES ARE STUCK WITH OUR OWN HACKNEYED MORALS AND FEEL EMBARRASSED WHEN SUCH ADS POP UP. THE YOUTH OF THE PRESENT GEN DO NOT FEEL THE WAY WE FELT IN OUR YOUTHFUL DAYS!!