There was a time when being able to read between the lines was considered a gift. I remember how we used to talk in 'code' languages in school. The greatest works in literature are usually hard to decipher. Ministers in courts used to talk in riddles, paraphrasing the simplest of things. There used to be a hidden meaning behind everything. A subtext, if I may.
That time is long gone.
The word subtle does not sell anymore. I could quote endless instances that tantamount to this. I started observing this when the song Bhaag Bhaag DK Bose came out. BC Suttah is another song that's synonymous with virtually every Indian teen today. That Hunter song in Gangs of Wasseypur exemplifies this simple fact: Audacity sells more than anything else today.
Take nudity for instance. Kids ten years ago used to look forward even to an advertisement with a woman showing off her cleavage. Show the same to today's kids, and they're likely to respond: 'What was I supposed to see in this?'
People may not have noticed it as much, but except fashion lovers, anything below nudity for a beautiful woman in a movie is nothing short of disappointing.
Nobody will google for Mallika Sherawat when people like Sherlyn Chopra are walking this earth. If facebook survives another couple of years, it may even remove the restrictions on uploaded pictures.
Movies with depth are perceived as 'Blah' by the common man today. Today there is an upper limit to how much you twist words and ideas, because people out there do not seek to ravage their heads trying to understand. A laziness has crept into the minds of the 21st century: a laziness, which stops them from thinking too deeply. True, there are people out there who still have a passion for depth and hidden meanings, but that number is gradually decreasing.
Funnily enough the same rule can be applied to wooing and flirting with women. I don't know whether this was always the case, but I have always been a master of subtlety. And it hasn't exactly worked wonders for me till now. Question is, should I shed my convoluted true self, just to get a girl?
Anyway, if you're reading this and thinking on similar lines, take my sincerest advice - Stop beating about the bush, subtlety is DEAD.
That time is long gone.
The word subtle does not sell anymore. I could quote endless instances that tantamount to this. I started observing this when the song Bhaag Bhaag DK Bose came out. BC Suttah is another song that's synonymous with virtually every Indian teen today. That Hunter song in Gangs of Wasseypur exemplifies this simple fact: Audacity sells more than anything else today.
Take nudity for instance. Kids ten years ago used to look forward even to an advertisement with a woman showing off her cleavage. Show the same to today's kids, and they're likely to respond: 'What was I supposed to see in this?'
People may not have noticed it as much, but except fashion lovers, anything below nudity for a beautiful woman in a movie is nothing short of disappointing.
Nobody will google for Mallika Sherawat when people like Sherlyn Chopra are walking this earth. If facebook survives another couple of years, it may even remove the restrictions on uploaded pictures.
Movies with depth are perceived as 'Blah' by the common man today. Today there is an upper limit to how much you twist words and ideas, because people out there do not seek to ravage their heads trying to understand. A laziness has crept into the minds of the 21st century: a laziness, which stops them from thinking too deeply. True, there are people out there who still have a passion for depth and hidden meanings, but that number is gradually decreasing.
Funnily enough the same rule can be applied to wooing and flirting with women. I don't know whether this was always the case, but I have always been a master of subtlety. And it hasn't exactly worked wonders for me till now. Question is, should I shed my convoluted true self, just to get a girl?
Anyway, if you're reading this and thinking on similar lines, take my sincerest advice - Stop beating about the bush, subtlety is DEAD.
This is actually so true. Perfectly written too!
ReplyDeleteNow imagine how much praise it would've gotten had I not felt so dumb after reading. :P
i think this post is meant for someone , i hope she gets the message
ReplyDeleteand yeah as usual good read
Sudeep - Calling you dumb might be the dumbest thing ever uttered by anyone in a thousand years.
ReplyDeleteKartik - The world revolves around the Sun, not women. :P The idea is generic and encapsulates women in it as well.
Any messages to be sent will be sent directly. Subtlety doesn't work, remember?
There is a fine line between being subtle in a classy way and leaving so many cryptic messages that you leave the other person utterly confused and infuriated. Agreed, subtlety is an art, but if you're not a master artist, go for open, straightforward truth. It always works.
ReplyDelete