The question looks grammatically incorrect. Doesn't it? Not if you are referring to the Central Perk gang.
I have probably watched each and every episode a gazillion times. I still enjoy it. It is such a shame that they don't make them anymore. Even after a long day at work and a horrible commute, one can always kick back, watch a rerun and feel instantaneously better. Sometimes I wish life was a friendzy. Just sit in a coffee house, chat and be genuinely funny.
To answer the question, It is never too much Friends.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Neuromarketing
Until recently, I was a brand conscious consumer zombie. I was quite confident that I had turned a new leaf. I am not quite sure of that anymore. I came across this article titled “neuromarketing” by pbs.org. It talks about a study of brain's responses to ads and brands. Apparently, a neurally clever ad campaign can make brain override product quality in favor of brand image. Brain scans are being used to create precision marketing campaigns.
The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. From the moment we wake up in the morning, to the daily commute, to the after office hours, to our favorite sitcoms, we are constantly bombarded with ads and brand images. The radios, the TV, the web are all littered with them. We may not pay attention to a majority of them. The question is are we paying attention at a subconscious level? Why else would we instinctly grab a particular drink or a particular any thing?
To quote Chomsky, "The business world does not spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year to provide information. The famed 'entrepreneurial initiative' and 'free trade' are about as realistic as informed consumer choice."
It is easy to play the victim here. But are we also the villain? Many among us strive to be successful corporate executives. Many dream of making it big. Armed with degrees, we march out into the corporate world. Helping to churn out more marketing campaigns, gimmicks and gizmos, to keep the cycle of consumerism at it’s consuming best. Or should I say consuming worst!
The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. From the moment we wake up in the morning, to the daily commute, to the after office hours, to our favorite sitcoms, we are constantly bombarded with ads and brand images. The radios, the TV, the web are all littered with them. We may not pay attention to a majority of them. The question is are we paying attention at a subconscious level? Why else would we instinctly grab a particular drink or a particular any thing?
To quote Chomsky, "The business world does not spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year to provide information. The famed 'entrepreneurial initiative' and 'free trade' are about as realistic as informed consumer choice."
It is easy to play the victim here. But are we also the villain? Many among us strive to be successful corporate executives. Many dream of making it big. Armed with degrees, we march out into the corporate world. Helping to churn out more marketing campaigns, gimmicks and gizmos, to keep the cycle of consumerism at it’s consuming best. Or should I say consuming worst!
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Language lost
A news article caught my attention today. It read, "Of the 6,000-odd languages in the world, one is said to disappear every fortnight. Should the English-speaking world care?"
Before I could answer that question, I was asking myself the question, "Am I part of the English speaking world?". It wasn't too long before I realized that I was very much part of the so called "English-speaking world". Ironically, English is not my mother tongue. My mother tongue is Malayalam and I speak it fluently. Unfortunately, I cannot write or read it. There are probably thousands of people like me. Thousands, who are more comfortable with English than they are with their own mother tongue.
I have had the good fortune of visiting places like Hawaii and New Mexico. One does come across a recurring theme. Younger generation trying hard to hold on to the old and adapt to the new. Native Americans do have special schools which help them connect with their rich past. The younger generation Hawaiians are showing a renewed interest in their culture.
Is just showing interest enough?
The article rightly points out, "young people all over the world are being exposed to 21st Century culture, which is very often arriving in the form of English". Many like me have been educated with English as the medium. No wonder my thoughts and my blogs are very much in English.
Zoological Society of London initiated a project called Frozen Ark. The idea is to create a DNA library of earth's life form. While the project might sound far fetched to many, to me it sounds like a necessity. A rapidly increasing human population is responsible for widespread habitat loss. Habitat loss not just in terms of wildlife, but also culture. Should we be creating a Digital Culture Ark also?. An ark that would preserve our many languages and our many cultures from extinction.
Malayalam as a language, is not becoming extinct any time soon. But how soon is soon?
Before I could answer that question, I was asking myself the question, "Am I part of the English speaking world?". It wasn't too long before I realized that I was very much part of the so called "English-speaking world". Ironically, English is not my mother tongue. My mother tongue is Malayalam and I speak it fluently. Unfortunately, I cannot write or read it. There are probably thousands of people like me. Thousands, who are more comfortable with English than they are with their own mother tongue.
I have had the good fortune of visiting places like Hawaii and New Mexico. One does come across a recurring theme. Younger generation trying hard to hold on to the old and adapt to the new. Native Americans do have special schools which help them connect with their rich past. The younger generation Hawaiians are showing a renewed interest in their culture.
Is just showing interest enough?
The article rightly points out, "young people all over the world are being exposed to 21st Century culture, which is very often arriving in the form of English". Many like me have been educated with English as the medium. No wonder my thoughts and my blogs are very much in English.
Zoological Society of London initiated a project called Frozen Ark. The idea is to create a DNA library of earth's life form. While the project might sound far fetched to many, to me it sounds like a necessity. A rapidly increasing human population is responsible for widespread habitat loss. Habitat loss not just in terms of wildlife, but also culture. Should we be creating a Digital Culture Ark also?. An ark that would preserve our many languages and our many cultures from extinction.
Malayalam as a language, is not becoming extinct any time soon. But how soon is soon?
Monday, January 17, 2005
Closer.. Or is it Farther ?
I had the misfortune of seeing the movie, Closer. I walked out of the movie theater thinking, "Farther, might have been a better title. Farther from the truth that is".
Reviews mentioned the movie to be a satire on modern London society. I have never been to London myself, but I refuse to believe relationships in London have dropped down to sheer boredom. Where couples barrage each other with long weird sentences and profanity. All in the name of solving relationship issues
Modern society puts enormous pressure on the institution of marriage. That is true every where. Our goals and aspirations are often set by images in the media. I agree, marriage is not as easy it probably was a few decades ago. Even then!
As Chandler would say ..."Could this movie BE MORE on a tangent!"
The plot held some hope. The lengthy meaningless dialogues just stifled it. Well, if you happened to catch the Golden globes last night, you would probably see why my opinions don't matter at all. Who knows, the movie might even get an Oscar!
Reviews mentioned the movie to be a satire on modern London society. I have never been to London myself, but I refuse to believe relationships in London have dropped down to sheer boredom. Where couples barrage each other with long weird sentences and profanity. All in the name of solving relationship issues
Modern society puts enormous pressure on the institution of marriage. That is true every where. Our goals and aspirations are often set by images in the media. I agree, marriage is not as easy it probably was a few decades ago. Even then!
As Chandler would say ..."Could this movie BE MORE on a tangent!"
The plot held some hope. The lengthy meaningless dialogues just stifled it. Well, if you happened to catch the Golden globes last night, you would probably see why my opinions don't matter at all. Who knows, the movie might even get an Oscar!
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Addiction of another kind
The term addiction, brings many images to our minds. Most of them unpleasant. Smoking, alcohol and drugs. In my case, the addiction is of a stranger kind. Pizza. Not any pizza, but pizza from Pizza Hut. Please don't get me wrong here. I am not trying to advertise or sell it. On the contrary, I would say ..."beware".
I am a person who loves food. I just love it and can never get enough of it. Until last year, I was a junk food junkie. Like many, I too was having a burgeoning waste line and falling energy levels. Somewhere down the line, reality hit home. Junk food is bad. Bad for the health and very bad for the environment. Getting over McDonalds was pretty easy. The documentary "Super Size me" did the trick.
I was back on a steady exercise regiment. I lost about 18 pounds. Greater energy level and more clothing options. With just 5 more pounds to ideal weight, things were looking great.
Then came the holiday season. It is the holiday season, said the tv ads. "Live a little", "indulge a little" went the Ad line. A brownie here and a cake there, and I was back on a familiar road. Your appetite can be a cruel thing. All these months of hard dieting had kept the appetite under control. One had wakened the demon again. It grrreed!.
So what has this to do with Pizza Hut?
Well, a funny thing happened. After a lull of several months, months of no business for Pizza hut, I get a e-mail. Where art thou? O loyal pizza fan? Where art thou? We shall give you a deal if you order a pizza in the next two days!
It was Temptation Island. Predictably, a mortal human that I am, I gave in. "It was going to be this one time", I said to myself. "Just this once".
People who eat pizza hut pizza know very well. It is never "just once". Something about them triggers a craving the next day, and the next day and the next. Soon I was ordering them thrice a week. I have gained 6 pounds since.
Something snapped inside me today. Enough, to create my first blog and type furiously. As I sit here typing, I really wonder. Is there something in those pizzas that causes these uncontrollable cravings? Or is it just me?
Tomorrow will be a new day. I want my life back and I want my energy back.
I am a person who loves food. I just love it and can never get enough of it. Until last year, I was a junk food junkie. Like many, I too was having a burgeoning waste line and falling energy levels. Somewhere down the line, reality hit home. Junk food is bad. Bad for the health and very bad for the environment. Getting over McDonalds was pretty easy. The documentary "Super Size me" did the trick.
I was back on a steady exercise regiment. I lost about 18 pounds. Greater energy level and more clothing options. With just 5 more pounds to ideal weight, things were looking great.
Then came the holiday season. It is the holiday season, said the tv ads. "Live a little", "indulge a little" went the Ad line. A brownie here and a cake there, and I was back on a familiar road. Your appetite can be a cruel thing. All these months of hard dieting had kept the appetite under control. One had wakened the demon again. It grrreed!.
So what has this to do with Pizza Hut?
Well, a funny thing happened. After a lull of several months, months of no business for Pizza hut, I get a e-mail. Where art thou? O loyal pizza fan? Where art thou? We shall give you a deal if you order a pizza in the next two days!
It was Temptation Island. Predictably, a mortal human that I am, I gave in. "It was going to be this one time", I said to myself. "Just this once".
People who eat pizza hut pizza know very well. It is never "just once". Something about them triggers a craving the next day, and the next day and the next. Soon I was ordering them thrice a week. I have gained 6 pounds since.
Something snapped inside me today. Enough, to create my first blog and type furiously. As I sit here typing, I really wonder. Is there something in those pizzas that causes these uncontrollable cravings? Or is it just me?
Tomorrow will be a new day. I want my life back and I want my energy back.
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