Popularity follows Controversy

Popularity follows Controversy - this is a mantra that has been proven again and again, by film makers , authors , politicians ...But still somehow this seems to be lost on Indian government.

Remember many ordinary books made classics by ban, crap films made block-busters by VHP protests. Ramu, Ratnam, De, Meera, Rushdi.......the list continues, who has mastered this short-cut. Remember any Varma film releasing without a controversy? This is a guaranteed short cut to popularity - even though not necessarily a SUCCESS as Aag proved.

The process of banning books and works have been a process followed by governments in past and present. When there was no alternate media, and when press is controlled by government this will have the desired effect for sure.

Consider a totalitarian regime banning a book, they will absolutely make sure it does not reach the mass. But in a democracy where even a person like me can pass an opinion, will a ban help. Won't it just help to generate controversy and hand popularity in a plate. The exact opposite of what was intended.

OK, this rant is about government banning a porn comic site. Some facts. This site is supposed to be featuring the adventures of a middle aged woman. It has been around for a while, may be an year. It publishes a page per day. It recently published some episode containing a popular Indian actor look alike. Now the site got banned by Indian government and has to be blocked by all Indian ISPs.

Now what has this achieved ? All "so called cultural figures" write columns in news papers. They call it expression of a woman's sexuality.(Don ask me, what crap they mean, for me it is just porn). They don even have the common sense to avoid the name of the character from their columns, making it all the more popular. They make sure it reaches people who even have not heard about it. Save sites are launched.

Now taking off a site and blocking it in ISP s are 2 different things. India has not banned porn as in China. So this is not a total ban on porn, but a selective one, all the more making it controversial..popularity is to follow. Now technically also this is a blunder. Proxying and http tunneling can make it accessible. Over zealous netizens upload the stories on the file sharing sites, which noboby can effectively filter. Even hollywood and music industry is fighting a losing battle with these file sharing sites.

So what has been achieved. Government made this more popular - gave some job-less guys their 3 minutes of public opinion.

My opinion is, it should have been left as it was. Don give unnecessary publicity to some thing which was not a big thing.

P.S. I have ommited all specific references, so that an innocent reader do not go searching. But if you still take the pain, I am definitely not responsible :)

Why India should shift to football from cricket ?

Team India (not Indian team, they are staying independent of the country, but needs the same nationalism), is doing well in cricket. Has got a series win also in New Zealand after a very long time. So why I am asking India to shift to football from crciket, when we are almost at the top of the world in cricket (do not ask me how many countries play cricket ? max 12 and how many decent teams in that 12, may be 4, 5........Hurray we are almost at the top of a sport played by 4, 5 countries).

It may be blasphemy for an Indian to think twice about cricket, where crciket is a religion and Sachin is a God. But seriously why do we like cricket ? Is it for the right reasons ?

1. for strategy ?
2. for planning ?
3. for concentration ?
4. for skill ?
5. as a time killer ?
6. for all the glamour ?
7. as a good means of exercise ?
8. just for the excitement ?

Ya, you can give me the answer ............... A thing close to heart does not need a reason to be liked .......... true........... I agree................. but here we are talking about a sport........... not our beloved ............. so please answer me ..

If you give any of the first 4 as reasons, rigtht reasons, but at the wrong game.
Ya actually when you play crcket in proper format all 4 are there... but mostly we play in a ad-hoc manner. Do you get to put any strategy in place ? In TV when do you get to see a strategy unfolding ? Do you get to see what s happening on ground ? Correct me if I am wrong, a lot happens in between overs. Have you seen it anytime ? The switches in fielding, discussions..anything ? You are lucky if you get to see the first and last balls in the overs....You do not decide what you decide to see ..........Broadcasters decide it .............

Time killer , glamour ya at the right place. excitement ................please change at least to 20-20 from test cricket. At least you get what you wanted.

Exercise, as the reason.................ha ha....................when was the last time you played cricket.........when was the last time you got some exercise playing cricket ? Stood for 30 minutes in ground.................true...........considering sitting in front of tv for long hours ......... standing 30 minutes is great exercise.... I have to agree.

The amount of productive man hours robbed by crciket is unimaginable. Hours gone.........mass leaves.............mass cuts...............usage of electricity..............usage of net...............usage of company resources....................by the sheer length of time alone, this game is not suited for modern lives.

If you play it regularily, you are at least pardoned, but if you spennt the whole day in front of tele, watching it , even a one day is 6 hours, with a bowl of chips what excuse do you have ? It is a recipe for health disaster.

By nature we may be liking it, the one man show, instant ride to glory, mind games, but really it is not much of a team game.

About Indian being top of game, no not worth it, we are sacrificing all other options for a game played by 4 5 decent countries. When Bhaji got the Bushan, we disgraced the olympic medal holders.

Another reason is the ads too. Corporates liove it. The amount of mind washing and conditioning done through the ads in between over is enormous. When you expose a little one to cricket in TV, mind you, it is not really to game you introduce, but to a world of filthy consumer world. (If you drink a bottle of cola you are cool, if you get a perfume, you are macho). The ads are there always in TV, yes I agree, but when will you get to exposed to them, like when you watch cricket ? Even infamous serials have a ratio of 50:50 max I think. Now on top of that even run up results in a small screen, shared along with ads. If you are thinking they are advertising, what is the big deal ......... understand the money does go from what you pay...........in fact you are paying more for a product for these ads.

May be in Europe where they get less sun, this may be way to get some essentail vitamin D. But doing that in India, you will only get sun burns.................tests ............. 5 days in Indian sun.............People in gallery too..................hmmm.............are we seriously mad ?

Fitness levels of professional players .............. that is worst in cricket...............so what to say about the amateurs ................. people tend to avoid fielding all together, where they will get to do some running at least.

The amount of gear needed to play cricket at least at a decent level, is not affordable to Indian public. It is not a quest that many can follow, so at grass roots it become worse..... so do not think every cricketer s life is a phenomenonal rise which inspires Indians. They are all from wealthy families or at least from higher middle class.

And the betting, the betting on cricket is not legal in India. So it is taken over by the underworld. Mostly this money comes back to fund terrorism in India. Enormous pressure comes on players to fix matches.

The fitness tests for students in Kerala , a southern state in India as part of curriculum, has showed disastorous results..............

Hmm,,,,,,,,,,,,, think about it.............. 1 or 1 and a 1/2 hours of football, what it can do to you........

1. fitness
2. some team work.
3. less ads.
4. more productive man hours.
5. affordable game for public.


........................if they are the right reasons for you, switch............... or if you do not want at least follow crciket for the right reasons..................