tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post6787871596979715103..comments2023-09-30T10:13:32.255+01:00Comments on Chatnoir: A Mumbaikar in Melbourne: Vogue and our schizophrenic Indian livesglobalbabblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03943342464554767429noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post-49063918352452319592011-01-10T14:18:28.668+00:002011-01-10T14:18:28.668+00:00I did have doubts about that one, but threw it in ...I did have doubts about that one, but threw it in anyway, as we media people tend to do. Anyway, some Chanel-like perfume, you're not old enough for no.5... yet.Girish Shahanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16877402074547726173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post-30388463581536804382011-01-10T13:06:00.104+00:002011-01-10T13:06:00.104+00:00Thanks G.
But I must protest that I am not Chane...Thanks G. <br /><br />But I must protest that I am not Chanel-adorned... yet.globalbabblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03943342464554767429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post-28161716232691673282011-01-10T12:56:13.258+00:002011-01-10T12:56:13.258+00:00You have to say, though, that Vogue worked. Your f...You have to say, though, that Vogue worked. Your frizzy hair and baggy jeans are gone, and you are slim, beautiful and Chanel adorned.Girish Shahanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16877402074547726173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post-21321301343935751692011-01-10T09:40:34.767+00:002011-01-10T09:40:34.767+00:00@Anonymous: Yes, that is true. I still think that ...@Anonymous: Yes, that is true. I still think that just three clothing ads in a the first issue of the year is perplexing, if fashion is as big in India as the magazine implies.<br /><br />@Jaimit: Giggle - yes, it has always been terribly difficult to assess who exactly is middle class in India. I could have never imagined myself as the upper class, and yet I had so much more than most people - including a toilet that I exclusively shared with my sister. Such luxury. <br /><br />On Vogue - It is supposed to be aspirational. I am still struggling with that notion and its consequences.<br /><br />On intelligent writing on fashion: Uhmm.. I don't know, but them I am not a terribly intelligent writer myself so don't want to comment on others.globalbabblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03943342464554767429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post-51612375010374442011-01-10T08:39:29.430+00:002011-01-10T08:39:29.430+00:00It's also possible that, as ads are seasonal, ...It's also possible that, as ads are seasonal, there are more jewellery than fashion ads at the moment because it's wedding season.Anonymoushttp://immanuelscant.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post-22599946082191090622011-01-10T06:58:18.849+00:002011-01-10T06:58:18.849+00:00Actually the magazine is not meant for middle clas...Actually the magazine is not meant for middle class India. We in Mumbai believe we are middle class but in effect we are the cream of India. To put matters in perspective, some minuscule percentage on India pays tax (just about a single digit). Even if I include the farming population, then also, most of us easily breach the highest tax slab by earring a few lakhs per annum. In Mumbai middle class lives in chawls, does not have a toilet attached and is typically in a joint family.<br />Vogue is read not by the middle class which is loosely used as a term, but my guess (I don’t have stats) by the upper class in India. We possibly look at all those people richer than us and call ourselves middle. We are possibly the middle of the top slab.<br />But it isn’t that we are confused. We know what we want to buy. We want those high end diamond sets. Possibly the journalists in India are confused. I don’t think the standards of journalism is too high in India and so far I haven’t come across too many writers who have been the leading thought generators as far as trends, fashions or anything else is concerned. When I read my wife’s magazines I am stunned by the absolute lack of any substance in the magazines. To me they are perfect fodder for waiting areas in dispensaries and salons. To buy them is a complete waste. Every article seems paid for and every advertisement seems empty. Ditto for the gadget / car magazines targeted at the men. A few like Time Out seem to attract decent set of writers. So possibly the marketers have got it right with the advertising and the journos just need to see their own magazines and realise what seems to be working for the advertisers. Again not that the advertisers are smarter but if hard nosed business men like jewellers are advertising then some returns might be coming in. Who knows?<br />As far as your article, don’t bother about the commas. You may fret over them, but most of us (me included) wouldn’t care less and would not even know the difference. And who the hell buys Vogue for reading it. Me thinks that these articles are there to make these magazines ‘look’ intelligent. Its like – having a strong logical reason to eat chewing gum. It’s never really the case but it’s a good rationale.<br /><br />And yes, some day we will have all the brands and the roads to them will be clean. The disparity is too much today.jaimithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16913601185902291124noreply@blogger.com