Posted:
@bold Good that you are completely aware of it now.
- The fairness cream is responsible for the above act
- The fairness cream companies are responsible for the above act.
It's not the fairness cream, but the ads which need to be blamed. You can't refute the fact that ads are powerful media to influence the consumers. Why would you use toothpaste instead of datoon or soap instead of multani mitti/besan. Even government uses this media to spread awareness about education, health, sanitation, etc.
Also the propaganda they are spreading that Fair is superior/dark is ugly is wrong, unethecial and illegal.
According to Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) "No advertisement should communicate any discrimination or reinforce negative social stereotyping on the basis of skin colour,"
They have even recently banned one of the fairness cream ad showing dark is inferior(Emami Fair and Handsome).
You can read the guidelines set by the Council here:
http://www.firstpost.com/brands-business/dont-discriminate-on-skin-colour-asci-lays-down-law-for-fairness-creams-ads-1985125.html
Why are these steps taken, if the subjects are not guilty?
- The celebrities are responsible for the above act
Celebrities plays a very impactful & influencial role in Indian society. Hence they are signed even by government to spread awareness like Swacha Bharat, Polio, etc. They take a huge sum and endorse such regressive notion, don't expect them to be spared. Don't worry the ASCI has warned them too.
http://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/asci-warns-celebrities-against-misleading-advertisements-lays-down-guidelines-for-endorsements-3386534.html
- Abhay's post is going to change things
It may not make a drastic change but it did provoke discussion. Now people are talking about it. You and me are discussing about it. Sonam Kapoor has accepted she was wrong and won't endorse it in future. There's a win. Also Rome wasn't built in one day.
Blue Underlined - if you think the advertisement led to incident...there is no point discussing...no sense at all...you are externalising the issue.
Red Underlines - I have been reading blogs, News articles , FB Post & Tweets on this issue for close to a decade...nothing has changed on the ground...it just noise.
The only once who have made a difference are ...responsible citizens bwho filed law suits against the ads and got them removed.
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