The Observer
An IIJNM publication
Vol. 21, Issue 22
Thursday, March 10, 2022
https://facebook.com/ iijnmbangalore https://twitter.com/ observer_weekly Epaper: https://issu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs Website: http://www. theweeklyobserver.in
The business of CDs, DVDs and cassettes dies in the city as people shift to online streaming | P 3
Society witnesses a positive change as trans people get employment in organised sectors | P 2
Declining forest cover BJP retains power in in B’luru causes worry UP; AAP sweeps
Action by govt and people needed to save it By Abwesha Singh
N
ishka Kumari, 7-year-old, who is always fascinated by trees and plants and spends her evenings in a garden located in her apartment complex with her father, who explains to her the importance and need of protecting nature. “It is important to grow trees because they give you oxygen and are home to lot of birds. A large number of trees makes forest which is home to our wide biodiversity,” she said while speaking to The Observer. Nitin Kumar, her father,wants Nishika to know the value of trees and, as she grows older, participate in conserving the
Development activities have led to cutting of trees I Credit: Anwesha Singh environment. “While developing a place, we cut down so many trees, not understanding how important they are to protect our resources,” he said. The Times of Indiarecently reported that Karnataka has lost 64 sqkm of its moderately dense forest, which accounts for 54 per cent of the overall forest area in the state as per the India State
of Forests Report (ISFR) 2021, prepared by the Forest Survey of India to assess the country’s forest and tree resources. Notify forests: Expert Dilip Kumar PJ, a retired Indian Forest Service officer,said a reduced forest cover would affect a lot of things: ecology and biodiversity, climate and biogeochemical cycles, water, soil and air quality. On being asked what steps the government should take to increase forest cover, he said: “Identify good existing forest tracks and notify them as forest reserves or reserved forests under the Forest Act and give protection through forest departments. This is crucial.” He spoke about the concept of joint forest management during the 1980s where local communities were developed for notified forest areas. “The same could be done for village common lands used to provide fodder.” ►Continued on page 3
Metaverse: Trend or fad? Mental health issues rise in LGBTQIA+ community
Bengalureans still skeptical of virtual world
By Chhavi Vohra
By Swarali Bodas
magine a world where you can meet your friends, work in your office, transact, play games, go shopping and make new investments seated on your living room couch. You no longer need a venue to host a party for your friends. They can meet you virtually almost anywhere. Interesting, isn’t it? All this and a lot more would be possible in a metaverse. You might think, who wouldn’t want technology and progress like that? Bengalureans, however, are skeptical when it comes to metaverse, a virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users. They hold mixed views about the new technology at their behest.
he world came shattering down for Umaima M, 19year-old, a student living in Mumbai, when in May 2020 their parents gave them – Umaima’s preferred pronoun is “them”– an ultimatum and told them to leave the house. Gathering courage and some clothes, they called up their friend and asked him if they could stay at his place for the time being. At around the same time, a similar thing was happening in Vadodara: 20-year-old Himansh Singh was told to either listen to his parents or leave the house. The only difference here was that he didn’t have anywhere to go. In both scenarios, their only fault was that they came out. ►Continued on page 2
I
T It will have both positive, negative effects, say citizens I Courtesy: pexels.com Raunak Sharma, a resident of Bengaluru, informed The Observer: “Metaverse is a digital platform which will enable people to have an active social life, meet their friends, family members and loved ones through the digital space as and when they like. I don’t understand why someone would want or need that. There’s no substitute to being physically present somewhere and fully enjoying the moment.” ►Continued on page 3
into office in Punjab BJP also holds on to the other three states
By Team Observer
T
he BJP is set to return to power in four of the five states that went to the polls, including Uttar Pradesh. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) looks set to make a sweeping win in Punjab this time. According to the Election Commission of India data, BJP had won three seats and was leading in 244 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh (total: 403 constituencies) at 4 p.m. In Punjab, which has 117 constituencies, AAP had won 53 seats and was leading in 39 constituencies. In Uttarakhand, the BJP was leading in 45 constituencies and had won 3 seats out of a total of 70 seats. In Goa, the BJP seemed close to returning to power. It had won 13 seats out of 40 and was leading in seven. In Manipur, the BJP had won 11 seats and was leading in 13 out of the 60 assembly constituencies. At the time of going to press, according to Mint newspaper, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath was leading in Gorakhpur Urban constituency and SP’s Akhilesh Yadav in Karhal. An Indian Express report said Punjab CM Channi was trailing in both the constituencies he contested from: Chamkur Sahib and Bhadaur. Likewise Congress’ Navjot Singh Sidhu fell behind in Amritsar East. AAP was leading in all these constituencies. In Uttarakhand, though the BJP looked set to return to power, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami lost his Khatima seat. In Goa, CM Promod Sawant was leading in Sanquelim. Manipur CM N. Biren Singh was leading by 2,598 votes in the Heingang constituency at 4 p.m today. It will be the first time since 1985 that a chief minister will have a second tenure in Uttar Pradesh if thr BJP gains power.
UP Results 2022
Punjab Results 2022
Uttarakhand Results 2022
Goa Results 2022
Manipur Results 2022
2
The Observer Thursday, March 10, 2022
LGBTQIA+
Changing times: Trans now being accepted by society
They feel the city is now more inclusive By Tina Freese
S
ana Suman, a 28-year-old trans woman wakes up every day with enthusiasm. Life has been a little brighter for her these days. She works for a Kannada news channel and has found her passion working as a journalist. She loves to meet and talk to new people. However, it wasn’t always been this way. A decade ago, Sana was seeking acceptance in society and family. She was only 18 when she was forced out of her house and had to become a sex worker. “There were not many options for us; it was either begging or sex work. I would never beg. So to support myself financially and fund my education, I started to do sex work. It was horrible, but you do what you have to, right?” she said remembering those days. Trans people in Bengaluru believe that people and businesses are becoming more transgender-
Citizen’s Voice
Unemployment issue must be addressed Irrespective of which party comes to power in the poll-bound states, it’s imperative that pressing issues like unemployment get the attention they deserve, and not remain a rhetoric. Shubham Chohan
Sports journalism needs improvement
Tussle between cricketer Wriddhiman Saha and journalist Boria Majumdar has taken a ugly turn. Majumdar released an eight-minute video claiming Saha had defamed him. The fact that he had sent threatening texts to Saha doesn’t change. This kind of journalism sports doesn’t need. A lot will depend on the BCCI committee hearing. Bansal Shah
Quiz
1. Which Australian has the best bowling figures in the IPL? 2. Which player holds the record for the fastest fifty in IPL? 3. Who was the captain of the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2012? 4. Which player is the oldest to win the Purple Cap, which is given to the highest wicket-taker in the tournament? 5. Which Indian player has scored the fastest hundred in the IPL? 6. Which venue hosted the IPL 2014 final? ►Answers on page 3
Trans people now work at shops and stores and hence feel that they are a part of society too | Credit: Vinaya K. inclusive. The transgender comSome people still have social munity is now gradually finding prejudices. “But people are more employment oppurtunities in accepting towards us, especially the organised sectors. the younger generation.” “I see a drastic change in peoSyeda Zoya Fatima, another ple. If we talk about a decade trans woman, who has been a ago, it was horrible for my com- sales executive with the beaumunity. We had only two options: ty brand Plum Goodness for Either become a sex worker or six years, feels the same way. beg. It was difficult to find accep- “The work environment at the tance from family members, let store is great. Never in my past alone society. But now we have years of employment have I ever opportunities. We have a 1 per been treated differently in the cent reservation in government store…. I won’t say it has always schools which is amazing. There been this way; people still someare now opportunities for us to times stare at me while I walk find ourselves a decent living,” on streets, but it is way less now Sana informed The Observer. than before.”
Business managers say while hiring people they don’t care about what people identify themselves as. Shivananda Ainapura, a senior manager at Simpli Namdhari’s, Brigade Road, said: “We have only one trans employee and we look forward to having more. She is a great and skilled employee, and that’s all that matters to us. So what if she is a trans woman? She happily mingles with other employees, and we never treat her differently. She has been here for more than eight months.” People visiting stores don’t differentiate between who they are being served by — a transgender or a cisgender (a person whose gender identity is the same as that assigned at birth). Sandra Thomas, 22, a customer at Namdhari’s, said: “I never even for a moment thought that she was a trans woman. Now we can easily spot transgenders working in shops and stores here and there which was rare a few years ago. I won’t say it is huge change, but it is a beginning and is a much needed one.” tina.f@iijnm.org Read the full report on: www.theweeklyobserver.in
News Briefs
House approves ban on Russian oil to US
The House of Representatives approved legislation Wednesday night that would ban Russian oil imports to the United States, an effort to put into law the restrictions announced by President Joe Biden in response to the escalating war in Ukraine. The legislation, approved, 414-17, now goes to the Senate.
US citizens seek to join foreign fighters in Ukraine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has given the smaller nation’s embassy in Washington an unexpected role: A recruitment centre for Americans who want to join the fight. US volunteers represent just a small subset of foreigners seeking to fight for Ukraine, who in turn comprise just a tiny fraction of the international assistance that has flowed into the country.
Jhulan becomes joint highest wicket taker
Indian bowler Jhulan Goswami on Thursday equalled former Australia spinner Lyn Fullston’s tally of 39 scalps to become the joint highest wicket taker in the Women’s World Cup. The 39-year-old, playing in her fifth ODI World Cup, achieved the feat against New Zealand in the ongoing tournament.
Bad mental health casts shadow on rainbow flag ►Continued from page 1
U
maima came out as a transgender and Himansh informed his parents he was a homosexual. On the other hand, Umaima and Himansh were battling with mental health issues along with the stress and anxiety caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The mental health of people from the LGBTQIA+ community has deteriorated during the pandemic as they were confined to closed spaces, experts say. “Because of the pandemic, colleges were shut. I used to sit alone in my room. That’s when my depression became bad. What made it worse was coming out to my parents,” Umaima further informed The Observer. Their parents were shocked as a result of the revelation. “I knew they would get upset, but I never thought they’d tell me to leave the house. I didn’t know what to do, but thankfully I had my friend Prashant, who helped me out and I stayed at his place for some time,” they added. Prashant Srikant, Umaima’s friend said it wasn’t a big deal as he was only helping out a friend. “I understood the situation and thought to myself that my friend is in need. Their sexuality or something else had no influence on my willingness to help.” The Instagram account ‘memes_against_patriarchy’ has
Acceptance is the biggest issue homosexuals or people from the LGBTQIA+ community face | Courtesy: Pexels hosted several fund-raisers during the pandemic’s third wave for the LGBTQIA+ community who needed any financial help to get rid of their abusive homes. Himansh did not have anywhere to go. His parents even tried to get him see a doctor to help “cure his illness”, he informed The Observer. “I either had to stay in this house and listen to my parents and be someone I am not, or I had to be myself and find my own place. The second choice was difficult, but it was the correct one,” he said. He then raised funds for himself on milaap.org and moved
out of his house. He now lives in a one room kitchen and is now supporting himself. Asked about the state of his mental health during those times, he said: “I didn’t have money to look for a psychologist for my mental health. All I was thinking was to have a roof over my head and food in my belly.” He blamed the expensive costs of therapy and inadequate access to facilities for his bad mental health, apart from the attitude of his parents . “Since I am a student who is on his own, it is difficult for me to afford therapy,” he said.
Dr Sunil P, father of a queer daughter, said: “I love my daughter and support her, no matter what. Her gender identity or sexuality is her personal thing. I am glad she was comfortable in sharing this with me.” On the other hand, the mother of a transgender man who came out six months ago was upset over her son’s decision. She said: “I still don’t quite fully understand all this.” According to the 2011 census, people from the LGBTQIA+ community comprise 3.8 per cent of country’s population. Deepa Patil, a practising psychiatrist, said: “Acceptance is the biggest issue homosexuals or people from the LGBTQIA+ community face . They fear they will disappoint their parents, and think that their friends will make fun of them; hence they don’t come out only. She further explained how the pandemic was a bad mental health phase for every individual, let alone someone from the LGBTQA+ community. Dr. Nishant Das, a psychiatrist said: “In addition to stresses the heterosexual population faced, the LGBTQ community faced added stress owing to their sexuality, specially if they have had to move to their native places owing to WFH, swarali.b@iijnm.org Read the full report on: www.theweeklyobserver.in
CITY
The Observer Thursday, March 10, 2022
Bengalureans bid adieu to CDs, DVDs and cassettes
Some purchase records for their vintage value By Saumyangi Yadav
T
ucked away in Public Utility Building on M.G Road is Rams Musique, packed to the roof with vintage vinyl records, cassettes, CDs and DVDs of almost every music genre. But most of these cassettes, vinyls remain untouched. With the increasing popularity of streaming services like Spotify, Netflix and YouTube, the business of CDs, DVDs and cassette tapes is almost dead. Ramachandran, the owner of Rams Musique, informed told The Observer: “I started this store almost 42 years ago. At that time I started by selling cassettes. Then CDs became a trend, then DVDs came and mp3s came. I have entertained almost three generations of people with music in different forms, but now all that..is over.” In the past decade, the audiovideo industry was hit severely as people moved on to smartphones and online streaming services that allow access to unlimited music, films and TV shows for or a minimal subscription. “All CD/DVD stores started closing down one by one around 2010, including Planet M stores. I did not leave the business because of my passion for music.
Around the city
Vasantotsav 2022 Bangalore, Chowdayya Memorial Hall, 12th March, Saturday Bangalore’s Biggest Disco Holi Festival 2022, Hotel Orchid Royal Bengaluru, 18th March-20 March
Quiz answers
1. Adam Zampa 2. K L Rahul 3. Harbhajan Singh 4. Imran Tahir 5. Yusuf Pathan 6. M Chinnaswamy stadium, Bengaluru
Team Observer Editor: Saumyangi Yadav Reporters: Anwesha Singh, Saumyangi Yadav, Tina Freese, Swarali Bodas, Chhavi Vohra Copy-editors:Anwesha Singh, Tina Freese, Swarali Bodas, Chhavi Vohra Page Layout: Anwesha Singh, Tina Freese, Swarali Bodas, Chhavi Vohra Photo Editors: Swarali Bodas, Chhavi Vohra, Tina Freese Supplement: Bansal Shah, Kashish Sharma
Vinyl records of modern bollywood music are still manufactured but many are unaware about this | Credit: Saumyangi Yadav By that time, I had made enough money, so it didn’t matter whether the industry was dying,” Ramachandran added. Ram’s Musique is one of the few surviving stores of their kind in the city nowadays. Shreya Gosain, 21, a college student in Bengaluru, said: “I still remember the last time I saw a DVD store was when I was in the eighth standard, in 2012. I haven’t seen any stores since then. Earlier, my mom used to have a whole collection of cassettes and CDs at home, but now she has started listening to music on her phone. I think it is much easier and affordable.” Most CD/DVD store ownersin the city have either closed down their shops or shifted to some other businesses. S. Ramu, the owner of Sai Ram Music World in Domlur, said: “For the past eight years, business has been completely dead.
We get no customers, there are no sales. I have stopped renewing the collection for my store. The only stock we have is that we purchased eight years ago. Now I have shifted to the mobiles and recharge business.” Ramu had started his business back in 2001 when there used to be many such stores in Bengaluru. “There are not many audio stores now; all of them have closed down due to low sales in the past decade,” he added. The way people listen to music and watch movies has changed. Tarun Singh, another college student, shared: “When I was a kid, we used to get DVDs of almost all the new films and watch them at home. Sometimes we even got pirated films as the new ones hadn’t been released yet. But then the Internet came… and we started downloading films. Now there is no need to buy DVDs as there are many
online streaming services where movies become available only a few weeks after their release.” It isn’t only the entertainment forms that have changed over the years. There used to be a huge demand for DVDs and CDs for educational purposes, too, but now that has died too. Shefali Yadav, a professor of Indian classical music, said: “Until a few years ago, we used to get cassette tapes and CDs of various Indian artists for demonstrations and presentations in colleges. But now everything is available on YouTube, and students are more comfortable watching videos online as they can access them any time later.” However, with online streaming services becoming popular, cassettes and vinyl records have gained a vintage value. Ramachandran said: “I have a collection of vinyls and cassettes worth almost Rs 1 crore. In recent years, people have started buying vinyls as they have a vintage value. People give each other vinyl records and cassettes as gifts nowadays. So I think the business has started to take off again in past years.…” Spotify, a popular music streaming service launched in India three years ago, has gained a huge audience. According to PwC’s Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2020 report, India has 57.6 million monthly Spotify listeners. saumyangi.y@iijnm.org ►Read the full report on www.theweeklyobserver.in
3 This day That year
On this day in 1862 during the American Civil War, the ironclads Monitor and Virginia (formerly Merrimack) battled in the harbour at Hampton Roads, Virginia, marking the beginning of a new era of naval warfare.
Quote of the day
Words! Mere words! How terrible they were! How clear, and vivid, and cruel! One could not escape from them. And yet what a subtle magic there was in them! They seemed to be able to give a plastic form to formless things, and to have a music of their own as sweet as that of viol or of lute. Mere words! Was there anything so real as words?
—Oscar Wilde
Weather
Max temperature: 32°C Min temperature: 18°C Humidity: 43% UV Index: low Wind: 8 km/h
Economy affected by Mixed reaction to depleting forest cover Metaverse, VR & AR
R
►Continued from page 1 eena Singh, an environmentalist, believes that a reduced forest cover, apart from affecting the environment,will take a toll on the nation’s economy. “Environmental degradation means there will be less accessibility to forest resources like timber, medicines, etc., leading to economic instability. You can already witness the other well-known negative effects — rise in temperature, global warming, etc.” she said. Asked what the government and people can do to conserve the environment, she said they can identify areas which have the capacity of having good forest growth and undertake soil and water conservation methods on the land. People should plant more trees on non-forest lands. “People should… increase awareness among others regarding environment conservation.” Threat to people and animals Ramesh Belagere, founder trustee and MD of the Founda-
tion for Ecology and Education Development Trust, explained how decreased forest cover can pose a threat to both humans and wildlife. “A depleted forest cover will affect wildlife and lead to more human-wildlife conflicts, leading to a loss of human life and also poachers will be able to access forests,” he said. To conserve the environment, the government can bring strict rules for industries. “Rules are there, but they need to be strictly followed so that minimum to no harm is caused to the environment.” The focus should be on sustainable development with all the environmental norms. Sujeeth Kumar, 51, who has lived in Bengaluru for five years, is worried that developmental activities are posing a threat to the environment. “At my residential place, I saw cutting of trees to make a parking lot. What disturbed me the most is that it takes years and years for trees to grow and seconds to cut them down without thinking of the outcome,” he lamented. anwesha.s@iijnm.org
A
►Continued from page 1 nother resident, Tanya Sharma, holds a similar view. “Metaverse will allow us to do everything in the virtual world. More importantly, it’ll feel real. A person will be able to purchase homes, play video games, go shopping and attend parties without leaving his home. It sounds good but scary at the same time. What if we become addicted to it and nobody ever wants to leave their home? It’ll be like having two different lives, one in the real world and one in the virtual world.” Suraj Prasad, a software engineer, doesn’t like the concept. “I have already wasted so much time on social media due to the lockdown as I can’t study all the time and have to pass my time in between. But… I don’t want to be a prisoner of the virtual world. I can clearly see no children in my area are interested in playing outdoor games. In our times, we used to play all the time.” Some individuals, however, are excited about metaverse. Tanmay Nagori, a graduate
from Netaji Subhas University of Technology, said: “In my view, metaverse will have a boom around 2023. The gaming industry is already booming so fast and rapidly. The interest in virtual reality will definitely be the same. Society, however, will be impacted in both positive and negative ways. It’ll be interesting for me as I like gaming.” Metaverse is witnessing its biggest application in the gaming industry. With 440 million gamers, or 16 per cent of the gamers worldwide, India is among one of the top five global markets in terms of user base. Supreet Sreedharan, a gamer, shared: “I am excited about the prospects of virtual reality/augmented reality. Metaverse will open a whole new world for gaming. It’ll present an immersive experience for all the gamers around the world.” Recently, a couple from Tamil Nadu held a metaverse wedding reception. It was attended by 500 guests. The virtual event generated curiosity among people. chhavi.v@iijnm.org
Lifestyle No DRS reviews for errors off the field 4
T
The Observer
SUPPLEMENT
Thursday, March10, 2022
The BCCI didn’t review one of the biggest blunders of IPL auctions, it choose to remain silent says Bansal Shah
he auction of cricket players for the Indian Premier League is becoming something like the Oscar of the cricketing world. It’s a red-carpet show full of glitter, glamour, extravaganza and, of course, money. Yes, the 2022 auction was less glamorous due to the absence of the usual Bollywood stars, but it did not surely lack even a little in the theatrics. Delhi Capitals (DC) owner Kiran Kumar’s bidding for every second player. Auctioneer Hugh Edmeades collapsing on stage. Ishan Kishan getting picked up for a whopping Rs 14.5 crore. Rajasthan Royals buying four overseas players in four minutes for what could be termed peanuts. A few instances at the auctionwill be remembered for long. One, especially, although it could be a black spot on the event. Fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed was placed in set 14, amongst other fast bowlers, to be bid on the second day of the auction. His base price was Rs 50 lakh. But the bids soon started to race up to Rs 500 lakh with two teams bidding furiously for him. After an engrossing discussion with Neeta Ambani and Zaheer
The owners of Delhi Capitals (front) and Mumbai Indians (back) lost in an deep discussion | A screengrab from the IPL auction 2022 Khan, Team Mumbai Indians’ Akash Ambani raised his paddle to increase the bid from Rs 500 lakh to Rs 525 lakh. “525. I’ll look at you Mumbai Indians first. [Akash Ambani raises the paddle.] And you are good for it, thank you” said auctioneer Charu Sharma, with the tiny hammer in his left hand. He went on: “Delhi Capitals,
you return with 550. You have the right to think. [Is] anyone else at 550?” At this stage, DC owner Kiran Kumar raised his paddle, but immediately withdrew it and asked auctioneer Charu Sharma to wait. Kumar then started to discuss with his co-owners and teammates. “Delhi Capitals, you are good at 525. 550 – Mumbai Indians,
should we wait? We certainly will.” Sharma asked the team that had just quoted 525. After another engrossed discussion, Mumbai decided not to bid further. With the hiatus at that moment, they didn’t notice the error made by the auctioneer. Within the next minute, the speedster was sold to Delhi Capitals for a price they had never bid.Prasen Moudgal, Cricket Content Manager at Sports Keeda said, “Funnily enough, it was surprising that neither of the teams made a note of it.” “They should have realized that the bids weren’t in place and they should have done something about it.” he DC’s last bid was Rs 500 lakh, they ended up paying Rs 25 lakh more. MI’s last bid was Rs 525 lakh. They didn’t win the bid despite bidding higher. The error escaped the notice of everyone at the auction. If someone noticed, they chose to remain silent. It turned out that not everyone missed the faux pas. IPL fans caught it on live television and within seconds, the blunder went viral on social media. But neither the BCCI nor the IPL governing council intervened
during the auction or after it. “Ideally they [BCCI] should have [intervened]. But the franchises themselves were unaware, so it boiled down to the auctioneer’s decision. I don’t think the BCCI could have done anything after the bid. Ideally, it should have been spotted right when it happened. But once it is done, no step could have really been taken to change it.” A blunder of this scale was a first at an IPL auction. The auctioneers are generally very experienced with the trade and such errors are not bound to happen. However, Sharma was summoned urgently, to fill up the place of Hugh Edmeades. Edmeades collapsed while the bidding war for Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga was underway. He was rushed to hospital, to be treated for high blood pressure. “I think it was a human error, because of course, he was coming into the system fairly new, in terms of not having done an auction of such a great magnitude earlier. But it happens. It was a human mistake and we eventually move on from it.” Praseen Moudgal further said. bansal.s@iijnm.org
Emily’s Assembly-Line Luxury in Paris
Beyond the flirtatious flings and buttery croissants TV series Emily in Paris, captures the changing nature of luxury, says Kashish Sharma
T
he story of Emily Cooper is of an ambitious young woman of Chicago who finds her way to a French luxury firm, Savoir, and juggles her life between work life, friendships and love life in Paris. What looks like a light-hearted rom-com on the surface has an underlying theme: how luxury is losing its exclusivity, thanks to mass marketing. The series plays itself in the backdrop of this existentialist question confronting the luxury industry. While the French see a luxury item as a piece of art that is rare and exclusive, the Americans – represented by Emily, here -- see it as a product that needs to be sold efficiently in the market. The show brings out the ideological differences between the two cultures in terms of their work ethic and outlook to life itself. In tune with how giant corporations are taking over luxury brands and changing the way they used to function traditionally, Emily Cooper, who represents the Gilbert Group of the United States, moves to its French subsidiary. The latter is a traditional firm rooted in its French values. Emily entry, with a lengthy rule book, reflects the American intention of discounting the place’s old ethic. Coming from a capitalistic society where virtues like punc-
The American televison series protrays the difference betweem French who consider luxury as an art while for Americans it just another commodity to be sold. | A screengrab from the show Emily in Paris. tuality and productivity matter the most, Emily is seen reaching the office at 8 while the staff makes an appearance at 11 in the morning. Her idea of business is to close the gap between luxury and the common people, the antithesis of what European luxury and fashion is. Towards this end, Emily makes use of social media to bring the common man closer to the luxury products that earlier were too
distant from them. As she markets a lubricant for menopausal women, she raises a conversation online about the patriarchal nature of the French language which has a masculine name for female genitals. This makes the lubricant the talk of the day grabbing attention and more and more middle-aged women are interested in the product. She makes a similar move with marketing the perfume brand
Maison Lavaux. She associates the naked model that promotes the brand to sexual harassment and initiates a dialogue online. Emily is often stopped by her immediate head Sylvie who tells her that luxury has mystery around it and that the Americans are trying to destroy it by making it obvious and available to all. Sylvie who represents French aesthetics believes in low, exclusive and fixed clien-
tele. She often tells Emily that she wishes to close doors while Emily tries to open them. While the series says many other things, it also draws attention to the changing meaning of luxury in the present day. According to many fashion experts, the concept of luxury may be dying as it transcends from art to mass production, and availability at several price points. The article, Luxury or Nothing: The Democratization of Luxury Fashion, ( July 16, 2021) by Honi Soit (the student newspaper of University of Sydney) explores how luxury giants like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and others are falling for the mass-production of lower quality and far more accessible luxury products. As shown in the series, luxury is being capitalized, produced in large numbers as the marketing firms wish of selling the dream of luxury to all, including the middle class people. Another article, The Changing definition of luxury in 2021 published by Voguereminiscences shows how season after season across the city of Paris, craftsmen used to spend hours and hours moulding individual buttons and sewing in rare feathers but now it is all lost. Luxury as an art in the world may be fast vanishing. kashish.s@iijnm.org