Change the Soch - Really, nothing has changed! Franklin Templeton latest Campaign

Change the Soch campaign by Franklin Templeton was launched with much fanfare. It TomToms the fact that it tries to highlight women's role in giving advice in all aspects of life, including offering financial advice. But surprisingly, I find that advertisement to be regressive, sexist, and even propagating existing stereotypes.

The advertisement opens with a youngster lazily telling his family about his salary rise. His quip: “What should he do with it?”. This is where the advertisement confirms the stereotype. His father is shown repairing a grinder/mixer. His mother is cutting onions, and yes, she is weeping.

She tells him, “What is there to think? Top up your SIP. This is the right  time." Her son is puzzled. He gives her a puzzled look and says, "I don't understand." His mother gives him an exasperated look clears her voice and says in a very masculine voice (imitating her husband?)  "What is there is think. Top up with SIP. It is the right time".

Her son's face breaks into a smile. He smirks and says, "Now I understand." The message appears: Women = Men in financial advice too. Is this supposed to be a pathbreaking Changing Soch advertisement?

The lady is still cutting onions, and she is still weeping. Her husband is still doing manly jobs like repairing mixies. Her motherly advice is ignored. The minute she talks like his father in a masculine voice (like a man), her son immediately responds.

Even the message smacks of male chauvinism. Women = Men. What do you mean by speaking equal to? In a country that worships women, call the country Bharat Mata and revere her as Maa Durga; the ad comes through as regressive and supporting and conforming to age-old stereotypes. Please have a rethink. Franklin Templeton.

Indira's Rasam advertisement - Racist and Sexist

 

It is a very racist and sexist advertisement. It says "If you are a North Indian wife, you just need a minute to make rasam, with our Indira rasam powder you can make Ghuma Ghuma Lade rasam (piping hot rasam) in few seconds". 

This ad on this Karnataka bus had gone viral. the advertisement assumes that if a South Indian husband has a North Indian wife, she does not know how to make rasam, a South Indian dish, 

Basically, that is the crux of the matter. The statement smacks of gender discrimination, there is regional philosophy that rasam is south Indian, north Indians cannot cook southern dishes, that southern men should not marry north Indian girls and, that if they do, they should forget their favourite south Indian dishes, give up on their main dishes, southern dishes are better than northern dishes, etc. At best such promotions should be avoided.