To begin with, the title needs some explanation. It's a line from an advertising campaign for a watch, I guess. This adorned one ugly hoarding that was a rather bad thing to see when driving back home. Why am I talking about this? I don't know, except perhaps for the reason that everyday, I just can't help feeling that Bangalore is becoming a victim to visual pollution.
In addition to ugly hoardings (and the meaningless advertising which is not the point though), I am noticing many an ugly thing. For example, the ugly sight of an Autorickshaw driver stretching his hand out for that extra ten rupees only because he thinks wherever you want to go is not within city limits. Or for that matter, the sight of those infants being paraded around by women with powerful visually convincing skills for that extra rupee. The only other person who I thought did a better job than these beggars do was Irfan Pathan appealing when he went wicketless in South Africa.
Speaking about cricket, that reminds me of Anil Kumble Circle and that huge monstrous clock or whatever contraption that is. How can we let someone put up such a thing right there? I mean, all of us have watches, excepting those talented women posing as beggars, and seriously, how many of us really give a damn about the temperature? Have you ever come across anyone, anyone in Bangalore beginning a conversation with, "Nice Weather! Eh?' See! I told you! We don't really need most of the visual pollution we see around us in this city. There are many more elements of visual pollution. And one that irks me the most is the sight of people who take Vasudevakudumbakam a little too seriously. True, the world is one big family. But that doesn't mean the entire city is your toilet.
There are so many examples of visual pollution I can talk about. Like, autorickshaws with Chee Tunti, Yenivaaga et al written on them. Or those ugly golden coloured Maruti Omnis with the cricket ball graphic. Or those people wearing F1 jackets and riding motor operated pedalling devices.
Well, let them be the way they are. The reason I have brought this up is because I think we all have to get together and do something about it. And do that, we need like-minded people to join us.
The only way I see we can get this place to grow (btw, there is also a community on orkut called We Are Bangalore) is by spreading the word about this blog and the community around. Don't really stretch yourself too much. You just need to send this link to your friends. No matter how many you have.
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8 comments:
half the problem can be blamed on us ppl working for advertising... bangalore needs good art people.
Is there something about the time the article was posted? Just wondering..? or is it a thought pollution? lol
Raghu u missed the Biggest Visual Pollution, the movie posters, and now a cheaper version and the dirtiest of all-the wall being painted in black and flurosecent names of the movie.
I guess we shud suggest a solution rather than showing the frustration.
Any solution to the disturbance ???
bangalore seems to be making rapid strides in the direction of chennai. the hoardings, autos and people peeing on untended walls here are legendary. there are plenty of details and pix, on my blog.
have an idea to stop people from peeing in public. since most of us have digicams, everytime we see someone making waves on a wall, let's say "Psst Psst..." and click. then post it on this blog. what say?
Coach, I like that. 'Visual pollution.' If there's something you've missed as a visual pollutant. Here's me supplying the junk. Presenting you the best of the worst visual pollutants - Two misfits trying to be cool.Isn't that a visual pollution per se. When i went Barista to drink coffee, not that I want to be seen in Barista or to let people read this writer chills out in Barista. One naive mistake of promising my friend a coffee in Barista helped me to write this. What else could be the worst visual pollutant other than two guys faking their personalities just to be 'Hey-babe-I'm-the-man-too.' I mean,if the effort they put in to belong to place were to be oriented in a righteous way. Guess, they could've been writing like this and doing their bit to make this world a better place.Visual pollution also triggers that unusual acrobat in you. I did a nice sitting high jump with a roar of laughter, when one guy who had pierced his ear apparently to look menancing (but looked funny) synced his lips for a dismal beat which had no vocals in it. And the other guy who painfully (only he can feel) puffed his chest and smoked a cigarette at the same time. Wonder why he's irritating himself greatly? Is it a friendly warning for the guys that 'I'm-not-the-man-to-be-messed-with.' Or the blind faith of some PYT registering him in their minds? Their almost full frappes were evident in itself that they've been around for sometime.And they've been using that as an excuse to buy time and kill it by smoking. WHY?WHY?WHY? I could've stayed there for some more time. But,I feared my laughter would soon will make me long for an itch which i can't scratch. I cursed Barista for the coffee, but, thanked the clowns for the amusement and also for being the subject for a debut blogger. I will reserve a prayer for people like these, with a distant hope of some divine intervention will do some good. One last thing, now i know how Russel Peter gets his dope. Over'n'out.
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