MayShortReads13: The Fad
To: Governing Bodies Incorporated,
The Beauty Business Group,
Society for Teenage Unrepresented Politics, Issues & Debate
Subject: The Owner of ‘Anti-Beauty’
In response to your earlier communication, we present a few further comments and evidence.
There were two very important things that happened to Tania that day. A phone conversation with her best friend and a note that she typed out soon after. Both have been documented as follows:
The first is the transcript of her phone conversation. This has been obtained with permission from her mobile service provider. Tania claimed later that she had not consented to their recording and sharing her conversations, even though her signature appears on the contract as agreeing to these terms. Since her friend Seena, does not subscribe to the same service provider, they are unable to share her contribution to the conversation:
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Document 1: Transcript of Tania’s phone conversation
“No, I’m not hooking up to the bloody call center. It’s a 45 minute waste of time only to listen to a drone who’s probably 20 and has the brains of a 5-year-old.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. Have you gotten to work as yet?
Ah, you lucky girl! Sorry, I forgot. Don’t let me keep you up at this hour, then.
Already? It’s only your third day. You still have 11 days left. Why don’t you go to the movies or maybe the salon? They’ll be great on weekdays, no waiting, no loud phone-boors.
Heh, yeah right. Shouting inside my own car does not make a loud phone-boor. Why don’t you catch that new movie then?
Oh, okay. Damn, you make weekday holidays sound bad.
Naw, I wish. I used up all my leave on Kyra. Ungrateful little brat won’t let me have my peace in my own house, even if I take off.
Yes, I do mean that. C’mon, don’t go all judgemental on me. It’s just the two of us talking. It’s bad enough having one foul-tempered teenager at home. But why’d I have to go pick up a job at a ‘young’ company too? I am dying. Dying of youth.
I mean they are killing me, literally. I sound like my mother when I say this and that makes me feel old. But honestly what are kids today thinking??
No, absolutely not. Don’t you remember our fads? Torn denims, those signaled rebellion alright. But what is this with clothes that don’t fit??? This generation wears their jeans so low, their fingers have muscles from the workout of having to constantly pick them off the ground.
It’s not an exaggeration. I think they’re too privileged. They’re begging for misery.
Huh. Yeah, I’m here. I just thought of something.
No, it’s still coming to me. Hey, let me hang up now. I think I have it.
Hmm? Just an idea for the marketing brief I’ve to present tomorrow.
Yeah. I’ll call you tomorrow.
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The second document is a word-processed file that was created by Tania on the same day, estimable at 20 minutes after the phone conversation.
Document 2: Concept Note
Target Audience: 13-22, SEC A, metros
Core Premise: The youth is bored and disengaged from the world. Information overload and over-privileged lifestyles leave them jaded. The beauty myth has been saturated with a cluttered product market, technological advancements in medicine as well and digital touch-up technology.
Also, the influencers in the current social order are proponents of physical perfection. The ones who do not conform to this ideal, lack social currency. This segment is the majority but also under-represented in consumer outlook.
Need Gap: A new aspiration needs to be created for this segment. A guiding philosophy, goals, events and associated products can drive the campaign. We need to oppose beauty as an aspirational standard of appearance.
Key Messages:
- Anyone who has depth has problems
- Perfection is for the last century
Product Range: Anti-beauty product line
- Acne enhancement – to increase pimples & open pores, to convey someone who does not want to be plastic and is proud of it.
- Dirt dust – for smudging on the rear of jeans, to show someone willing to sit anywhere to think and talk on matters of consequence (variant possibilities for eco-friendly consumers).
- Blood paint – for tiny spatters on clothes, to convey being closer to life and away from plastic perfectionism. To be marketed to young women on the lines of menstruation pride and to young men as a return to real manhood.
- Dulling mist – for spraying on the face to convey a sallow complexion and other conditions associated with working too hard
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These two documents conclusively prove that Tania Rodrigues is the owner and bears full responsibility for the Anti-Beauty ideology. We believe that she should bear all the damages resulting in this case. We also believe that all the earnings of this campaign should be accrued to Ms.Tania Rodrigues.
We await your thoughts at the earliest.
With regards,
Messrs. Lawyer, Lawyer & Lawyer
~O~O~O~O~O~O~
Update Sep 23: Current pop culture news is the Humans of Bombay case against People of India for copyright violation while being called out by Humans of New York for the same. Authenticity is an aesthetic, a fad just like beauty. If you like my ideas on beauty, you might like to check out my Body & Sex section.
Sorry, but this is meh. It’s like an essay. You’ve done your best to cover up, using the form, and maybe your catering to the audience of your blog and the kids are going to lap it up. But for me the idea itself was too banal. And a hard idea to bring to life. Maybe you could have wrapped yourself in it further. The jeans idea is actually a good idea. But too banal to make for a plot. Sigh.
@Ronaan Roy: Agreed, agreed. This was an experiment. It didn’t work as well as I hoped. Still, it was worth a shot, no?
Very interesting concept. But less story, and more format experiment. I like the campaign though. I’d put money in it.
@febinmathew: This story was really more the concept of the format rather than a good narrative on its own. 🙂 The campaign is a bit ludicruous, don’t you think? Though, if you see the range on the shelves, remember you heard it here first!