What I’ve Liked
A brave new world of colour
Admittedly this is not the best TVC that I’ve seen so far for colour televisions, but yes, it is by far better than most TVCs on air at the moment. I am talking about the TVC for Sony Bravia, the one where little coloured squares (I assume they are pixels?) chase a few Kathakali dancers down the street.
Well, the good news is that they have used technology for a purpose — to make a point that is relatable. To use the Kathakali dancer as an icon for high colour saturation is a good idea, because the vividness of the colour is the first thing that strikes about the dancers’ make-up and costume.
And to view it on a TV set that is incapable of reproducing it in all its brilliance is a shame indeed. And that is why I suppose Sony’s little army of colour pixels chase the approximated images down the street, even though it seemed slightly at odds to see pixels from our high-tech world chase a figure from centuries ago.
But, rather than using technical gimmickry for some vague, abstract imagery that conveys precious little and though the storyline is a bit of a stretch and the technical effects rough at the edges, at least this TVC leaves the viewer with the message that when it comes to colour, there’s nothing like a Sony.
What I’ve Learned
What’s so funny? I recently discovered that there are theories on how laughter works — formal scientific study, apart from my own layman conclusions. And it was reassuring to know that by and large we shared the same views.
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According to the theorists we find things funny when logic and familiarity are replaced by things that normally don’t go together — for instance when we expect one thing and another happens — termed The Incongruity Theory.
Like the TVC about the kid who, while gobbling up his favourite gulab jamun tells his proud father that he came second in a race and when asked how many kids took part, replied “Two!” and darted away! Or the one about the man who waved an old ticket while boarding a train and when questioned replied: “Your train is not new, why should my ticket be new?”
The second theory is called the Superiority Theory and comes into play when we laugh at jokes targeted at someone else’s mistakes, misfortune or stupidity. Most responsible parents take pains to teach their children the difference between the two and encourage them to keep away from the latter simply because it is mean, vicious and pointless.
Oddly, there are of people who seem to have missed out on this crucial piece of education. I was a target once and I still remember it well. I was in London for a business dinner and since it was a black tie affair, I got myself a suit that unfortunately did not quite fit me well. I realised it was a source of amusement to a co- passenger in the hotel lift who couldn’t stop himself from remarking that I was looking good! Clearly, he felt superior because he had the right suit on and that made his day!
In short, it is kindness that underpins what you find funny and what you do not. If you are not born with the trait, consider yourself fortunate if you have been taught it. I received an email from a fan who asked me why his friends do not get his jokes. Here’s my reply: “Don’t camouflage a barb in a joke – if your friends are humane, they will move away from you!”
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