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Post by shyamwestwind on May 26, 2008 5:17:17 GMT
Hi Everyone
I need to get an expert opinion, maybe legal, on this and I want your advice.
I guess some of you are aware of the IPL Cricket matches that are being played in India.
There is one particular advertisement by the manufacturers of CRABTREE electrical switches that shows two guys talking business in a restaurant where there's a Band playing right next to them and one of them, looking very irritated, gets up and presses an invisible "imaginary" switch on the coat lapels of the performing musicians and "switches off" their playing. He then talk business with his guest and on his way out, "presses" the switches on the lapels and starts them off again.
I found this very very insensitive and insulting to our profession
and wrote an e-mail to their Chairman, stating my displeasure and I requested him to take the ad. off the TV programme.
The ad didnt appear for two days, but its back now.
Is their any way I can legally get these advertisers to stop the screening of this advertisement. It is, undobtedly, insulting our profession and they need to be reprimanded.
May I know your opinion and advice.
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Post by freeway on May 26, 2008 9:22:26 GMT
Well shyam..........I totally agree with you .......they seem to do what they want these days and dont give a d**n who they upset or exploit.....whether its old people sick people underpriveleged....animal lovers etc........but luckily enough they don't always get away with it ........Im no expert in this field just a muso like yourself.....the first thing I would do would be to complain in writing to the Advertising Standards Authority in your country... informing them of your complaint .........writing to the company itself in IMHO is probably a waste of time ......as theyv'e probably invested millions in this particular advert....and would be very willing (unless forced to) ...withdraw this advert....you'd be surprised at the results .......even if you managed to get signatures of fellow musos and submit them also would strenghten your case........who knows worth a try....the power of the people can sometimes topple these multi nationals......just a thought thats all........Cheerz.............  |
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Post by JohnG on May 26, 2008 16:28:31 GMT
Hey guys, lighten up.  Have you never been in a supermarket, or standing in a lift, or somewhere similar with "elevator music" blaring out? Haven't you sometimes wished you could switch it off? All this advert is IMO, is a very graphical depiction of that desire which, correct me if I'm wrong, we all feel from time to time! I'm not sure that any slur was necessarily intended on musicians, just that sometimes people wish there were places where they could get away from (what they consider to be) inappropriate noise. For me it would be leaning over and turning off someone's iPod on the train, or that noisy person making that mobile phone call that they want the world to hear. "Listen to me, aren't I the greatest, coolest person!" Yawn, NO. Again, I really don't think it was intended as a slur against musicians. But then again, I could be wrong. It happens with alarmingly greater frequency the older I get. From a grumpy old man, JohnG. My suggestion, laugh it off, life is just too d**n short to get het up over these things. And it's only an ad. the lowest form of art, if indeed art it is. |
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Post by shyamwestwind on May 26, 2008 19:51:51 GMT
Hello, hello, JohnG, I didnt expect you to be so insensitive too. Please remember that if you choose to sit in a restaurant where there is a band playing (actually paid or contracted to entertain ) then you you should expect to hear music and you should know that its obviously not a place to talk or transact business. If that is what you want to do, go to a place where you can do just that.
A co passenger is not employed to play his i-pod on the train, so please dont draw a parallel there.
If you want to switch off the music, because you are irritated at that moment, you need to respect the wishes of the other guests who have specifically come there to be entertained and it would be rude to impose your delink on others.
Thank you freeway for the suggestion - I will check if such an organisation exists here and act accordingly.
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Post by JohnG on May 27, 2008 7:07:31 GMT
Hey Shyam!
What gives? There's no need to be insulting. I didn't call you names did I? It would be nice of you to withdraw that comment. If you can't post without name calling than perhaps you should join a children's forum!
Did I say that I'd turn people off? I expressed a feeling that many people have when they become irritated and It's a free world so I can draw what parallels I like. If you want to hear the band you can walk over and turn them up again. Anyway, since when did band members have volume controls fitted to their lapels?
Lighten up, for goodness sake, it's just an ad. It's meant to be funny.
What's got into you?
JohnG.
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Post by Emerald Midi on May 27, 2008 7:17:04 GMT
I remember when busking in Paris, France during the 80s I use to jump on the Metro (Underground/Tube Train, etc...) and start playing my heart out. Some on those trains would be visibly pleased to see me, I may have livened up an otherwise dreary morning or evening for them  But others were quite noticeably irritated by my efforts. The fools. Didn't they know they were in the presence of greatness??  Anyway, I am sure that if some of them could have "turned me off" they'd have done so. ;D Shyam, your situation, however, is different in that the advert you mention portrays people in a restaurant where musicians were clearly contracted to play so "turning them off" is unacceptable......... in my view. Having said that, I don't believe there's anything that can be done other than to voice what objections you think appropriate. |
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Post by Steptoe on May 27, 2008 7:50:22 GMT
It's on TV, It's an Ad. It's not real!
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Post by weegeo on May 27, 2008 8:55:12 GMT
I don`t think shyam was name calling and it`s right it is only an ad on TV and therefore doesn`t really relate to the real world,but i think it`s a little sad when we get to the stage of arguing amongst ourselves [now that would be good tv]I think it`s fair to say that all that know shyam knows that he is totally passionate about his profession and we must respect that if he sees something that he thinks is wrong then he has every right to comment on it. One the other hand if we disagree with him then it`s are right as well but to argue with each other is not what we should be doing Sorry just my take on it
weegeo
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Post by JohnG on May 27, 2008 9:20:00 GMT
Well weegeo, I do consider being called "insensitive" to be name calling.
It includes the two words "you" and "insensitive" and it was posted with my name "JohnG" in it. Now it may be that the allegation is true, but is this forum the place to air personal insults? despite which, I thought the forum rules forbade it! In my book name calling is what children do.
I accept that he may have a different point of view to mine and I respect that. I responded with what I considered to be a quite reasonable point of view. Or don't you think so? As has been said by others, "it's only an ad!" Musicians don't have volume controls on them, so it doesn't even represent reality.
If I'm insensitive, what about Shyam's post on funeral songs? You'll notice that I posted no personal remarks about him in my response to that. Nor would I, he's entitled to his point of view.
I just don't think that trading personal insults, whatever one may think, is any way to carry on in a public forum. Do you?
JohnG.
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Post by JohnG on May 27, 2008 9:25:07 GMT
It's on TV, It's an Ad. It's not real! Sigh! Quite so. JG |
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Post by weegeo on May 27, 2008 13:55:14 GMT
Well weegeo, I do consider being called "insensitive" to be name calling.******
I seldom get involved in controversy and i`m not about to start but i think that calling you insensitive is not exactly `name calling`and as for using the word `you`it wasn`t in capitals so he wasn`t using it to attack or get at you i understand your point of view and i must say that the ad in question doesn`t bother me in any way i do think however that perhaps you could have answered him a little different in your second post. For me life is to short to get tied up in such small difference`s
weegeo----------------------waiting on the flac to return lol lol lol
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Post by shyamwestwind on May 27, 2008 14:21:24 GMT
Gosh, there must be something wrong with me. This was a simple subject and all I needed was an opinion, an advice of how to go about protesting officially about the advertisement which I and many musicians here felt was insulting. I did not ask for a debate on the right and wrong of the ad. I just needed to know what can be done to stop the advertiser from bringing out his ad on TV. (Do read my original thread on this)
Freeway gave me good advice and I am following it up with the related Govt. agency here.
I approached our Forum for genuine advice and not to be made to realize that I'm a kid who thought they were real switches on lapels.
JohnG is and will always be a good friend of mine and I hope he looks at me as one.
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gibbo
Full Member
I'm not lost, I followed you home
Posts: 674
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Post by gibbo on May 27, 2008 16:49:11 GMT
There's probably nothing wrong with you, Shyam, it's just a failure in communication.
On several threads you ask for opinions from members and then, when they state them, you post an answer to refute or argue/discuss/debate with those opinions.
If you'd chosen to say "thank you for your opinion, John" rather than labeling him as being "insensitive" and then refuting the ideas expressed in his post there would have been nothing further said. There's nothing personal in it, it's just mis-communication. I don't for a moment think that you come here and post in order to cause arguments but you might possibly choose to review the last few threads that you've started and you'll see that this mechanism of asking for an opinion and then arguing against the opinion as given is common to most of them.
It's a common occurrence on forums and this one is no exception.
Again, there's nothing personal in this, it's simply an opinion. I'm not trying to change you and I like you, I'm just pointing to something you might like to look at.
I know that in this particular thread you asked for legal-opinions but right at the end you asked "May I know your opinion and advice?". Most helpful members will respond to that request as best they can but we're musicians not lawyers and so are bound to offer things from our personal perspective.
As far as the subject matter of the thread goes; I offer no opinion!
Be of good cheer and enjoy life.
Cheers, Dave.
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Post by Tubbs on May 27, 2008 16:51:21 GMT
But others were quite noticeably irritated by my efforts. The fools. Didn't they know they were in the presence of greatness?? Anyway, I am sure that if some of them could have "turned me off" they'd have done so. ;D ;D ;D ;D Good man Pat, King of the one-liners!! I don't know the legalities of it Shyam as it is only acting....but i appreciate your views on it...you have to stand up for what you believe in!! |
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Post by shyamwestwind on May 27, 2008 18:07:33 GMT
Point well taken, Dave.... I'll try and be more diplomatically polite in future.
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don
Member
Posts: 53
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Post by don on May 28, 2008 0:06:31 GMT
Hi Guys,
Nice to that "alls well that ends well" cheers Don.
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Post by Emerald Midi on May 28, 2008 6:59:55 GMT
One thing about forums is you'll find members have differing opinions and different ways of expressing them. Bit like "real life," really. |
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Post by shyamwestwind on May 28, 2008 7:18:05 GMT
Very REAL, Pat . This Forum is full of life and I like it !! Sometimes we step on others' toes, but well........ as long as everyone is cool, its okay, dont you think ? Its good we are (atleast most of us) "oceans" apart and dont have to give or get black eyes ! .......... just joking guys , so dont say I threatened you .... lol C H E E R S ................ S M I L E .......................... 3 CHEERS FOR THE MIDIMART FORUM..........HIP HIP HURRAH !!................ |
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Post by Emerald Midi on May 28, 2008 7:28:07 GMT
Very REAL, Pat . This Forum is full of life and I like it !! Sometimes we step on others' toes, but well........ as long as everyone is cool, its okay, dont you think ? Its good we are (atleast most of us) "oceans" apart and dont have to give or get black eyes ! .......... just joking guys , so dont say I threatened you .... lol C H E E R S ................ S M I L E .......................... 3 CHEERS FOR THE MIDIMART FORUM..........HIP HIP HURRAH !!................ I think Dave's (Gibbo) wise council on this is something we can all take on board for a smoother sailing on the Good Ship Midimart |
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Post by shyamwestwind on May 28, 2008 7:37:00 GMT
Yeah, I vote for Gibbo as Global Moderator !!!!!!!
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But others were quite noticeably irritated by my efforts. The fools. Didn't they know they were in the presence of greatness?? 
