Competition is forcing once-staid publications to spice up their content. Mumbai's Midday tabloid has introduced a bikini-clad version of Britain's topless “page-three girls”, called the “Midday mate”. Most broadsheets offer similar enticements in colourful “entertainment” sections full of Bollywood stars.
Yes, focus on the second sentence if you will.
Mumbai's Midday tabloid has introduced a bikini-clad version of Britain's topless “page-three girls”, called the “Midday mate”.
Introduced ? What does introduce mean ? Merriam Webster defines it as
1 : to lead or bring in especially for the first time
The Economist stands guilty as charged. Guilty of not getting its facts right in this article (paid registration required) which appeared in a recent issue (15th Feb 2007).
I've been seeing the Mid-day Mate since 1989 (i.e. about 20 years back). Any self-respecting Mumbaikar knows that the Mid-day mate is nothing short of an institution. And its been around for ages and ages. I don't have the exact number. Do a google search if you want, you might find something. In an old post, Rashmi Bansal even ascribes Mid-day's growth in the past to this institution.
I mean, people have grown up on that one box on page 3. Carefully cut-out collections have been made, traded, envied, pursued by despots. And now, you're telling me that Mid-day has just introduced it ? I say ghanta.
The only thing that disappoints me more than the Economist's carelessness, is that the blogosphere seems to have largely ignored (save for the good Sans Serif who has correctly fisked the article for even more factual errors) this blasphemy. Sheesh.
10 comments:
@BA,
First of all, ask the Economist to take the name of my beloved newspaper properly.
And abt the mate, I never got around to appreciate it nor it used to be the first thing that I saw whenever I laid hands on the newspaper oops tabloid. No, it has nothing to do with my sexuality, just that I have been reading it prior to my hormone development days...So, it never had a novelty value for me unless some guys who discover the mate in their teenage years :-)
Infact, I almost gave a heart attack to my English teacher in school when I said that the newspaper that I read was Mid Day..aah..teh joy of looking at her face then or when she asked me to go and read a real newspaper like TOI :D
aah..I have been rambling for long but it was about a paper that I associate with my growing up years ..So its close to my heart..
Cheers,
HP
Hey HP - always great to meet another Mid-day fan. I'm sure you'd understand my anguish over this blunder on their part. They really did goof up on a lot of things there. Careless reporting.
I remember in my time - which incidentally, I don't think was that far off your time - it was the only reason anybody bought that paper oops tabloid !
Thanks for the visit and comment !
I remm trying to catch the saturday mid-day mate in my early college years.. lol..
Now you get that disgusted look when you hear that one reads Mumbai Mirror..
Pragni - arre haan..now I remember the Saturday mate ! Lol ! Thanks for the visit !
ba,
there were 'mid-day mates' long before the mid-day started featuring them.. in 'blitz' and, i think, also in 'current'.. and in 'sun'.
Kuffir - thanks for the comment. Correct, even if I can only remember Blitz. I think we owe Mr Karanjia a debt of gratitude.
For many years, I was an avid watcher of Mid-Day Mates, and even today, well into my mid-30s, that's the first thing I look for when I pick up a copy.
But what I want to talk about isn't the popularity of mates, it's smart marketing. In those growing years, I used to wonder why the Saturday Mate was so sober compared to the rest - the girls were covered up, tepid by normal Mate standards. Then there came a phase where only guys featured as Saturday Mates!
Why?
Then it struck me. On Saturday, most people in Bombay worked half-day. The Mid-Day on Saturday was usually picked up at the station/traffic signal on the way home, and was likely to be seen by the wife/kids/parents. The weekday mates, on the other hand, were almost exclusive read in the office!
At least that's what I think the reason was, and if it really was, hats off for some really insightful understanding of consumer behaviour.
Nilesh - thanks for the visit and the comment. Wow..I didn't figure that one out! Makes sense though.
Hey, just came across your blog and I love it! Until I was in Bombay a few years ago, Mid-Day was always "mate, fate and crossword."
Nothing else held that publication together like these three! No wonder I was a little confused when I read "Introduced." And, Nilesh, I think that's a very plausible observation on consumer behavior. Interesting to note what was the real motive behind it.
Satish - Thanks very much for your visit, comment and link back to my blog. I like the way you put it, because indeed, those were also the three things I most read in the paper! Just one thing with ref to your ref to Nilesh's comment..what was the real reason?!
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