The Obsession with 'The Social Message'

It’s a normal Sunday afternoon and my timeline is buzzing with this amazing new music video by the upcoming band called “Maachis ki Teeli aur Kerosene Oil” (Match stick and kerosene oil) . The song is called “A Blue Whale in a Software House”. Creativity, over loaded. Since the conclusion of Coke Studio 8 this is the first time I seem to be excited about listening something. The video begins with some notes written with a virtual typewriter against an off white background. One and a half minutes into the video, the notes continue appearing, stating how this piece of art raises a voice against class discrimination, bad governance, injustice and YouTube ban. This is followed by another one and a half minutes piece of music, mostly made on a template from FLV studio with people standing in the midst of road holding play cards condemning people who give GOT spoilers.  The video ends with another reminder about the social message stating “Hope you got it”. Yes, I can find the social message easily if it’s written on a play card, what I couldn’t find was ‘Music’. 

                                    Lead Vocalist of "Maachis ki teeli aur kerocene oil" trying to do something out of the box 

So putt off by this I slam my laptop and go over to the lounge to seek a day saving in the Television. What’s on-air surely rekindles hope. It’s a complete Pakistani cartoon series. Wow! Now the kids can be rehabilitated from the curse of ‘Doraemon, the Japanese Manga God of technology’. I call out my nephews to watch it. As they silently stare at the screen I rest my head back hoping that they would speak better Urdu now. But wait! Where are they? They just left saying they better finish their homework before the ‘Urrtaa Robo’ (flying robot) is re-telecast in an hour. I start watching it to find out why it didn’t appeal to them. The graphics seem good enough though with very sharp background colours. It’s the content, social message against corruption, illiteracy (this one’s good though), extremism (to some extent as well). And what about the puns? Jokes about some social media personality or a morning show host. So it was comprehensible why the kids didn’t find it that interesting.

Just then I get a notification from the bookshop I visit about a Pakistan Comic book, the first ever. A book can rarely disappoint you especially when it’s a graphic book. I waste no time and grab it. It’s full of action, thrill? No. Amazing storyline? Well, no. Suspense? What’s that? OK, so all I am treated to are some badly drawn characters condemning social evils like…..do I need to repeat?

Others have disappointed me, I won’t. ‘Write’, read the chit inside the fortune cookie.

“Get some sugar from the market”, said a voice emanating from the kitchen.

“Add a social message in the tea, that’s what all are doing to cover the shortcomings.”